How we design is the dance, what we design is the song.
I was recently asked to describe how I would begin a completely new design effort with completely new customers. A comprehensive plan. With tools and methods for each phase.
I was hoping you would ask.
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I love using a design process. It may sound intimidating. It’s really not.
A design process is basically a checklist. They tend to have similar concepts and phases). Each has a beginning and an end. The most efficient ones have an adaptable yet consistent series of phases, each building on the next. The most efficient design teams build a learning loop suffused with a culture of curiosity, respect for those we serve, and a passion for re-enchanting the world.
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The design process sounds hard.
It is.
It’s hard like dancing to our favorite song with all your heart.
It’s hard like singing at the top of your lungs on a road trip when no one else is around, the glory of nature racing past you in slow motion.
It is a heart-to-heart with your best friend.
Design is intimate.
Design is personal.
Design is power.
And with great power comes great responsibility.
Here Is my design process. I’ve used a lot of different ones. I like some better than others. They are all pretty good. This one works for me. I understand the basic building blocks, and I can adapt the process to meet the moment.
Each design process is a living thing.
A reflection of the adventure that lays before you: the team of people building a new idea, the people they want to serve, the resources available to them, and the time they have to pull it off.
Once you understand the phases of making something, you will have insight into the pitfalls ahead. You will start to see around corners and anticipate the challenges that usually befall a group of people trying to do something new. For strangers. With new tools and supplies and systems.
Here are some of mine.
In the future, I’ll write and link detailed descriptions of these tools and concepts, but for now, you can Google them. Think of this as an elaborate recommended reading list of ideas you can try to see if they work for you and your design adventure.
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I utilize the Learn/Build/Measure design loop popularized by SVPG in Inspired.
However, over time I have found in practice that we must adapt this Lean product approach in an enterprise environment to reflect the realities of funding approvals, quarterly planning, development cycles, etc.
To reflect those realities, I combine the Lean loop with a Discover / Delivery cadence, with each phase building on the next.
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The key with any process is to right-size it to the opportunity at hand. Some key questions need to be answered for any new initiative, and the depth and detail of the answers are what scales.
The key in any new project is to keep the process iterative rather than attempting to “eat the whole elephant” at once. Looking for incremental wins and growing a wonder and curiosity culture will produce the most positive results in the shortest timeline.
Each cycle of Learn, Build and Measure builds on the next. The illustration below outlines the process described with possible deliverables and tools underneath each phase.
ASSUMPTIONS
The Assumptions phase largely focuses on establishing scope and determining the stakeholders critical to the project's success.
Some Assumptions deliverables may include:
Stakeholder mapping
Stakeholder interviews and synthesis
Assumptions mapping
Measurement planning - mapping KPIs to OKRs, articulating hypotheses, and establishing priorities
Design thinking workshops
Prioritization exercises
Design briefs
Survey & synthesis of existing research, organization knowledge
DISCOVER
The Discover phase focuses on learning about user needs and perceptions and their context, a deeper understanding of the business context and competitive space, organizational strengths/weaknesses, and unique market advantages.
Discover deliverables may include:
Journey maps
Empathy maps
Qualitative & quantitative user research
Personas
Card sorting
Diary studies
Environmental studies
Collaborative design sessions (1:1 or cohorts)
EXPLORE
The Explore phase focuses on the proliferation of ideas and how we might alleviate pain points and bring delight to our customers based on what we have learned in the Discover phase. (This phase is often repeated several times to refine opportunities and validate solutions with users.)
Define deliverables may include:
User story maps
Roadmaps
Wireframes
Prototypes
Situational improv
Design thinking workshops
Collaborative design sessions with stakeholders, technical engineers, and/or SMEs (internal or external)
DEVELOP
By the Develop phase, we are working with technical engineers to bring the MVP to life, sufficient to validate with users in a context much closer to “reality.” Parts or most of this work may make its way into the final product.
Develop deliverables may include
User story maps
Full resolution designs validated with users
Technical specifications
Design assets
DELIVER
The Deliver phase is about shipping. At this point, we are refining small elements of the experience to answer active questions blocking technical specialists from creating the product our customers will use, and design changes or solutions will comprise a small part of the overall build effort. Close communication with engineers and fabricators is critical.
Deliver deliverables may include
QA documentation and coaching
Design thinking collaboration to solve technical challenges
…and repeat!
TEST
Once the solution is alive in the wild, it is critical to test the product with real users in the real world.
Analytics analysis and reporting
Synthesize findings in user sentiment & behavior
Recommendations for evolution
Learnings from live product inform future feature prioritization.
Stakeholder working sessions to explore the next opportunity or deepen this one
And then you ride off into the sunset! Or collapse in a heap. Throughout this process, it is important to retain your sense of flow and not get hung up on learning moments that feel like mistakes. Pace yourself. It is normal that it feels uncomfortable. That’s what learning feels like.
When it is all over, you can take off on a new adventure to enchant the world In a whole new way. Or sit on a beach and drink from a coconut.
Know this will be bumpy.
It will take time.
You will make discoveries that will feel like mistakes. It is still worth it.
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That’s all for now. I’ll elaborate on these ideas in the future, with illustrations to help visualize the concepts.
You can find me on LinkedIn. I’m not vocal, but I do write back.
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