Design from the Gut – SxSW 2012
William
In SxSW, Web Design Posted March 15, 2012
“Design first, explain to the client after the fact”
Use best practices, your own sense of taste, experiences formed by past products, etc. The question is, “Is intuition just a result of accumulated experience?”
UX Testing vs. Design with Personal Bias – form factors and mobile are actually pretty new to everyone. New tech causes problems for thinking with your gut so explore, experiment, and prototype.
A/B testing can be bad – endless change, endless metrics means a terrible loop. The constant loop of research-based design can result in a broken overall UX. The infinite loop of constant change has no way out
Because gut-based design is biased and personal it can be hard to change and one can get married to the design. Don’t copy, only borrow if there is equivalency between user bases – don’t copy Pintrest if your user base isn’t the same as theirs! Think: “Why is a feature a feature?” Use of common interaction patterns can help inform you.
For research, start early. Best practices will inform your testing. UX testing at different levels of the design is still best. Think about scale of the design based on feedback (think sample size of feedback and grade on a curve).
Use constant iteration and patterns that stand the test of time. Patterns are backed by research methodology over time, copied interactions, and longevity of the new paradigms.
Look for holes in the data. Does the research contradict what you feel in your gut? You may be asking the wrong questions. Know when to trust your intuitions and trust that there are questions you might not be asking or asking the wrong way.
Take Home
When designing on one’s own bias, think about why the models and patterns you choose are coming out. Use your gut to help you make informed decisions about a design solution or help you think critically about the research you’re getting back about a design. Use of constant iteration and common design patterns will help inform your decisions about new patterns.
See Also
#SXfromthegut
@dftg
