Thursday, February 21, 2008

"When Designers Listen to Clients, It Shows"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120355894763381831.html?mod=hps_us_editors_picks

There are a number of important lessons for all of us in the WSJ article today by Christina Binkley.
  • "It's important for business leaders not to lose touch with their customers. This is as true for an Italian designer as it is for a San Francisco technology company." Right on! Product designers often feel that they can just "brainstorm" on new ideas, without understanding the user and his/her need. We teach students to do research, gather facts, criticize what exists, strive for the ideal solution. And it all starts with understanding the user. Then it requires lots of hard work and constant iteration.
  • "...sent out a collection of uninspired and ill-related items, that were designed by committee." "Jill Sander showed a particularly strong collection." We teach- Learn to be critical of what exists. and use a template for analyzing, understanding and criticizing.
  • "... if not of his designs at least of his methods." We strive to teach our students methods and a clear design process.
  • " simple, powerful lines" are the equivalent of clear functions that the product provides in order to meet objectives that drive the design and satisfy user's needs.
  • "Some designers give in to the temptation to make clothes that are all about themselves." We stress satisfying needs, needs that often even the user does not recognize, until they "try it on." The designer needs to be there "just to see their reaction." It is hard to know if a new design is right, especially one that is radical, until you put it into the hands of the users and see their reaction.
  • "The way these designers listen shows in their clothes, which are as sleek and responsive as an Apple laptop". Listening plus insisting on BOTH great style plus great performance is key.
  • "...uninspired dresses and other ill-related items that were designed by committee" Our students work in teams to complete technology projects- but we stress the importance of listening to teammates, practicing "Angel's Advocate" when a new, radical, impossible sounding idea is proposed and the need for individuals on the team to actually "put their ideas on the table" so that the team can build all their ideas into something that is even better than from any single person.

Christina- Thank you very much for your excellent insights and important lessons.. I look forward to learning more from you and sharing it with my students.

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