As a naturally curious individual, I find joy in exploring the intricacies of human behavior and the underlying impacts of experiences. Delving deep into the "whys" behind certain phenomena, I embrace a root cause analysis approach to better understand and frame problems. I believe that adding context and imbuing meaning to seemingly invisible aspects is a crucial skill for any designer. Contextual understanding helps bridge connections and illuminate pathways to insightful discoveries, paving the way for impactful human connections. Drawing from a diverse array of research methods and problem-solving approaches, I aim to uncover empathetic solutions that resonate with people.
Every project is unique because any number of variable can impact the experience and outcomes. The process of designing human experiences should be flexible enough to account for the many variables present in an ecosystem that includes the convergence of products in the very messy human world.
A process typically has some version of the following phases: research & discovery, problem identification & definition, ideation & creation, validation & iteration, even though all may not necessarily be explicitly called out. We can even simplify further to three general areas: Research, Plan, Execute. These are repeated, in some sense, throughout and within every task or objective of your project.
For example, within a research phase: you would need to understand what you are researching or what you are seeking. Next you'll need to figure out or plan how you will gain understanding, then execute your research plan to get to your desired outcome of understanding.
My design process is similar to many designers. The only difference, I think, lies in what applied experiences have taught us and how they impact our approaches, philosophies, and viewpoints.
The approach I take is centered around making effort to ensure forward movement. It is influenced by my time in the military and something called the O.O.D.A. Loop. O.O.D.A. is an old school acronym that is intended to remind troops to keep moving forward towards the objective, at the very least, no matter the situation, always Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act
This usually can be reduced to constantly evaluating any situation by asking 3 questions:
What this translates to in the form of activities for a particular project depends on the information and resources available. As I move through a period of pre-discovery, this will allow me the ability to plan out initial discovery and research activities, which include understanding the business, with some tentative time estimates. A tentative design project outline or timeline based on limited information that acts as a rolling checklist of activities and intents. These same three questions are the main drivers of the process and promotes the examination of what needs to occur within each “phase.”
Coming into a project, I'm only armed with my experience and what I have gathered from initial briefs or discussions about the problem we are trying to solve. Determining how to move forward depends on understanding what I don't know and how I'll carve the path to understanding and, eventually, to a testable solution. At this point, I rely on my previous experience to navigate the unknown to get what I need to move forward. I need it to find a starting point.
Not all insights will hold enough value define a direction but this is where the quality of experience is tested and refined. The ability to discern the difference between what is valuable on the path forward and what is interesting but not impactful at a given point is an important skill. It's a key and differentiating characteristic that I feel is where the value of experience is shown.
** Note: These design process graphics are a variation of one posted in Julie Zhuo's Medium article back in 2014, seen below. I wanted to take some time and expand on it a bit on the concept. Possibly apply it to projects that I worked on in the past as an examination. (It's still a WIP but I'll post a more polished version soon.) **
In addition to the eight years working in design, I also have 16yrs in the military, nine of which allowed me to work within the Army Design Methodology(ADM) and the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP).
Both career paths have given me the opportunity to work with different design processes, activities and approaches. Both paths have had very different types of application and have their own impact within the strategic planning and tactical implementation to a project.
