1. One of my big memories from design school was when the prof (Dan Boyarski) told us to start our big project not by sketching or brainstorming.
Instead he told us to leave the studio and GO WATCH PEOPLE. Watch ppl do whatever it was our design was supposed to make better.
Instead he told us to leave the studio and GO WATCH PEOPLE. Watch ppl do whatever it was our design was supposed to make better.
2. It seemed somehow like a violation - what?! I can't just use my MIND? And he was like, no. Your mind sucks.
Even the best imaginations are ego prone. Are you designing for yourself or to solve a problem for someone? If it's the later, how can you NOT start by observing 1st?
Even the best imaginations are ego prone. Are you designing for yourself or to solve a problem for someone? If it's the later, how can you NOT start by observing 1st?
3. Observation is the killer tool in the designer's toolbox. To go watch, to go listen, to keep your ego out of it for awhile and just study people.
That's where big insight's come from. It's cheap and potent and transformative. User researchers know this. They'll help you.
That's where big insight's come from. It's cheap and potent and transformative. User researchers know this. They'll help you.
4. It should be a question put to anyone who passionately argues for or against a design idea:
"Have u ever watched an actual person try to do this?"
Or at least watched someone try to do something similar. Or at bare minimum watched dozens of ppl in usability labs over years.
"Have u ever watched an actual person try to do this?"
Or at least watched someone try to do something similar. Or at bare minimum watched dozens of ppl in usability labs over years.
5. I can imagine a video made for all Product Managers, Executives and powerful ppl with little design training.
It's just a PM or Exec talking about a great sounding design idea. Followed by the "highlight reel" of people actually trying to use it and utterly failing.
It's just a PM or Exec talking about a great sounding design idea. Followed by the "highlight reel" of people actually trying to use it and utterly failing.
6. The idea might be GREAT! But ppl don't interact with ideas, they interact with designs. And there's 100s of nuances, some hard to predict, than makes something confusing or not.
Our industry relearns the same dumb lessons over & over. We don't have to, but ego is in the way.
Our industry relearns the same dumb lessons over & over. We don't have to, but ego is in the way.
