Process Design Principles
There are ways of thinking that I use consistently to solve problems. These are my design principles, which may change as I go through life and work.
A human-centered designer knows that as long as you stay focused on the people you’re designing for—and listen to them directly—you can arrive at optimal solutions that meet their needs.
Designed with the people who will use them.
Effective solutions are collaborative from the beginning. This will empower people and their ideas. It will help with adoption and continuous improvement.
Make it sustainable and scalable.
Will the solution work when the team grows over time? Is it flexible enough to grow with the business?
Build slack into the system.
(No, not that Slack.)
Intuitive solutions are flexible and adaptable to human behavior, business goals, and requirements. There are things that can’t be controlled, and can be controlled.
Make things that people love to use.
People should stay at the center of every process. Is the solution user-centric? Does the solution guide the user intuitively? Does it make things as easy as possible for them? Are you designing for humans or robots?
Eliminate unnecessary barriers.
Unnecessary friction and micromanagement slows people down, create admin work that no one likes, and builds resentment over time. Does the solution help or hurt?
Use what you build and iterate.
It’s the best way to create a solution that meets people’s needs.