7 habits of highly effective...
14 Oct 2008 - 1:59pm
17 replies
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Melissa Sherman
2008
(I’m sure this has been asked countless times before but I can’t help myself.)
I’m looking for the habits of effective designers. Not necessarily hard or soft skills.
Collaboration, communication, documentation, and investigation techniques all play a part but I'm looking for other, more specialized (or peculiar) routines and habits common to effective designers.The more specialized and peculiar the better!
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Taste. It's something people don't really talk about, and I find it lacking
pretty much everywhere, save Apple products, maybe.
Here's an article by Paul Graham that sums up the problem.
http://paulgraham.com/taste.html
-Mark
On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 2:59 PM, Melissa Sherman <melisherman at yahoo.com>wrote:
> (I'm sure this has been asked countless times before but I can't help
> myself.)
>
> I'm looking for the habits of effective designers. Not necessarily hard
> or soft skills.
>
> Collaboration, communication, documentation, and investigation techniques
> all play a part but I'm looking for other, more specialized (or peculiar)
> routines and habits common to effective designers.The more specialized and
> peculiar the better!
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
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I don't have a word that easily comes to mind - openness/curiosity doesn't
mean what I am thinking - great designers I know are always looking outside
of themselves and the narrowness of "Design" to find inspiration.
On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 3:41 PM, Mark Canlas <mark at htmlism.com> wrote:
> Taste. It's something people don't really talk about, and I find it lacking
> pretty much everywhere, save Apple products, maybe.
> Here's an article by Paul Graham that sums up the problem.
> http://paulgraham.com/taste.html
>
> -Mark
>
> On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 2:59 PM, Melissa Sherman <melisherman at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> > (I'm sure this has been asked countless times before but I can't help
> > myself.)
> >
> > I'm looking for the habits of effective designers. Not necessarily hard
> > or soft skills.
> >
> > Collaboration, communication, documentation, and investigation techniques
> > all play a part but I'm looking for other, more specialized (or peculiar)
> > routines and habits common to effective designers.The more specialized
> and
> > peculiar the better!
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________________________________________
> > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> > To post to this list ....... discuss at ixda.org
> > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
> ________________________________________________________________
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ....... discuss at ixda.org
> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
>
--
~ will
"Where you innovate, how you innovate,
and what you innovate are design problems"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Evans | User Experience Architect
tel: +1.617.281.1281 | will at semanticfoundry.com
aim: semanticwill | gtalk: wkevans4
twitter: semanticwill | skype: semanticwill
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I say this half jokingly about the Graphic, Broadcast and Motion Designers:
- Obsession: bordering on OCD, rare that I see good design that isn't an a
reflection of burning
- Perfectionism
- Isolation: generally a happy bubble where they can be a piece with their
alternate realities.
- Lack of Accountability / Reality: "It's due on 1 hr, but I'm not happy
let's start again..."
- Pixel Perfect Perception: I've seen designers who from about 6 feet away
can tell something's a pixel off
- Color Perfect Perception: I've seen designers who will immediately pick up
if a laptops brightness settings are one notch off.
- Command: Benevolent Dictators
- Communication: must be highly adept visual, social emotive communicators,
able to excite others with their ideas *insert hand waving*
- Pride: Ego and self worth and work are deeply intertwined.
For IXDers
- Compassion: they care about customers experience
- Thinking in time: they understand that a user's experience is more than a
collection of pages. Motion conveys meaning and emotion.
- Collaboration: that the best products require a multi-disciplinary
approach, tech design, motion.
- Self Awareness of Limitations: find it easy to ask for help when
Constant Searching for the 'real' User - personas
- Abstraction: ability to normalize many functions/screens into fewer
Dude - you are so spot on for a number of those - especially true with some
of the best visual designers I know :-)
On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 5:38 PM, Troy Gardner <troy at troyworks.com> wrote:
> I say this half jokingly about the Graphic, Broadcast and Motion Designers:
>
>
> Obsession - bordering on OCD, rare that I see good design that isn't an a
> reflection of burning
> Perfectionism -
> Isolation - generally a happy bubble where they can be a piece with their
> alternate realities.
> Lack of Accountability / Reality - "It's due on 1 hr, but I'm not happy
> let's start again..."
> Pixel Perfect Perception - I've seen designers who from about 6 feet away
> can tell something's a pixel off
> Color Perfect Perception - I've seen designers who will immediately pick up
> if a laptops brightness settings are one notch off.
> Command - Benevolent Dictators
> Communication - must be highly adept visual, social emotive communicators,
> able to excite others with their ideas *insert hand waving*
> Pride - Ego and self worth and work are deeply intertwined.
>
>
> For IXDers
>
> Compassion - they care about customers experience
> Thinking in time - they understand that a user's experience is more than a
> collection of pages. Motion conveys meaning and emotion.
> Collaboration - that the best products require a multi-disciplinary
> approach, tech design, motion.
> Self Awareness of Limitations - find it easy to ask for help when
> Constant Searching for the 'real' User - personas
> Abstraction - ability to normalize many functions/screens into fewer
> ________________________________________________________________
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ....... discuss at ixda.org
> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
>
--
~ will
"Where you innovate, how you innovate,
and what you innovate are design problems"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will Evans | User Experience Architect
tel: +1.617.281.1281 | will at semanticfoundry.com
aim: semanticwill | gtalk: wkevans4
twitter: semanticwill | skype: semanticwill
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will, you might have been thinking partly of reflection. The ability
and practice of pondering problems and solutions is key, I find.
I'll also add willingness to experiment to the list.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34288
Having just re-watched Moulin Rouge a few days ago...
Quest for the Bohemian Ideals
Which are Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and above all else, Love.
I can see design pertinence in each of those terms.
-- Jim Drew
Seattle, WA
I think of "habits" as routine behaviors, often done daily. Some of
the things previously mentioned seem morerelated to personality or
skills.
When I read about the lives of my personal design heroes (none of
whom are IxDers) I notice several habits come up again and again.
Some of these things are small, but they must have an effect when
practiced daily
1. habit of never leaving something alone, always revising a design
until forced by external circumstance to "finish" it
2. habit of asking client for more money and time. No great
designer I love seems to brag about doing something on time and
within budget.
3. habit of destroying their own creations when it wasn't
"right". I have seen early sketches from iconic designers I
thought were super.
4. habit of not getting enough sleep. They tend to be driven to a
degree that can imperial their health.
5. habit of keeping their tools orderly, even if their workspace is
a mess.
I don't suggest that following the above makes one great, or that
greatness requires these habits. I just notice they happen often.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34288
On Oct 14, 2008, at 2:59 PM, Melissa Sherman wrote:
> I’m looking for the habits of effective designers. Not necessarily
> hard or soft skills.
Effective designers are in the habit of:
being dissatisfied.
becoming domain experts in fields they do not work in.
pulling all-nighters.
trusting their gut.
tackling wicked problems.
sharing ideas.
revising.
thinking about the details.
looking for a different solution.
making lists. ;)
Jack L. Moffett
Interaction Designer
inmedius
412.459.0310 x219
http://www.inmedius.com
Some men see things as they are and say "why?"
I dream of things that never were and say "why not?"
- George Bernard
Shaw
A burning desire for simplicity - elegance, aesthetic, form, concept.
This sums it up for me.
2008/10/15 Will Evans <will at semanticfoundry.com>
> Dude - you are so spot on for a number of those - especially true with some
> of the best visual designers I know :-)
>
>
>
Steve
------------------------------------------------
Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA
Principal Consultant
Meld Consulting
M: +61 417 061 292
E: stevebaty at meld.com.au
UX Statistics: http://uxstats.blogspot.com
Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org
Member, IA Institute - www.iainstitute.org
Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org
Contributor - UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com
Michael, your #3 is extremely apt, for me...
Here are a few I didn't see above (and these may just be me, I
dunno):
Similar to Michael's #3: When asked to design the same behavior
more than once in your career, the tendency to do it completely
different (better) each time...because you design for the
circumstances and context, not to save design-time.
The ability to keep an extremely complex, detailed future-vision of a
system or application in your head, and all of the interim steps and
phases required to achieve that vision.
The ability to quickly see (at a glance) the most obvious
improvements an interface can make to be more effective - in the
beginning, in other people's designs - in the good designer, in your
own work.
The ability to know when to let others influence a design, and to
admit when your experiment didn't quite succeed as you hoped.
The ability to shift your perspective and adjust your thinking to
look at a system for hidden flaws.
--Bryan
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Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34288
I think
Experimentation...
Exploration...
Digging deep....
Perfectionism...
Oddity...
Professionalism...
and Passion...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34288
Interesting to see the relationship between perfectionism and
relationship management.
My designs certainly benefit from my control freaky-ness, from my
need to get everything exactly right. On the other hand, the
negotiation required to get buy-in requires a mental shift which is
at times difficult to make.
Effective designers, I think, wear both hats: sales and design.
Sometimes these are in opposition. Any ideas on making that
transition more successful?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=34288
____
_____
I sent this list out to the Yahoo! Design team in my farewell message last
year. Some are specific to big company dynamics (2–4), but hopefully all are
at least thought-provoking.
1. *Understand the user needs/goals before you design. *I could expound
on this one in length, but instead here is my pithy aphorism: "First define
the problem, then design a solution."
2. ***Partner with a sympathetic PM or developer who will help champion
your design. *All of my design successes at Yahoo! had this as a common
component.**
3. ***Connect with your fellow designers at Yahoo! *This is something I
wish I'd done more of in my time here. It not only connects you with other
like-minded colleagues, but it also exposes you to other areas of the
business and might open you up to internal transfer opportunities.
Cross-pollination is definitely a good thing.**
4. ***Write up design bugs. *This is the most effective tactic I've found
for keeping important design details from falling through the cracks.**
5. ***Use a highly responsive tool for creating design mocks. *I have
tried out many programs over the years including Photoshop, Illustrator,
PowerPoint, Interface Builder, Visual Basic, AppleScript, and a host of
others for creation design mocks; *Visio* is my current favorite on the
PC, and *OmniGraffle* on the Mac. They are both very responsive and
mostly keeps out of my way letting me focus on the design.**
6. ***Know Thyself.* I highly recommend reading either Now, Discover Your
Strengths<http://www.amazon.com/Discover-Your-Strengths-Marcus-Buckingham/dp/0743201140/>or
StrengthsFinder
2.0<http://www.amazon.com/StrengthsFinder-2-0-Upgraded-Discover-Strengths/dp/159562015X/>and
taking the test therein. I found it extremely valuable to know and
focus
on my strengths.**
7. ***Apply your design skills to your passions.* There is a huge need
for design thinkers in all areas of our lives, not just web and software.
I've had success applying my design skills to several non-profits. I'm
optimistic that designers can help solve the biggest problems facing us
today. I believe that designers will play a critical role in crafting Public
Policy 2.0™ in areas as diverse as the environment, human rights, commerce,
and law. I'd love to see one of your names in the news when it happens.**
i would say charm.
charm the clients to work more effectively with them
charm the PM and developers to make the most effective solution workable within time and budget
charm the designers above and below him to product the best most detailed work possible
1. Curios and learn everyday life
2. Visual thinkers, like solving problems by sketching
3. Scenario based problem solving, solve design problems by observing
and re/constructing the scenario
4. Open minded and flexible. fight for the best, but ready to change
mind while find it dont match the real world user
5. Seek for the meaning and root cause of the user's request instead
of response it with superficial knowleget
6. Play with time and brain. they dont pretend they are masters or
genious designers
7. blahblahblah
Cheers,
-- Jarod
On Wed, Oct 15, 2008 at 2:59 AM, Melissa Sherman <melisherman at yahoo.com> wrote:
> (I'm sure this has been asked countless times before but I can't help myself.)
>
> I'm looking for the habits of effective designers. Not necessarily hard or soft skills.
>
> Collaboration, communication, documentation, and investigation techniques all play a part but I'm looking for other, more specialized (or peculiar) routines and habits common to effective designers.The more specialized and peculiar the better!
>
>
>
> ________________________________________________________________
> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
> To post to this list ....... discuss at ixda.org
> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
--
http://designforuse.blogspot.com/