The Strategic / Tactical Ecosystem : Effective Design Solutions, from Concept to Completion.
Design Thinking : It's a thing.
Design thinking refers to creative strategies designers utilize during the process of designing.[1] Design thinking is also an approach that can be used to consider issues and resolve problems more broadly than within professional design practice, and has been applied in business and to social issues.[2] Design thinking in business uses the designer’s sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with what is technologically feasible and what a viable business strategy can convert into customer value and market opportunity.
So, what are some of the aspects of how I apply Design Thinking?
Creativity
It starts with an idea...
Creative Problem Solving. It's more than just “a pretty design” and it's more than just “some fancy technology”; It's about finding the “why” of the “what” that drives a solution. It’s the "The Big Picture" (ask me about applying “The Studio Model” and OOUX Practices) . How do we find out what that solution could even be? The best ideas are visionary, singular, and focused in their strategy…and collaborative in their execution. The best organizations bring creative minds in who can facilitate this.
Principles
Then, it continues with understanding...
It's Philosophical : Ask the right questions, and your experience will guide you to the solution. Employ good design principles, but grow with the needs of your audience. These principles are less about Subjectivity (our own point of view), and that of Objectivity (that of the audience). A well-designed presentation speaks to the strong thinking behind a product, and creates trust in those who are interacting with it.
Processes
Finally, it's accomplished through work.
Exploring the possibilities within the limitations. Utilizing the best tools (Figma, Miro, etc) with the best processes (OOUX, Brainstorming, Research, Wireframing, etc), the creative vision of an organization can be accomplished effectively and efficiently. Successful design utilizes creative problem solving and disciplined processes to focus a product's vision, voice, and success in its field. These processes apply not only the solution, itself; it includes how the solution is built by the team that builds it…as they are ALL designers, together.
The 3 C’s
And it evolves.
Clarity, Consistency, and Caring. All digital solutions benefit from what I call “The 3 C’s”. Any User Interface and its Experience I help create needs to benefit from CLARITY : How clean and concise the information and interactions are to our Users. My UI / UX benefits from CONSISTENCY : How easy it is to understand the repeated visual, functional, and informational elements of our visual design language. And, lastly, the benefit of CARING : How empathetic the design solution is to the effective, efficient, and delightful experience of our Users.