3 things designers should prioritise in self-isolation
At Digital Arts Network we are responding to the outbreak of COVID-19 in much the same way as other organisations around the world, taking proactive steps to protect our team and our clients.
We have already implemented a “work from home if you can” policy, which we expect to become commonplace. We have audited our technology and our team’s ability to work from home successfully and provided guidelines for running effective remote meetings and workshops. Our three golden rules: stay focussed, overcommunicate and use common sense. Oh, and try not to eat everything in your fridge.
Undoubtedly there will be challenges with remote working and we plan to stay connected as a team and iterate our own processes. But what should designers and design leaders be doing during this time to safeguard ongoing success?
1. Stay human-centred
How can we as designers solve problems in a human-centred way when we can’t have direct contact with humans? Understandably we are seeing clients cancelling design testing sessions and other in-person research. So how else can you design with the people, for the people?
- Surveys and A/B tests: now is a great time to flex your quantitative muscles and use email and web surveys along with data from a/b tests to keep your finger on the pulse of customer feedback, performance and opportunities.
- Contact centre/customer care: set up a regular (daily if you can) heartbeat check with your customer service representatives. You can listen in on calls, even take a few, and discover the themes and patterns that are emerging. Our latest Design Maturity Benchmark suggests that customer-facing staff a goldmine of insight.
- Remote moderated design testing: it’s not that hard, all you need is a video conferencing tool (Google Hangouts would do) that offers screen sharing and recording and a web-based prototype your participants can access from their own computer. All of your other normal preparation including research objectives, test scripts and recruitment criteria should be fairly unchanged, but we do advise keeping tasks short in remote tests.
- Remote workshops:We recommend all meetings have an assigned facilitator. As well as timekeeping and making sure the session is focussed, it’s extra important that the facilitator regularly checks in and seeks feedback from all participants. Those inclined to not speak up, plus the inclination to multi-task while working on a computer, mean the facilitator has to work harder to maintain focus. Collaborative online whiteboarding tools like Mural and Miro are a great way to get the whole team around the problem.
2. Audit tools and frameworks
Picture a typical day in the office, where you wander over and check a colleague’s work, grab a print out and start marking it up. Or gather around a whiteboard to nut out a juicy problem. Without this in-person collaboration, you are reliant on digital collaboration tools and shared access to deliverables.
Different pockets of the organisation (or even individuals) may be working on different tools, requiring different accounts, applications or permissions. Our recent research highlighted that only a handful of organisations have implemented consistent frameworks and tools across their entire organisation — which are vital for scaling up design in your business.
Wondering where to start? Begin with an audit of the tools, processes and frameworks currently in use within your design team, then expand out to your adjacent development and product teams. Keep an open mind and look for areas to consolidate, simplify or standardise.
3. Document your Design strategy
Working from home offers more headspace, and the chance to deep dive on your data, build a better understanding of your product, and focus on the biggest challenges your teams are facing. Better yet, do an analysis of your product design strategy, or create one. We found only 1 in 10 organisations have an actioned design strategy.
Ensure your Design strategy is formalised, either as a standalone document or assimilated into wider business strategy artefacts. Remember to include design and business goals (if different), success factors, target audience, user needs and Experience Principles.
Once formulated, focus on telling your story to senior leaders by speaking their language. How can you show that what you are intending on delivering helps the business achieve its goals?
Working from home shouldn’t prevent you from continuing to design great products and services. Use tools and technology smartly, invest in etiquette and evolving your approach, and enjoy headspace for documenting the strategy and standards you’ve been meaning to get around to. And set yourself up for success by looking at alternative ways to bring people into your design methods and research. And DON’T eat all the food in the fridge on day one!
Interested in these insights and more? Download the free Design Maturity Benchmark here.
