DE$IGN
This article was first published on the User Defenders podcast Bi-Weekly Bugle.
I used to think design was just about making something that looks cool…
That was until I designed a landing page that looked 10x better than the eye-turd control that still won the split test.
That’s when I truly realized design is not about how good it looks (although that’s important, too!).
Design is about solving problems, and making life better for users.
Most often this starts with business.
$oftware is expen$ive.
One of the things that’s given design a bad name historically, has been when it’s sold as merely something visually appealing, not something that solves the business problem known as generating ROI.
Yes, businesses have money. You know why? Because they made investments that yielded greater returns than the investment.
Anytime that’s not the case, don’t call it a business…call it a hobby.
When we’re hired to design something, we are being entrusted that the investment made will not only return, but multiply so that the business can not only stay in business, but continue to grow.
I love current User Defenders podcast superguest Joe Leech’s POV on design. He pretty much takes us to business school in this interview:
“The most invincible tool in any UXer or Product Manager’s arsenal is an Excel spreadsheet that shows the business case for what they’re doing.”
I’ll hold my hand up first that I haven’t always been good at understanding business and measuring that my design is actually accomplishing the purpose for which it was spent.
Work in progress.
There’s no secret formula to product discovery. But the surest way I’ve noticed to discover a product that’s worth building is to completely understand what the business model is. When you do, and are looking for those ‘tokens at the arcade that the little ones dropped’, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover.
This all comes back to business. Always.
How do you discover the business model and top revenue generating strategies in the company?
Simple. Talk to executives.
This is yet another golden takeaway from this episode. Joe Leech articulates:
“Spend time with senior executives and just ask them the questions. What is it that makes this business successful? What it is that you are measuring? Talk to people in the organization to get that feedback on what it is that works for them.
You can go and read books and blog posts, but the best people to speak to are business executives themselves. They’ll be able to tell you. That’s what they spend their time on.”
So, should designers code, or get an MBA?
After talking to Mr. Joe, I’m really starting to lean to the latter.
Bottom line:
Good designers are good at business.
