How I work

Design is end-to-end

The design squiggle was created by designer Damien Newman in the early 2000s to communicate the messiness of bringing clarity and focus to the uncertain - that design is not about “making things pretty,” rather, solving a need through uncovering insights and concept exploration.

I think Newman is spot on, however, I take it a bit further to say that the process doesn’t just lead to a design, but that the process is design.

This end-to-end process is what brings proven value to a product or service and creates the experiences people desire.

Problems are always changing, so there are no “right” solutions, only better ones. There is arguably no finish line, only milestones. As users’ needs change and technology evolves, so too must our thinking, making design a never-ending job of perpetual improvement.

Work as a team

No one likes when “the new guy” comes in and tries to change everything on day one. I understand that business must keep moving, and if change is needed, it’s usually best done over time. When I join a new team or project, my first goal is to understand how the team functions and who everyone is, but in parallel will deliver on the immediate goals of the business. In many ways, I apply the design process to how I approach team operations: what issues are we having? what is going well? (understand) | what have we tried in the past and what new ideas do we have? (explore) | what can we implement in the short term and plan for the long term? (prototype) | how do we measure our progress? (evaluate)

I truly believe that how we work is closely tied to the quality of what we deliver. Optimizing operations while having an empathetic understanding of cross-functional objectives and priorities both ensure a sustainable and enjoyable work environment that flows to our customers: better team = better product outcomes and better customer experiences.

Focus on the customer

Deliver value, not features.

I don’t think about what features customers will have, rather, what will they be able to achieve. I’m always trying understand their pain points and why they exist. This makes UX research a vital part of the process, as it provides the insights that drive my thinking and approach to a solution. I must be able to clearly articulate what a design should be able to do before I even know how.

The ‘how’ then becomes the traditionally seen UX phase of multiple, insight-driven concepts and iterations, until it’s narrowed down to one - the one that best balances user value, business impact, and technical feasibility.

Every project is different, so the specific way we follow the process is often different too. Design has to be flexible and adaptable, but still fit within this general framework. It uses many of the same tools out of the same toolbox, it’s just a matter knowing when to use which ones. But In the end, it all comes down to one primary tenet:

Start with the customer, and work backwards. Always. That is true UX Design.