I decided to tweet the talk I gave last night here http://www.sanfranolagranola.com/pages/food-summit … so try to imagine it’s given to food start-up founders.
I was asked to talk about how design can lend credibility to a product. But I couldn’t resist touching on a couple topics start-ups often care about and find challenging: like creating a great user experience.
I think I'll tweet the talk I gave last night. It was all sharpie on index cards, so should be doable.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Before I because a designer/productperson/whatever I'm doing this week, I worked in food service. And then I fell in love with the internet.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Designer are like chefs; they used to get paid less then everyone else and were treated as disposable serfs. But that's changed.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
DESIGN IS HOT.
We know, because because of conferences like Warm Gun and Om's Roadmap. And articles in Forbes, Fastco/design…— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
In Forbes "Amazon or eBay couldn't have launched in their original form today, They were simply too unattractive". http://t.co/81NpOklAZX
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Saying Amazon couldn't launch because they were too ugly is like saying Walmart couldn't have launched because Gehry raised architecture bar
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Not all sectors need design the same degree, or the same design. But it is powerful. It can make things sexy.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Tesla designer Von Holzhausen: What I wanted to achieve was this moth-to-the-flame result. http://t.co/X7LFWfleOm
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
You don't know why you want it, you just know you do.
Sometimes it's called lickable design.
That seems well suited to food products.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
But beyond desire, one of design's most powerful effects is to engender trust.
With food, because it goes in our bodies, we must trust.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Timothy Prestero gave a TED talk about saving babies in third world countries by shining blue lights on them, you know, typical TED talk
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
It's a seriously great talk http://t.co/tcikuLluQC on the challenges of designing something that will get adopted and used
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Hospitals didn't trust cheap looking equipment. Patients didn't trust them.
The design mattered.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
So when testing Firefly, he found some hospitals would rather have no equipment that equipment that looked cheap. Even if it worked.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
In 2003, @bjfogg ran a large quantitative study on what makes a website credible http://t.co/AfQwQ3mvAr
The #1 result? Design look.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Above motive of company. Above trusted sponsor, affiliations, trusted brand or advertising. If it looked trustworthy, it was trustworthy.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
I know, you are thinking 2003? Dude, people are way more savvy now. Well in 2012, the Digital Trust Intiative did another study
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
And in it, they found it has to both look simple and trustworthy but also be easy to use and simple to understand http://t.co/KpUG1pLlGM
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
You know what was #2 on the 2003 trust study?
Information design and structure.
Often called Information Architecture.
It creates trust.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Steve Jobs once said "Design is not how it looks. It's how it works."
We've now quantitatively proved him right.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
So you are now thinking, how do I get me some of dat design pixie dust?
Shall I hire a designer?— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Well, @jmspool has been researching what make a company able to produce great design over the last 7 years & he discovered some weird things
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Some companies hired many awesome designers, but still had bad design. While others had few and great design.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
When @jmspool's team looked closer, they discovered was not # of designers, but if everyone in the company cared about the user experience.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
In companies with great user experiences, design is owned by everyone in the company, not just the design team.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Some companies hired many awesome designers, but still had bad design. While others had few and great design.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
When @jmspool's team looked closer, they discovered was not # of designers, but if everyone in the company cared about the user experience.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
So how can you help with design? In the studies #1 was look and feel: visual design. that's
Color
Type
Layout
Imagery
Line— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
All the elements of visual design are just tools to tell a story. They are there to express hierarchy of attention. To tell you want matters
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Many of the startups I meet can't say what is important. They don't know what the one thing a user should do. They don't have story.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Ain't no designer in the world gonna fix that for you, honey. You have to know what you have to tell the customer.
Design is communication.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Here @jmspool lays out the three qualities companies with great design have http://t.co/wUyGSXGr6u
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
#2 Great UX companies continually get customer feedback Employees do customer service, they sit in on usability tests They get it first hand
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
#3 Companies with great UX relish failure. It means you are trying. .
And they foster dissent. Creative conflict makes for better UX.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Often I see an 8 week schedule with 1 day assigned to do the onboarding and support pages.
You cut your own throat when you forget new users— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
I know what you are saying
but… but… but..hire a designer?
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Philippe Stark says here are three kinds of designer http://t.co/6CI7wYqeTY
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
There are cynical designers. They are a weapon of marketing.
Don't hire them. They get you users, but they can't keep users.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
There are FANTASTIC DESIGNERS! They win awards!
Don't hire them. They design only for other designers.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
There are results-driven designers.
They want the business to be successful.
They want the user t be successful.
Hire them.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
There are three core disciplines in UX.
Visual/Interface designers.
Interaction designers
Information Architects— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
How do I choose a great visual/interface designer?
Well, what you like doesn't matter.You must know your customer's idea of great design.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
For some people, this is the pinnacle of beauty http://t.co/QeFoicaa1B
for others http://t.co/1oxS61N2zF
& others https://t.co/K7KB0rhD0x— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
You have to understand the taste of YOUR audience.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Understand what your users think a grocery store or a recipe finder should look like. Find a designer who can master that style. Elevate it.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
My daughter may have dyslexia. I sent 3 sites to check out & told "if none take your insurance see the 3rd, she's quite good and cheaper"
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Then, chatting with my ex about it, I heard myself say, No way we're seeing her! Her site is a mess! It looks like a kid made it!
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
I had been fooled myself! The site was charming, but didn't look like a serious doctor. The other sites weren't better, just more doctorly.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
The site must look "right" in order to trust it.
The designer needs to understand that.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
How can I tell if an interaction designer is good?
1) ask them to walk you through something s/he designed. Is it sensible? Is it usable?— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
2) Ask the IxD (cool shorthand for interaction designers!) to do a 'design exercise" such as design a check out flow.
But watch out!— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
The results of the design don't have to be great; you are looking for thoroughness of thinking. Are they considering user/tech needs?
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
It's not about getting some free work (who wants a flow designed in 15minutes anyway?) it's about seeing the IxD's approach.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
And when hiring an IA (information Architect) give them a design exercise like design a grocery store for ppl with dietary constraints.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
If they get happier and happier the harder it is to organize and express complicated products (or content) you may have found yourself an IA
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
And, like with the IxD make sure you like the clarity of their thinking.
Finally do you like them?
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
When hiring, always ask
"Do I want to see this person every day."Because you two need to work hand in hand.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
You may need more than one person.
You may be able to afford only one.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
If you can hire only one designer, make sure they have the right expertise and mix to get the job done e.g. pic.twitter.com/23tEFTCJ5E
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
sadly I had to clean up this image; tweeted too soon
Another correction, sigh
Match your designers skill sets to your product needs pic.twitter.com/ZnqR3dnyWj— christina (@cwodtke) November 15, 2013
NEXT: you've hired a great person! You can nap now right?
NO! Don't walk away. Work with them.
But do it right.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Don't tell your great person solutions, express your needs and observations.
NO: Make it bigger!
Yes: I feel the sale needs more emphasis.— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Watch users together.
Bring engineers too.
I heard redbull and pizza is good for luring them in.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
It may take a village to raise a kid.
It DEFINITELY takes a company to make great UX.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
OK, I'mma gona go lay down now.
hope y'all enjoyed it.
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013
Let me know if you'd like me to do more "tweet talks"
thanks, all!
— christina (@cwodtke) November 14, 2013