Morning Missive

These are the things stuck in my head at this very moment.

• “Double Diamond” is not a design process, it’s the shape a design process should/could take. It’s the difference between an orange and a circle.
• Personas are difficult until you start doing the research. Once you do, patterns will reveal themselves. You should only create personas for the user groups you most care about, and they should be well researched (this will take time and multiple iterations). Do not overextend! Weak personas that don’t resonate won’t be used and can create future resistance to UX.
• Design processes (eg, Design Sprints) are heavily baked with experience and intention. Don’t casually dismiss the parts you don’t like — the result likely won’t deliver.
• Facilitation of design thinking sessions is primarily concerned with herding stakeholders. This might seem stupid at first, but being an agent of change is largely about building consensus and creating advocates who can ensure that a design is implemented properly and can make it stick for the long-term.