Design Principles
01
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Empathy
I like to build with the user in mind at all times. If I can empathize, then I can advocate for a solution that people actually need.
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Mindfulness
Mindfulness and intentionality go hand in hand. At every step of the process, I am mindful that I’m still solving the right problem and ensure all design decisions are deliberate.
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Human Behaviour
Design is a continuous loop of exploration. User testing is my fuel. The feedback loop validates and keeps me humbled and energized. There's nothing quite like the rush of running usability tests. It's the heartbeat of the design process.
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Aesthetics
I adore visual design. Creating high fidelity prototypes and designs is my happy place and brings me a lot of joy. I tend to express this love by creating interfaces that are not just usable, but also visually delightful.
Design Process
02
Every project is different but will follow a basic process.
These processes are rarely ever linear & steps tend to be repeated multiple times before delivery.
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Some will need card sorting and some might have the information architecture already well defined. The nitty gritty method choice tends to differ but I still follow a general process for every project.
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Define the requirements
My process kicks off with a deep dive into the project's core - understanding the business needs, key requirements, deliverables, timeline, and stakeholder expectations. Aligning with the team is crucial, so I make sure everyone's on the same page. During this phase, I also like to jot down my initial hunch about the potential problem we're tackling. It helps guide my initial approach.
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Discover the issues
In this phase, I talk to stakeholders, dig into user reports, and explore the problem space to understand why the product exists in its current form. This is where I like to get creative. If user research isn't in the budget or timeline, I might conduct some quick and dirty "guerrilla interviews." These are basically on-the-spot chats with potential users to get a feel for their needs, even if it's not a formal research process.
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Interpret the results
I take all the info that was gathered and turn it into insights. We're talking defining the users, their needs, and those ever-present pain points. Personas, journey maps, storyboards - it's refresh time, or maybe even creation time from scratch. This is also where I set our team's goals and the success metrics we'll be tracking. It's like putting together the puzzle pieces, and it's always an eye-opening experience!
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Ideate over solutions
This is where I get to geek out and explore a ton of different options. I love bringing in the whole crew for brainstorming sessions: developers, designers, stakeholders, even customer support. We let our imaginations run wild, tossing around as many solutions as possible. It's all about quantity at this stage, the crazier the ideas, the better! We can always refine them later.
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Prototype
In this phase, I will create the interactive prototype. It may be a hi-fi figma prototype or even an interactive website. The level of details and fidelity depends on how far along in the process I am and what I want to test.
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Test, iterate and test again
In this final phase, I will test the prototype with users. Sometimes it will be a quick guerilla test, while other times it may be a full fledged usability test session. The test results will help us understand what needs to be changed and fixed.
Design Philosophies
03
My collaborative approach to building products & my work style.
I like to find information from where ever I can and there is plenty of information to be found.
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I listen in on customer support calls, like a secret agent, to hear what users struggle with. For new projects, I chat with people who use similar products to understand their needs too. Reading reviews of our stuff, what others offer, and even things like it, helps me find out what people love and hate. This detective work gives me tons of ideas to make things even better.
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Design & Dev Whisperer
They say a product designer spends more time with users than family, but for me, developers hold a close second! This means I speak their language. I can see things from their perspective, explain my designs with clarity, and collaborate seamlessly to find solutions that are both beautiful and technically sound. I bridge the gap between design and development, ensuring our creations are as functional as they are appealing.
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Involve Everyone
Designers should never work in silos. I try to bring in people who I think have the best insights. I talk to developers, product support agents, stake holders, users and user researchers and bring them into the project as early and as often as I can. I enjoy being collaborative and collecting insights from places one might not think to look.
The Power Of Listening
04
A wise man once said - It's not about the technology. It's about the people.
I'm a lifelong learner with a growth mindset. I can translate business challenges and user pain points into creative solutions, no matter the industry or technology..
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As a designer, I believe the key is to solve problems, both digitally and non-digitally. That's why I prioritize listening to users and stakeholders. When I can align their needs through a user-centered design process. Empathy, iteration, and testing are key. This bridges usability and desirability, creating intuitive user experiences that drive results, ultimately contributing to measurable business success.