5 things I learned about product design at IBM
This top 5 list is part of the internal dialogue I have whenever I approach a design project. I like being reflective to help drive more purpose and growth to what I do, but I also really want to hear the kind of takeaways my peers have. After reading this, I hope you will also feel compelled to share some of your “mini-mantras.”
1. Icons can be a crutch: If what you are trying to achieve is hidden behind an ambiguous icon then there is usually a deeper root problem that needs to be solved.
2. Familiarity is your friend: When designing for existing products, try to add more meaning to the elements that are already on the screen before introducing a slew of new metaphors that come with a learning curve. (Read “The Power of Habit” if you don’t believe me.)
3. Visceral feelings trump logic, every time: How do you feel when you interact with the design? Did you feel bland and disconnected or did your brain light up with curiosity and delight? Don’t settle and justify work that ‘technically’ meets the requirements, keep iterating until you ‘feel’ it.
4. I’m not designing for a user-type, I’m designing for a human: The goal is to introduce enhancements that are self-evident and intuitive. While the enhancements that we prioritize should be based on user-types, the design execution should never be niche.
5. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should: Technology is very powerful and it’s easy to get caught up in all of the functionality that could be surfaced to the user. Know your higher-level goals, use them as a prioritized decision-making filter, and think reductively, not additively. Keep in mind that at the end of the day everything you make is still being processed by a fairly primitive brain with lots of limitations (no offense). ;)
Oldie but goodie: repost from a LinkedIn article I wrote in 2016.
