“Design is underpinned by the designer’s ability to not only look, but also to see… The act of observation is not unique to design or design thinking, and design research is not the sole domain of the designer. It is in the seeing, in the sense-making, and in the questioning of what is observed that design sets itself apart.” – Steve Baty
This quote is from Steve’s Interactions Magazine article “Solving complex problems through design.”
“As designers and architects of the future, we have an opportunity to play a powerful role in constructing reality and improving humanity’s experience on this planet. If the focus is only on a short term profit margin or a fad or a shiny new object, it will be an opportunity lost. Design can be reactionary, responding only to current conditions, or it can be visionary, by presenting solutions to problems yet undefined.” – Venessa Miemis
Read more in Venessa’s article “How Can Futures Thinking Amplify Design Thinking?”
“If you want your product to sell you have to start with focusing on transitions, wow moments, and endings to make it stick in a customer’s mind… You are not just making a product or providing a good user experience. You are giving people a story that will plant memories, and those memories will drive their behavior in the future. Make sure they have good ones.” – Dmitry Dragilev
Read more in Dmitry’s TechCrunch article “Memory Inception: Three Keys To Creating A Great User Experience For Your Product.”
Often when we think of using data to influence our designs, we think of “data” in a very narrow way. When trying to identify opportunities or support our design decisions with evidence, some gravitate solely towards web analytics or conversion data, others only to research findings in lab studies. Some shy away from the thought of “data-driven design” (usually with the exception of qualitative research) in fear that our UX expertise can be overwritten by automated experimentation and optimization. However, data that you gather shouldn’t be treated in isolation and it doesn’t have to be seen as an opposing force to design. When used properly, multiple data sources can be joined together to generate powerful insights that will help us make our products and services better.
“Products were once designed for the functions they performed. But when all companies can make products that perform their functions equally well, the distinctive advantage goes to those who provide pleasure and enjoyment while maintaining the power. If functions are equated with cognition, pleasure is equated with emotion; today we want products that appeal to both cognition and emotion.” – Don Norman
Read more in Don’s Interactions Magazine article “The Transmedia Design Challenge Technology that is Pleasurable and Satisfying.”
It’s that time of year again, SXSW PanelPicker voting time! I know how annoying it can be to receive endless requests for votes, so I apologize in advance for contributing to the bombardment. The fact is, though, that with the public’s vote contributing 30% to the final speaker decision, and with 2,347 panels to choose from in the voting, posts like these help draw your attention to proposals that may get lost in the crowd.
Note that in order to vote, you will need to create an account. It only takes a few minutes.
This is my first time submitting a proposal to SXSW. I decided to submit a proposal based on a recent blog post (“Challenging Conventional Assumptions about User Experience Design“). Below is a short description of the presentation. If the topic intrigues you, click on the thumb to vote, or the title to view more details.