How to be a better designer

Harvard Web Working Group
October 13, 2010
Jason Robb
How to be a
better designer
@jasonrobb • #designbetter
Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Harvard Web Working Group
October 13, 2010
Jason Robb
Design better

Agenda
Intro
Design
People
People + Design
Q&A

Introduction

What I am
Visual thinker, User researcher,
Usability expert, Interaction
designer, Visual designer,
Front-end developer...
Introduction

What I am
Designer
Introduction
Visual thinker, User researcher,
Usability expert, Interaction
designer, Visual designer,
Front-end developer...

Small businesses, startups,
agencies, non-proﬁts...
Who I work for
Introduction

Small businesses, startups,
agencies, non-proﬁts...
Who I work for
Introduction
People who need design

What else?
Introduction
UX Book Club, Boston
Next book: Gamestorming
Wednesday Nov. 3rd, 7pm
uxboston.com

Why I’m here
Introduction
Get people excited about design

Design

Design
Creators of tangible or
intangible objects
Designers1

Design
Everyone is a
designer
2

Design
…is a plan for
the construction
of an object
Design (noun)3

Design

Design
ﬂickr.com/dragondrop/

Design
Tools don’t
matter (much)
4
Use whatever medium and
ﬁdelity that suits your practical
needs and design goals
http://dub.washington.edu:2007/projects/ﬁdelity/pubs/
Walker_HFES_2002.pdf

Design
Mike Rohde - ﬂickr.com/rohdesign

Design
When to sketch5

Design
Baking
Simple?
No sketch!
Complex?
Sketch!

Design
6

Design
Breakfast

Design
Interfaces
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Design
Interfaces

Design
How?
What?
Why?
Simon Sinek - startwithwhy.com
7

Design
“We need a login form...”
What?

Design
No context
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Design
“People need access to private
health-related data...”
Why?

Design
Always get
context!
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Signup
form
Manage
account
Update
your status
Import
data
Value
prop
How to get
started
8

Design
Vocabulary9Order, unity, variety, contrast,
symmetry, asymmetry,
rhythm, harmony, dissonance,
interval, tension, balance...
Paul Rand - youtube.com/watch?v=4yOjts0tpco

Design
Contrast

Design
Contrast
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Design
Everyone’s a designer
Tools: ﬁt your needs
When to sketch; when not to
Always start with “Why?”
Learn the vocabulary

People

Working
with people
This is your ﬁrst priority, more
important than pixels or pencils.
10

People
Who plays a role?
11

People

Listening ≠ doing
This is your ﬁrst priority, more
important than pixels or pencils.
12

Listening ≠ doing
Don’t expect change.Always
reﬂect before acting.
13

Filter out the
bad stuff
14
Gut reactions are okay,
keep them to yourself

Nurture ideas,
prune in time
15
Gut reactions are okay,
keep them to yourself

Co&ect ideas, good and bad

Share them when the time is right

Building rapport
16
How valuable is
design to them?

Mood boards

Building consensus
17
Disagree Bad design
A& good

This is the norm
Disagree Bad design
A& good

Rare, painful
Disagree Bad design
A& good

Rare, no design
Disagree Bad design
A& good

Design + People

Presenting & Critique
18
Agenda. Who? Time? Outcome?

Use email sparingly
19
Face time
Phone
IM
Email

How to ruin a
relationship
Reaction > Distraction >
Distortion > Deconstruction
20

Resolving conflicts
Assume you’re wrong. Test it.
Get an outside opinion.
21

Black and white?
Right
wrong
Wrong
right

Right
right
Right
wrong
Wrong
Wrong
Wrong
right
Black, gray, & white

Give people choices
Choices = (eedom
No choices = slavery
22

Q&A

How can I get
requirements up front?
You can’t. They’re always
uncovered incrementa&y.
Q1

How to get started
when the end is
nowhere in sight?
Incremental progress
Q2

How do I dumb-proof
the UI but not
patronize users?
Simple as it has to be, no simpler.
Q3

Why are designers
so weird?
Curiosity, sensitive to idea
crushing, ask why ﬁrst.
Q4

How do I make it
beautiful?
Learn the vocabulary of
aesthetics, practice!
Q5

Thank you!

How to be a better designer

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