Building a Process
The Story of Design x Us: Part II
Design x Us is a project that seeks to discover and share the stories behind the humans that power the design industry. We interview inspirational designers and publish key highlights from the interview in hopes to inspire designers to be proud of their unique perspectives, diversity and purpose.
If you haven’t read Part I yet, you can read it here.
The Name
This project started as a way for me to build my network so that I could learn from others in the design industry. Yet, the purpose quickly transitioned to focus on a more inclusive vision. How might we provide a way to educate others? Is there a way to create a diverse pool of interviews so that everyone can relate to these stories in some way?
The name “Design x Us” (pronounced “Design by Us”) encompassed these values. Most things in our modern lives were designed. But not just designed..rather designed by someone. A human thought was the origin behind the anatomy of the computer you’re looking at right now. Humans designed the chair you’re sitting on, the sidewalk you walk on, the architecture you live and work in. Design x Us is about humanizing design and telling the stories and the journey behind these people. Design is the product behind a collaborative effort of many.
Growing Pains
By March of 2020, Jennifer Kumura and I quickly learned that we needed to think about the Design x Us process. What constraints could we define to help strengthen our project? We wanted to be intentional about how we approached interviewee candidates. We started by discussing some fundamental questions first.
- Who did we want to interview?
- Why did we want to interview this person?
- What topics should we talk about?
- How did we come up with this topic? Was it assumed that this person was interested in this topic or was it based on research?
- How do we document the interviews?
- How long should the interview be?
- Should we conduct the interviews together or should they be conducted on a 1-on-1 basis? Why?
I think its important to mention that we never started a project like this before. We didn’t know where to start and how to develop a process in this context. As product designers, we were comfortable conducting interviews but the interview itself was only a small percentage of all of the work and planning it actually takes to eventually publish it. For example, before we interview someone we must first create an introduction message and email, then we have to find the right channel to reach out to the candidate. Next we must schedule, interview, record, edit, review internally, have our interviewee edit and give final consent, insert into a platform (website), format, etc. Additionally, all the steps I just mentioned were a product of constant improvements from countless successes and failures through trial and error.
Anyway, the lesson here is that it’s okay not to know. It’s okay to be lost. When Jennifer and I were discussing these questions, it was okay if my answer was “I have no clue.” It’s still okay and will always be okay here at Design x Us because the premise of this project is to grow and growing is painful. Growth is about doing things you’ve never done before to become better so why should we expect others to be perfect?
First is the Worst, Second is the Best…
The very first interview I conducted for Design x Us was never published yet it was one of the most important. It was vastly misaligned with the type of stories we wanted to reveal. It lacked direction, focused too much on the details of the interviewee’s day-to-day and breezed over his journey and the topics that he was truly passionate about. It wasn’t the interviewee’s fault, rather, it was the questions I used and the lack of clarity I had about my own project.
Jennifer and I were able to use this interview as a discussion point for improving our process. We made sure that the correct preparation and foundational knowledge would be put in place before prematurely conducting our next interview. How does the rhyme go? The first is the worst, the second is the best and the third…is even better? If so it certainly applied in this situation…
One of my mentors once told me: “Mistakes are great. Make them early and often just don’t make the same mistake twice.” So ask the “stupid” question. Fumble unapologetically. Just be sure to get back up and take a step forward after. Read Part III (coming soon) to continue the story of Design x Us.
Meet the people that power creative industries. Discover their stories, and draw inspiration from their unique perspectives here.
Do you think you or someone you know should be interviewed by Design x Us? Let us know at hello@designxus.org.
