Design Bird

The short answer: A design is a solution to a problem. Design is about solving problems. Simple enough, but how can we use this information? How can we make this a tool to improve future designs? The problem is that now that we have defined design, we also need to define problems in order to really get to the bottom of design and really see how we can use it. Problems arise when there are two opposing wills, or forces. So, a problem is a flow, movement, or dynamic that has been stopped by an opposite. It can be visualized as a wall or a barrier. Problems are solved in one of two ways: force or by understanding. Force can be effective but it is seldom clean or even acceptable as a solution. War and fighting is a good example that may work, but we don’t want it. A hammer can crack a nut but it can also do a lot more damage besides. Understanding, on the other hand, is the clever, clean solution. With understanding we can design a solution. A nut cracker will uncover the nut without the c...

 +++ Redo from Start

As a manager of people (UX designers and front end developers in my case), where should I sit? I am being literal here. Where should my desk be? Should I sit together with the other managers and heads of, or should I sit with the team? I know this sounds petty but it is important. This question was raised the other day and of course this other manager did not think that I should be sitting with the team. She is one of those managers that thinks that they are above mortal worker drones and should be aloof to the lower levels of creativity (you can probably guess that this attitude annoys me). Of course it can be useful to sit as a group of managers. This is great of high level planning and epic thinking, but to be honest, that stuff does not take too long and most time is spent putting them into effect. This all happens “lower down the food chain” where the creatives and builders get to work making the dream come true. This is where a manager should be seated. Not so that he or she can ...

Mexican drug cartels communicate with bullets and knives. If you try to enter their territory, they will communicate very clearly and effectively this way.

I just came across an old document I put together for UX work on a project called US Labour App. It is an example of a high level look at timing that was requested and thought it might be useful to share with others. I changed some of the names for non-disclosure reasons. Plan for US Labour App UX Design UCD Planning The planning phase is all about understanding what we have been asked to do and work out the best combination of activities that will give us the outcome we need, within the time, budgetary and resource constraints of the project. It is our job as UX design professionals to deliver the best user experience within the time and budget available. Phases These are the phases from start to delivery. UX is involved throughout the process but this plan will mostly be about the first three phases which bring us up to development. Discovery/research phase . This is where we immerse ourselves in the project to get the background we will need to make design decisions later in the pro...

  UX or User eXperience is a term coined to describe the design of a user centred product. In this case we are talking about digital product design. This is the design of the interaction between a person and a device. It includes the way information is presented, what information and when. It encompasses UI – User Interface design. It is the process of discovering by research, testing and trial and error the best possible solution. This is the solution that best matches the requirements of the business, the needs of the user and all within the limitations of the technology at hand. UX Design is a system of problem solving. It is done by first discovering and fully understanding the actual problem or challenge the business is facing and then, by various means and methods, discovering and designing the best possible solution. This might be best described as the elegant solution.

  1. Requirements Gathering Understanding the business needs and what its goals are. Be sure to understand the problem or challenge the business wants you to solve. Understanding the users and what their needs are. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of the technology being used. 2. Design Alternatives Begin to create solutions. Brainstorm ideas that meet the needs of the user and solve the problems of the business. See how others have solved similar problems. 3. Prototyping Model potential solutions so they can be tried out and tested. On paper or using tools. (see Figma, Invision, AdobeXD etc.) Prototypes can be simple sketches and wireframes or rich, interactive demos. 4. Evaluation Test and evaluate the prototypes on users. See what works and what needs adjusting. Go back to steps one, two or three as needed. Bonus step: Development Once a design has been tested and agreed upon it goes to development, but the designer’s job is not finished. The design will inevitably...