I recently attended a workshop on startup success and I was quite excited to see how design was portrayed in the start-up world. Except that I was left disappointed as it was the least focussed upon subject.
“Design is the least thought of aspect while developing an app or a product.”
Why?
Developers take it for granted that their app/product will be designed in the best manner because they have a purpose in mind and they are out to fulfil it. They rarely tend to understand the elements that design focuses on in order to build a better service for the users.
Are you designing for yourself or are you designing for others?
If your startup is designing for OTHERS (which is most often the case) then you need someone who can understand the principles of design and tweak it with the needs of the users. This is essentially done by designers. We don’t just look at the UI, we take in the bigger picture. We look at how the design fits the users and pull out the contexts that might have been missed out while developing.
“Designers are much more than aesthetic pleasers, they have their feet dipped in different groups of the company; almost like a binding element.”
Bringing in a designer at a later phase might be counterproductive as he/she might not be on the same page. No matter how precise your descriptions are, the designer will always have a tough time understanding your needs as they have not been through the same journey. The basics are what matter and these foundations are written at an early phase of a company by the ENTIRE team. Hence while laying down the bricks, you need a designer to make sure you are asking the right questions and looking at the service through different perspectives.
“You promised me Mars colonies. Instead I got Facebook.” ~ issue of MIT technology review
Apart from looking at contexts through different perspectives, designers identify problems that actually matter. Identifying problems at early stages is essential for any company. With effective design processes that we follow, we identify real problems and come up with solutions that would be appropriate in the current world.
Another core element for a start-up is research. Research is in the blood of every designer. Without research, no company will be able to survive in the market. We help look at different content and see how it is relevant to the company. Some might say that research should be done by specific researchers. I will have to disagree. Designers look at content through different lens. They have an idea about what the user needs and how it should be incorporated by the developers. They are the bridging gap between the developers and the users. They have a filter which allows the company to use the content in a definitive way.
Who knows users the best? Designers.
Designers have the capability to build strong relationships with the users for their research. They approach users through different means in order to gain an understanding about the needs of the users. It is vital to know how the users think so as to suggest features and changes for the service.
Lastly, with all the technical jazz going on about the company, it is always great to have someone with a background that can understand this but at the same time pull you out and have some fun. This is something crucial and the way I see it, designers are soaked in enthusiasm and fun through and through! :)
