design teams should be composed of people with different backgrounds and histories because all can bring valuable, complimentary skills to bear in the creation of new products
design teams should be composed of people with different backgrounds and histories because all can bring valuable, complimentary skills to bear in the creation of new products
Getting the right design is about starting with a single design idea â usually the first idea you generate -âŠ
⊠and iteratively developing it until it is as good as it can get. If you are really good, it will be the optimal design for that idea.But is it the best idea possible? Unlikely.
The problem is that the design can only be as good as that particular idea. If the idea is not a good one, the best solution will only be so.In Computer Science, this is known as local hill climbing, where the local maxima is potentially much less than the optimal or global maxima.The point is that if you look at many ideas rather than a single one, you may find a better overall solution.
This is called Getting the Right Design vs. Getting the Design Right , that is:Getting the right designgenerate many ideas, e.g., inspired by brainstorming, discussions, lateral thinking, client discussions, observations, etc.reflect on all your ideas; choose the ones that look promisingthen Getting the design rightiterate and develop your choicescontinually refine your choices as the better solutions become apparentof course, add in new ideas as they come up
This is called Getting the Right Design vs. Getting the Design Right , that is:Getting the right designgenerate many ideas, e.g., inspired by brainstorming, discussions, lateral thinking, client discussions, observations, etc.reflect on all your ideas; choose the ones that look promisingthen Getting the design rightiterate and develop your choicescontinually refine your choices as the better solutions become apparentof course, add in new ideas as they come up
As an example, consider the many design variations of the traditional keypad cell phone. The iPhone design was a radical shift, as it was based on a different idea for input: touch
Hereâs another way to look at it. The design process is a symbiotic relationship between idea elaboration and reduction.Elaboration: generate solutions. These are the opportunitiesReduction: decide on the ones worth pursuing, and then elaborate on those solutions
Bill Buxtonâs quote about design as choice stresses creativity in both generating meaningful ideas, and in choosing between these idea.
This is yet another variation on representing the design funnel, by S. Pugh. Of importance, is that the generation of ideas and the convergence of ideas alternate, with the process gradually converging to the final concept
Lets now consider the importance of design in software product lifecycle.The âstatus quoâ is that projects get a green light right at the start, and go directly to engineering where they are built. The next phase is when they ship â usually late, with bugs, over budget, and missing functionality.
By inserting an explicit design process prior to the green light, many designs can be considered before any commitment is made.The design funnel generates and develops ideas in parallel, where it filters, and eliminates designs until convergence. At that point one or more designs can be considered for green light.
This is perhaps a more accurate picture, as it shows the interplay between design, engineering, management, marketing and sales throughout the entire product cycle.
When I look design as I think about it, there is this archetypal activity, overreaching all design discipline, architectural design, industrial design, graphical design, where I cannot come up with an example where sketching is not involved. I do not say sketching is design, but when I see design I see sketching.These are the first known examples of using sketching as a tool of thought.
These are the first known examples of using sketching as a tool of thought.
So lets review the attributes of what makes a sketch work in the design funnel, particularly in generating ideas and choosing between them.
The idea of the vocabulary, resolution and concept state really talks about where you are in the design funnel. Initial sketches will be very open ended, with course resolution so that the basic concept is suggested. Later refinements and variations of a chosen sketch may have a more concrete vocabulary and more resolution, but will still show its speculative nature.
Critically, a sketch should never close off design. Rather, it should constantly suggest what could be, and leave room for growth and variation. Indeed, that is what separates a sketch from a prototype.
What do Bill mean by ambiguity? Next slides is for that
If you closed all in, and specify everything, you will not let enough room for the imagination to play.There is no ambiguity, you are telling me something, you are not asking me something.And the most fundamental thing about sketching, it is about asking it is not about telling.You have to leave big enough holes for your imagination to fit in.Timing comes later with the prototype, when you know what you want.
This is why the these things about resolution and rendering style are so critical.If somebody comes in, early in the project when you are doing the user interface for a mobile phone for instance, with nice looking screenshot of the interface, of any photoshop like rendering, you should give him 1 warning instead of a bonus if you are generous. I (Bill Buxton) will get a new designer. It is an insult, at this stage, you are not there to give answer, you are here to ask questions, not answer them. You donât higher designer to answer question but to ask questions. The can find the answer later but not at the beginning.
Software developers often use sketches and prototypes as synonyms. They are not the same.
Sketches dominate the early part of the design funnel. They have to be cheap and plentiful.Prototypes appear at the latter part (or even during engineering). They are more refined and perhaps appropriate for initial user testing. There are also fewer of them, as they are more expensive.
How do I recognize non traditional sketching if it is not in the traditional form?
How do I recognize non traditional sketching if it is not in the traditional form?
How do I recognize non traditional sketching if it is not in the traditional form?
The response is simple, we have the criteria, I can apply the same matrix.And if it shares the same criteria, blablabla, even if it does not look nothing to call it a sketch, or micro sketches, it is a sketch !
All of us can draw this phone, and all of us can recognize which is which.We are drawing the product, right.
Here is the challenge, draw the interface of this phone.Iâve no problem drawing that phone, I can extend my skills to what Iâve seen people do.But even if you are good at drawing the phone, it will be much much harder to design the interface of this phone.This thing must be design, but how do we design the interface if we cannot draw it?
But this is the third question, draw the experience of using this phone.And now, even the best of view are as much handicap as those without âpencil skillâ for the first two.The problem is that I use draw instead of sketching, because I wanted to explain this without having to introduce a lot of term, but understand that each of this have to be design.And therefore, sketching is the fundamental aspect of the process of doing the design for each of the three level of the design.
But this is the third question, draw the experience of using this phone.And now, even the best of view are as much handicap as those without âpencil skillâ for the first two.The problem is that I use draw instead of sketching, because I wanted to explain this without having to introduce a lot of term, but understand that each of this have to be design.And therefore, sketching is the fundamental aspect of the process of doing the design for each of the three level of the design.
To set the scene, remember the design funnel.First, each stage is iterative, where one constantly generates and reduces ideas until resolutionSecond, the granularity of exploration and development is finer as these iterations progress.Fundamentally, the sketchbook is a tool that supports this design funnel process, by cheaply and quickly collecting a multitude of ideas and their variations, and recording them for later choice.
To set the scene, remember the design funnel.First, each stage is iterative, where one constantly generates and reduces ideas until resolutionSecond, the granularity of exploration and development is finer as these iterations progress.Fundamentally, the sketchbook is a tool that supports this design funnel process, by cheaply and quickly collecting a multitude of ideas and their variations, and recording them for later choice.
Sketchbooks are of little use if you donât have it with you and you donât use it. A sketchbook is really about getting into the idea of design, into the habit of sketching regularly and frequently.
Sketchbooks vary considerably. Some things you need to consider are:Durability â covers, page bindings (so they last)Page count (so you can fill them)Size (for carrying convenience)Whether you can fold them over (for ease of use in tight spaces)Physical and visual aesthetics (you should be proud to carry it; a badge of your professionWhile you can sketch on almost anything, the sketch doesnât make a sketchbook.Avoid cheap scrap books and exercise books, and bits of paper.But of course, you can sketch on these and then paste it into your sketchbook.
The most basic instrument you need is a pencil, maybe an eraser. The key is to carry it with you always, maybe by inserting into the coil binding of your sketchobook.
The most basic instrument you need is a pencil, maybe an eraser. The key is to carry it with you always, maybe by inserting into the coil binding of your sketchobook.
Later, we will talk about how you can use a sketchbook to collect found objects, like magazine clippings. Scissors, glue, and tape will let you easily add these to your sketchbook.
Every now and then you will come across something that inspires an idea. Take a photo of it, print it, and paste it into your sketchbook.
Of course, there are myriads of media. Feel free to use them, but be careful. Remember, sketches should be cheap, fast, easy to do, and often of low fidelity. If media gets in the way of this, go back to a pencil.
So, now that you have a sketchbook and some instruments, what should be in your sketchbook?The following illustrate some samples. We will get into these and others in considerably more detail in later talks.
Sketching is about generating and collecting ideas. If you can draw, great. But an ugly, crude drawing can capture an idea as well as a beautiful one.
Lets look at a few examples of sketchbooks from various fields, where we see how they support idea generation, variation, and ultimately choice.In this example, we see various sketches, where the artist is exploring and varying posture and form. Note how incomplete some of them are, where they let the mindâs eye fill in possible details
Industrial designers make fairly similar uses of sketches, in this case in exploring various ideas and details of a form factor. Note that sketches such as these can include textual annotations, which themselves suggest possibilities
While this one shows how an idea flows over time, and the relationships between different parts of the idea
Sketches can also be storyboards, where key scenes are shown (much like a comic book)
Sketches can also depict how an idea (or product) is used via visual scenarios, or stories
Sketches can be used for collecting materials seen or found in other places; these can inspire you as well. Indeed, much creativity is about finding, varying, and remixing ideas that already exist
Sketches serve many purposes. This one collects four different versions of an idea
This example â in this case a photo â shows of 4 different remote control designs, where the sketches are made from paper taped on top of the lower part of a remote control.
The key idea is to have many ideas, and many variations. Paper and pen is cheap and quick. Explore.
The key idea is to have many ideas, and many variations. Paper and pen is cheap and quick. Explore.
Sketches can show storyboard transitions, where a different action can result in a different flow of activities
Sketches can also depict how an idea (or product) is used via visual scenarios, or stories