Interaction design is about people
Let's be inspired by humans
Interaction design is the relation between a human and a machine. But it is also the story of a deeper attachment and engagement of the user exchanging and building a connection to a system. The more we learn about people, the more we get to understands how the relation is build, how the story is constructed and how technology can work for us. Let's be inspired by humans to build interaction for people.
Designer's intention
"As designer, what is your intention? "
An old teacher of mine always asked us "As a designer, what is your intention?" Students often went speechless when being asked this question simply because the intention or the goal of the idea wasn't clear enough. But as we face the truth, designers are the center of creation. It is a simple rule of garbage in, garbage out. So let's be smart about what we are building. Let's define the problem we are looking to solve and set goals that will bring value to what we are creating.
PRODUCT/SERVICE, BUSINESS MODEL AND SUSTAINABILITY
Everything is connected
Product, business model and sustainability might be seen as three different aspects of your project, but I think they are all connected. The product is the heart of your project. Business is the motor that brings your product to life and keeps it alive. Sustainability is the impact of the product/service on the environment, on the economy and on society. It allows the product to be viable. Hence, when we develop a product, it is essentials to start thinking about all three aspects to build a self-turning wheel.
COLLABORATION
An opportunity to exchange
Designers might know a lot, but they are not expert in everything. That's why collaboration is an opportunity to learn and exchange with professionals in different fill as well as with users. Professionals have the knowledge of what works best, and users will always give insights about their needs and their desires. Collaboration always brings the best product to life.
EXPLORE UNCERTAINTY TO BE INNOVATIVE
Be comfortable with the unknown
To be innovative, we must have the courage to let go of our knowledge and explore by accepting the notion of failure and be comfortable with the unpredictable. I have learned to become a neophyte time to time and to let go of "what I know" or "what I think I know" to explore and build the story of things I don't know. It's also the moment to try unconventional ideas and learn through the process.
TRY AND LEARN THROUGH PROTOTYPING
Build your idea, test it, note the result and repeat
Prototyping is a crucial moment for your project. It brings life into your conceptual idea to a tangible solution and it helps to communicate to others the essences of its existence and functionality. It helps to try and test unconventional solution and engage users with some quick feedbacks. If an idea is too poor, it will surface quickly and it will be early enough in the process to stop and find alternative solution. I believe prototyping is an iterative process and it is a way to learn about your own ideas through the interaction of others.