My ways of working

Unleashing creativity through structured processes

Design Thinking

Design thinking is a non-linear, iterative process that teams use to understand users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions to prototype and test. It is most useful to tackle ill-defined or unknown problems and involves five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test.

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Design Thinking is a powerful, user-centered approach to problem-solving and innovation. However, it can be a broad concept. The Double Diamond visualizes the core phases of Design Thinking, providing a clear roadmap for teams to follow.

Double Dimond

This visual framework depicts the core phases of Design Thinking, offering a clear roadmap for user-centered innovation:

  • Structure & Flexibility: It guides the process without being rigid, allowing adaptation.

  • Communication & Clarity: The visual format fosters teamwork and shared understanding.

  • Iterative Nature: Both methods emphasize continuous refinement through the process.

The Double Diamond simplifies Design Thinking, making it easier to implement and navigate.

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The Design Thinking and Double Diamond provide a robust framework for user-centered product development. However, translating user needs into successful products requires strong leadership and collaboration.

The Trio

This collaborative leadership approach brings together Design, Tech, and Product Management leaders. This ensures balanced decision-making, fosters innovation, and ultimately leads to better product outcomes.

Why The Trio Complements Design Thinking:

  • Shared Focus: Both Design Thinking and The Trio prioritize user needs. The Trio empowers Design Thinking by ensuring these needs are effectively addressed through strong leadership across key disciplines.

  • Bridging the Gap: The Double Diamond and Design Thinking excel at generating innovative solutions. The Trio translates those solutions into reality by fostering collaboration between design, engineering, and product management.

By utilizing both The Trio leadership model and Design Thinking, companies can create a powerful combination of user-centricity, innovation, and efficient execution.

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Design System

The secret sauce to products users crave

Design systems are like a library of pre-built, reusable UI components (buttons, forms, icons, etc.) that ensure consistency and efficiency across your digital products. This collaborative approach streamlines the design process by:

  • Saving Time: Designers and developers don't need to reinvent the wheel for every project.

  • Enhancing Consistency: A unified design language creates a seamless user experience across all products.

  • Improving Quality: Design systems promote adherence to best practices and UI guidelines.

Types of Design Systems

There are various design systems, each catering to different needs:

  • Atomic Design System: Breaks down UI components into their smallest building blocks (atoms, molecules, organisms, templates, pages) for maximum flexibility.

  • Living Style Guide: Focuses on visual consistency by providing design elements, code snippets, and usage guidelines.

  • Pattern Library: Offers a collection of reusable UI patterns (e.g., login forms, product listings) for faster development.

  • Component-Based Design System: Provides pre-built UI components (buttons, menus, etc.) with code and usage examples.

How to chose

The best design system type depends on your project's complexity and team structure. Consider factors like:

  • Team Size: Smaller teams might benefit from a simpler style guide, while larger teams might need a more comprehensive system.

  • Project Scope: Complex projects might require an atomic system, while simpler projects might be well-served by a pattern library.

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Power-Ups

Expanding Design Toolkit

  • A time-boxed, five-day process for rapidly prototyping and validating ideas. It involves a series of workshops and exercises designed to bring teams together to focus on a specific challenge and develop solutions quickly.

  • A user-centric approach that focuses on understanding the underlying motivations and goals that drive user behavior. This helps design solutions that effectively address user needs.

  • Interactive sessions where designers collaborate directly with a diverse group of participants, including users and stakeholders (internal and external). These workshops foster a sense of ownership and buy-in among participants and lead to more user-centered designs that address the needs of all involved parties.

    Users: Provide firsthand insights into their needs, challenges, and behaviors.

    Stakeholders: Offer valuable perspectives from different business areas (product, marketing, sales, etc.) and can champion ideas within the organization.

  • A rapid sketching exercise where participants have eight minutes to sketch eight different ideas related to a specific design challenge. This encourages brainstorming and exploration of multiple design solutions.

  • Informal usability testing conducted with readily available users in a non-laboratory setting. This provides quick and valuable feedback on design prototypes without the need for extensive setup.

  • A visual representation of a user's experience with a product or service, from initial awareness through interaction to the final outcome. This helps designers identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

  • Adapting the core principles of Design Thinking (empathy, ideation, prototyping, testing) to address business challenges and innovation opportunities beyond just product design.