My Year in Design — 2018
Every year for quite some time now, I write an article detailing what I set out to do in the previous calendar year. The goal of the article is to register thoughts, but also to hopefully, distill some important lessons that were attained through different experiences. Somehow, and for me at least, these articles have become a recording of experiences, of tried and tested notions/learnings that I was able to go through in the Design World in general and in my professional career in particular. Hopefully this won’t come across as some self centered rambling exercise, and more like an interesting insight into the disciplines of Design and Product Conception.
The Launch of a Redesigned Product.
The redesign effort of a Web Application which started in 2016 finally saw the light of day. When the project started, my humble ambitions were focused on translating the knowledge I had attained from running swift Design Thinking methodologies, and ingrain myself and the entire team in this collaborative effort, with the hopes of improving the product experience for users/consumers while simultaneously amplifying the business footprint in this particular vertical. This was a project filled with a series of interesting challenges, due to the constraints of the business it operated on, but also due to realistic and pragmatic demands that digital products require in 2018, namely accessibility, inclusivity and globalization. All these and many other factors played a crucial role in the definition of the solutions that were tested and tried (namely security/fraudulent detection, e-commerce integration, categorization and differentiation of users and their journeys, innovation, analytics, mobile centric directives, design system establishment and the list goes on). When the product finally saw the light of day, after the initial phases and the final materialization one (which did involve implementation and testing further), it was rewarding to attest that the product did achieve the goals that all teams had originally established.
Goals Achieved:
My goals with this redesign process, were anchored on the practice of a lean UX experience, and integration of the efforts of multiple team members throughout the entire Design Thinking process. From a team dynamics perspective, this included all layers from within the company, namely the CTO, Business Analysts, Product Owners, Lead Architects, Development Teams, VPs, Customer Support Groups, among others, all of whom were deeply involved in not only helping build life into the redesign process, but most importantly, making sure the process was pertinent all the way through testing, deployment, branding tie-ins and post launch experience. The goals were achieved, and that actually translated into the sense of ownership felt by everyone on different teams, and by the feedback (and KPIs) measured by the response of the product launch.
Finding new Projects, Interviewing, and “What’s Next”.
A product cycle is never really done, and the goal is to keep it evolving. However, circumstances change, and so do organizations and their needs. This year I had the opportunity to finally have the time to pause, and simultaneously be available to my family when the need arose. But more importantly, I was able to truly understand where to go next when it comes to career goals. It was an interesting time, since it also gave me the opportunity to re-assess credentials that I needed to revisit, particularly the ones tied to my experience as an educator. I taught for 6 years, with a lot of training sessions in between, which translated in time assessing, preparing, defining and gathering information to run successful sessions, but also, constantly refining and studying on how to be an effective communicator and teacher. While the training I obtained in preparing classes/workshops is crucial, the experience I got from running multiple sessions and engagements was and has been what has enabled me to become a better professional. All the feedback I collected throughout the years, works as refinement of my standing and conduct, both as a communicator in general and as a Design professional in particular. This past year I was very fortunate to be considered for some excellent opportunities, and got to learn so much from different organizations and their teams, all of whom were kind enough to open their experiences and expertise to me. Interviewing continues to be an interesting endeavor that is always rewarding, since no team and individual is alike. I’ve been asked many times on LinkedIn on how to interview. After many years and many conversations, I personally think and believe the qualities underlining a good interview and interviewee, for designers at least, can be summarized as follows: be professional (know your projects, thoroughly, be succinct, but also know who you’re talking with and enough about the company you want to join) and be authentic (be truthful, be courteous, and avoid at all costs coming across as someone who memorized the rules of good interviewing and is spewing them because it sounds good).
Goals Achieved
My goals on this point, were tied to personal availability and also figuring out what is next. I managed to get time for both, even if the circumstances arrived unexpectedly.
New Projects, Design Thinking and Mentoring.
The new challenges that I have tackled, have been an opportunity to continue refining the applicability of solutions that I have learnt and assimilated from previous experiences. No circumstance is exactly alike, but the interesting aspect of these new projects have been the opportunity to simultaneously educate, and also streamline the Design Thinking process and deliver Innovation in a terrain that is fertile for it, but that desperately needs a jump start. It’s also been a lesson in witnessing on how the Design Thinking process is only as good as all the moving parts are integrated, and a testament to the qualities of good hiring practices. Hiring the right people for the right opportunities is crucial. Very much like Charles Chaplin admonished in “Modern Times”, a cog that isn’t good enough, can sometimes deter the entire process from moving forward (even if his analogy was more focused on the dangers of Industrialization and repetitive labor practices). Mentoring has continued to be an exciting endeavor, just as it was over 10 years ago. The questions I get on LinkedIn, and the opportunities to mentor in the new engagements, have been rewarding. Much like teaching and the universe of relationships that is established between teacher and student/trainee, in the context of mentoring/managing, every professional has different goals, capabilities and focus. My goal has always been to learn more about each individual, in order to showcase options and paths that are sensible for the person and for where they see their career moving. Only by listening, observing and assessing, can one truly guide those who want to be guided.
Goals Achieved:
The goals were achieved. Starting new processes, always means knowing who you’re embarking on a trip with, and as a designer, preparation, studying and organization is crucial. These engagements have been truly rewarding.
Writing, Studying, Sketching, Producing.
My life in the Design world has always been peppered with multiple ventures and goals that I establish for myself in that larger sense. This past year for instance, some of my goals included creating an outline for a book, continuing to write, both on topics design related (with obvious ties with everything that I have experienced throughout the years in the Design field), but also on cinema, something that fascinates me, sketch as much as possible, and continue to pursue my venture as a pattern designer. Simultaneously I established goals in terms of constant education, reading fiction and non fiction books, and travel.
Goals Achieved:
The goals were somehow achieved. I failed to travel as much as I hoped, but life has a way of presenting different venues and directions that sometimes look hopeless at first glance, but that turn out to be unexpected pathways. Hopefully this year will see the development of some of those outlines and strategies.
I conclude this balance and summarization, much like the one from 2018. As 2019 starts and the opportunities ahead are welcoming, I always remember the words from famed Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa: “Life is what we make of it. Travel is the traveler. What we see isn’t what we see but what we are.” I am very fortunate to work in a field that is challenging, ever evolving, and where designers get to communicate, collaborate, find interesting solutions and paths for questions that constantly appear. To be a part of this ebullient universe is a gift, and this new year will be another one filled with creativity and productivity.
