Do I really need a designer?
I get this question so often that I thought I’d write about it.
Software startups often struggle with resources and make the mistake of thinking that design is about picking colors and images which can be easily done by anyone. But hang on, we are not talking just colors and images — software design goes beyond this. What does “Design” really mean? (a great reference by Don Norman in the context of everyday things)
The simplest definition is:
Design = (A) How things look + (B) How things work
It is as functional and objective as it maybe subjective. There is a lot of science that goes behind A and B above; a well designed product covers both these aspects equally well and if done right, directly influences your acquisition, retention and engagement metrics. Remember “Design” used to be the differentiator not too long ago, but now is the basic expectation (see Kano Model). Today everyone’s level of design is elevated to a basic norm — thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple for starting that revolution!
Below are some key disciplines of software product design:
Visual Design (A) — is not just the colors and graphics in your UI, I am not talking the basic rudimentary graphics design. It is the use of colors, fonts, brightness, etc. to communicate a product message. Visual cues and affordances like colors, texture, shadows, etc. are used cleverly in the UI to accomplish a user goal like draw your eyes to call to action, etc. A coherent visual design language is defined that ultimately becomes an identity of your product. So a lot of science goes behind this so called “subjective” discipline as well.
UI or Interaction Design (B) — focuses on the interaction and usability of workflows in the product. The goal is to make the flow or interaction as intuitive as possible via a language of consistent design patterns. The requirements are not only understood but also validated, and user stories are defined which then translate into the design of the UI. It also includes working closely with Engineering to make the day-to-day decisions on tradeoffs/feasibility constraints like schedule or technical, and come up with creative solutions to keep the original spirit and intent of the design vision intact.
Data Visualization (A+B) — some products require dashboards or reports as a key part of their flows and that’s where this discipline comes in. Unlike Interaction design, this discipline focuses on how to effectively communicate the underlying story (of the gory data) using just a few visuals that would otherwise require you to go through pages of complex numbers (here’s one of my classic favorites by Edward Tufte).
Information Design & Architecture (A+B) — both Visual and Interaction Design have to accommodate and incorporate information such that it is seamless. This discipline specifically focuses on the content (copy) or text within the UI, and how it is structured. Close attention is given to the “voice & tone” of the language used to communicate which then becomes an identity of your product.
Prototype (A+B) — some of the trending workplaces require designers to have programming skills, just enough to build a quick HTML which can be validated by users and the design can then be be further improved on. But this really depends on the context of your product, process, budget, etc. Not all designers have this ability, and then there is an interesting debate “prove to me that what you design can indeed be coded” vs. “designers who code or developers who design often have conflicting interests and tend to make the wrong choices”.
For the most part, early stage startups are in absolute need for immediately filling in Visual and Interaction Design aspects, based on where your product or company is aimed at, you may want to pick and choose which of these disciplines you want to bring in.
Stay tuned for my next post on signs of a great designer, and what it takes to master that art!
