Ghost in the Pixel

This question and topic is totally worthy of a doctoral dissertation or a lengthy cross-country motorcycle road trip with friends while confronting the ghost of Phaedrus :-) But for today’s mundane practical matters of designing a product that is valuable to a target audience, I’d humbly suggest value just comes down to a few basic, essential questions.

In my view, value is an immaterial, emergent quality that arises from a person’s interaction with something (physical / virtual / social) which clearly answers:

a) what task does this “something” help me accomplish

b) what goal does this “something” help me fulfill and

c) how does this “something” make me feel–the emotional benefit.

And…becomes something that enables a positive habit of use, weaving itself into fabric of living, working, playing, etc. to the point it’s necessary to a good life…while, of course, supporting the business too, not just in a financial value sense, but in a “gives the business a purposeful driver for its existence” sense, shaping its way into the life of ordinary folks.

Value in this humanist sense is about personal relevance, and meaning— at functional, social, cultural, even spiritual (or self-reflective) levels. The significance of a design is found not in the gazing upon the visual mockup, but in the daily engagement of the profound, incorporated in the pixels and atoms through the designer’s empathetic and aesthetic vision.

Value is found in convenience, comfort, assurance, empowerment, confidence, trust, safety, joy, and other personal aspirations that enable a “good life”.

What “value” your product aspires to deliver is the most difficult question to answer as that will drive the feature priority, the experience journey, the resulting outcomes. Indeed, what it is you are making! Just keep returning to the 3 key questions above re: task completion, goal fulfillment, and emotional benefit. And what is that central umbrella concept (like comfort or joy) that this product or feature promises to deliver? That’s the value proposition. Not some jargon-filled, committee-based awkward company statement that makes eyeballs roll. Value is what makes people love your product and believe in its ability to make their lives better.

 

Recently I had a chat with a lead designer from another software company, who asked “why have a design strategist?” and “what does it mean to have a design strategy?”. Good questions!

IMHO, I’m not totally convinced a company needs to hire a specific role for “design strategist” per se. In my view, that is the part played by your VP of Design, Creative Director, UX Director, and various other “design leaders”…which (as demonstrated by Apple, Dyson, P&G and Target) may also include the CEO! There must be someone driving the strategy–a comprehensive, forward looking direction of connected actions and outcomes expressed in a clear, strong vision–and everyone in key leadership roles should share in its dissemination and practice as ambassadors, advocates, stewards… and as doers, making design literally happen in their respective areas. This all propagates “design thinking” within and throughout a company’s rank-and-file.

Re: design strategy itself, my friend asked how I am specifically helping to enable that as a principal designer. I explained that for my role and our common team goals at Citrix, it involves three core planks or levers:

(Obviously this varies for each company, current circumstances and immediate goals)

a) Standards & patterns: Defining a strong, flexible visual and interaction design language common across products, with core components, widgets, patterns, templates for everyone to uptake and integrate to achieve a family feel. Truly, this defines the DNA of the main products, connected to the brand and central design values.

b) Education & outreach: This includes internal education efforts within the company to get people excited and informed about design process, outcomes, methods, etc. Also this includes reaching out to design schools for talent-spotting, building name recognition, co-sponsoring projects that can help guide internal projects, etc.

c) Creating new concepts: Want to create a great strategy? Build great products! Prototyping hi-fidelity concepts are the true surefire way to make a strategy visible, by provoking questions about what’s most important, and visualizing possibilities as compelling forms that can be validated and iterated upon.

Fundamentally, design strategy is about creating and delivering value, from a deeply humanistic POV that supports your business goals, and advances the state-of-the-art in shaping people’s lives for the better…while evolving your core mission, expanding markets/customers, and envisioning what’s next.

This requires heart, energy, vision, persistence, iteration, and smart collaboration, not a powerpoint slide deck or 3 hour meetings. It’s a shared commitment at the leadership level, that mobilizes and enlists the “in the trenches” workers at your company.

 

The Stanford d.school just published a compilation of methods from their recent “bootcamp” workshop for executives eager to learn about “design thinking”. Several Citrix execs also participated in the week-long course, including my boss, with very positive feedback and desire to help push design across the company–yay! A good step in the right direction all around. Yet, we shouldn’t get too carried away by the glorious promise of “methods” saving the day :-) Important to clarify their value…

Methods are tactical and focused on achieving specific tangible results, dealing with some narrow slice of a problem (or particulars of symptoms). Methods are exceptionally diverse with literally hundreds of possible approaches applicable to solve a problem, or uncover critical insights. Stanford has several defined. So does IIT’s d-school in their programs. Methods are necessary and form a powerful toolbox (a quiver of arrows, if you will) for design professionals to tap into when thrown into a unfamiliar, complex situation.

However, methods are only as good as the person(s) applying them with a strategic mind. What do I mean by this? A couple of things:

a) Methods require a “wrapper” of strategy— the product purpose, the user intent, and statement of the functional (and emotional) values– to truly be effective. Else you’re just throwing methods at a potentially highly complex (wicked) problem…no different than throwing people or money at a problem, hoping it works. A scattershot of tactics lacking direction. Having an informed sense of the problem (as a concept brief, for example) helps minimize this issue.

b) Continual practice and iteration of various methods, combined with a deep appreciation for their utility, context, goals, and weakness/strengths leads to the methods becoming something that lives in the back of your mind…a habit of mind, shaping your approach. Indeed the methods, if done well, become a set of lenses that can amplify your view of the problem situation. Addressing the issues becomes natural, habitual, instinctive…and you just “know” what to do (or not do) and when. That’s when the methods become a strategic art, operating as an extension of your ability as a designer–judgment, skills, etc.

Naturally, methods and strategy need each other. Tactical pragmatics of specific problem solving with a focus on specific outcomes PLUS overarching themes/principles/purposes that shape the overall direction for a truly sustained, collaborative effort over time. Therein lies the true power of design thinking for everyone to tap into and benefit, towards solving critical problems.

 

I find the personal stories of one’s journey of success and struggle very fascinating, mainly for the various serendipitous moments of path changes that may or may have happened. And how different people make the most of those circumstances, in seemingly superhuman ways…but deep down at the end of the day, they are all just regular folks like us trying to live a good life.

In particular I’m interested in those people whose interests and activities relate to creative pursuits and innovative endeavors to better humanity…as a model for our own lives as designers! Below are some links I’ve been reading lately, in no particular order..Mainly from The New Yorker.

>> James Dyson (inventor/entrepreneur)

>> Zaha Hadid (architect)

>> Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo game designer)

>> Chuck Jordan (ex-car designer)

>> John Sculley (ex-Apple CEO)

>> Millard Drexler (Gap, J.Crew CEO)

>> Tomas Maier (fashion designer)

As a principal designer I’ve had the fortunate (or crazy :-) chance to work directly with our division SVP and company CEO, along with other top folks like CTOs and departmental VPs of Prod Mgnt, Engineering, Sales, etc. Indeed, I’ve literally been “at the table” in major design reviews assessing the business goals of a product, dependencies with Marketing and Customer Support, and core product functionality, etc. And yes, the temperature in the room can get quite warm ;-)

So, after spending a year designing (and learning how to tango, so to speak) with corporate execs, I wanted to share my insights…primarily to those that aspire to engage directly with the exec level on design problems and strategies.

** First, I’ll say it outright: It’s not for the faint of heart. There’s lots and lots of clamoring by designers to get a “seat at the table” but I kinda wonder if those who talk so much about getting that seat, truly appreciate what it entails and if they’re ready for it. What do I mean? For example:

The direct pressure to perform and deliver stellar quality products–not wireframes or paper prototypes but actual designs. The gravity of decision-making which may have multi-milion dollar impacts. The very direct and blunt feedback. The laser-like scrutiny (at pixel-level!)  of impatient execs (due to jammed schedules) who demand results expressed in their terms, their language. Who don’t want to hear “it takes more resources or time or money” (excuses) but want to hear alternatives and ideas. And of course, they want to see your confidence and ability to defend your concepts & decisions with credible rationale. Verbal articulation is vital. Saying “it’s cool” is a death blow. Clear examples, role models, specific options are helpful to keep in your back pocket.

** Second, I’ve also learned that it’s ok, and even expected, to push back (politely and respectfully of course :-) against exec suggestions, on design issues. You are the design expert after all. That’s why you’re paid the big bucks! So It’s ok to ask for clarification and try to “probe” what the exec is really trying to say, distill the heart of the issue. And even to disagree, citing clear reasons.

** Finally do expect execs to have some really good ideas, with sketches and mockups! Hey, if the tools are freely available for 7 yr olds to learn, so why not senior execs too? As a designer, I’ve learned to simply take them as inputs and try to discern what’s the intent and issue being addressed. Do not take them as marching orders (unless explicitly specified :-) but instead as their way of trying to participate in the design process.

And execs certainly should be a part of the design process–they’re running the business and paying for your salary! And they know more than you do about their business and markets, which are design factors too.

In sum, being a designer working with execs is a lot like learning how to dance–the gauging of movements and rhythms, when to go slow and when to lift the tempo up. Also when to lead versus follow, which ebbs/flows over time. Indeed, in the course of an exec review, you’ll move from design expert to therapist to facilitator to public defender to pixel pusher (doing comps on the fly in front of an exec–priceless!)  and then…be able to bring it all back full circle to the problem to solve, and product to deliver. It’s emotionally and physically intense and yet exhilarating. I can honestly say I’ve done my best work this past year, pushed to new levels.

Want a seat at the executive table? Gotta learn how to dance and pursue your vision, rationale, principles as a design leader.