Design with Urgency
You know what? It’s not my creative time.
Process? I don’t have one. From the beginning to end, It is in my mind. I don’t care about your beginner level in design.
Here is the button, Here is the copy and users have to read it. It is my fucking design and I don’t let anyone touch or make changes. It is my baby. I worked on for several nights without watching Stranger Things.
I got 10 days timeline to complete a design. But I started my work on the 8th day. Why? IDk. That’s my creative process. Because the internet said so.
I’ll spend the first eight days in research. The final two days to get the design. I wasn’t sure what to throw up in the screen. But I did it. Because my timeline is short and I have to produce shit which I didn’t digest earlier.
In the meeting, on the 10th day.
Hippo: Why there is a slider over here?
Hippo
ˈhɪpəʊ/noun
1. Highest Paid Person’s Opinion. Usually, a senior executive serves the highest rank in an organization.
Designer: Well, that is actually a nice place for sliders. It is the latest trend in design.
Hippo: Thinking. “I can’t trust this person. He doesn’t have a logical reason.”
H: We are not a fashion brand to follow the trends unless a logical reason in place. Let’s change it.
D: Thinking. “I can’t change it. I spent two complete night to get this done. Give me a reason.”
H: I want this changes by tomorrow EOD. Left the meeting.
D: Talking inside “What? My ego is hurt. I know I did the unbelievable design.
“Director: By the way, our designer here, haven’t thought about the user and their problems. He is in a fantasy world, filled with RGB, drinking HSB, having no vision in .AI or .Sketch or .PSD. While sucking with invision.
See “Another day. Another Designer.” No wonder this guy will be the next “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
Oh, FYI: Oh, FYI: Design exists to solve a problem. It is not art. I can repeat if needed. Most of the designer’s fall with stereotype of being creative.
When a designer starts to work on the 8th day, instead of day 1 with a deadline in mind. He lacks time management skills.
When a designer says I need to get into the creative zone to design. He deserves a slap to wake up.
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. — Vincent van Gogh
Watch the meme war in social media about design and designers. Come on guys, time’s up. The designers today are more than what they are. Not a meme material anymore. Move ahead.
Design is a job, not a creative space to express like art. Designers should manage, communicate and plan better than any professionals in the field. Why?
Designer solved, solving, going to solve new problems. To solve problems, communication is the only way.
A designer who is working on a design in Bangalore might be same as another design from San Francisco. Calculate how urgent a design has to go into the market. When I say urgent don’t take the defensive knife and start a debate.
After you worked on a site for even a few weeks, you can’t see it fresh anymore. You know too much. The only way to find out if it works is to get it.
— Steve Krug.
Darling or dust. User will decide by using. For a designer, everything he/she produces is a darling. But the market? Boy, there are hard KO’s out there. Unless you test it, you really don’t have a clue on the value of design you make.
I usually split the design process in to
- Objective — What, Why & How.
2. Design part:
— Is it worth enough to build?
— Does it solve a problem?
— Do users face this problem?
— Are there any existing solutions?
— How scalable it is?
3. ROI:
— How much time require to build? (Both design and engineering.)
— What is the success rate or the business objective?
— Is it worth enough to spend time? (Need to Research.)
— What will be the impact in the community? (I will not pour all my creative juices, then communicating logical problems.)
4. Resources:
— What do I need to build this?
— Do I need external resources?
Questions like the above inform few basics you need to get started. Then comes a phase where you need to set a goal, break into milestones, plan, prioritize & execute. Never jump straight into Dribbble and say. “Oh, you know this is my inspiration site. Let’s get this done.”
Hippo: WTF? I didn’t expect this from you.
Designer: But this is what communicated?
H: See, I didn’t mean Kim Kardashian. I meant Kylie Jenner.
D: But I thought. Mariah Carey.
H: No, I don’t want MC to be the face of the poster. How about Jennifer Lawrence?
D: I hardly want to punch you in the face right now. 🤬
God! Every designer once in his lifetime faces this situation. I bet everyone walked away with a feeling they haven’t done the job. Indeed. A designer’s ultimate responsibility is to communicate. Starts from first second of planning to the last minute of execution.
Design has to go to the market and iterate asap based on the user needs. Unexpected surprises may lead you to the road. Where there will be more opinions than objectives. I was one of the designer’s who likes to keep the baby(Which is the design) under the roof. Groom it, shape it, watch how it grows.
I as a designer once, who use to argue
— I need a moment of creative space and energy to design.
— I won’t let anyone see the design. I’ll produce and will show it to the team as a surprise. I fight with everyone and neglect every other opinion, because I know what is design meant by.
— I don’t plan and communicate. I know that I’m building the next big thing. But guess what I haven’t spoken with any user till date.
— I can’t keep iterating and think about problems to solve.
— Me as a Designer will create the most fantasised fairy tale UI for the user. In turn, I expect the user to use and delight.
Went on a full year of revamping my thoughts, the problems going on inside and outside of a design. I bet you don’t want to visit those tough times in “We are here to cure the designer syndrome.”
“Moreover get it to the market as soon as possible. When I say ASAP not a half-baked one. Meet the basics of user problems.”
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