This list contains the books I believe everyone who wants to truly understand what digital design is all about needs to read. I've tried to roughly categorize them into more foundational topics and then somewhat along the double diamond: finding the right problem and finding the right solution. To provide a glimpse into the future, I also list some books on designing for an with (a selection of) novel types of interfaces.
Tag: Human-Centered Design
KPI-Centered Design
Despite evidence that employing a human-centered design (HCD) approach to product design yields a strong competitive edge, many companies neglect HCD or don't even consider it in the first place. One reason for that is probably that many who think they're working user-centered are practicing something entirely different: KPI-Centered Design. This article inquires into different forms of design processes, into the differences between proper HCD and KPI-Centered Design, and how a resonable compromise can look like: Formulating hypotheses based on evidence rather than just KPIs or gut feeling, and complementing quantitative experimentation with more qualitative insights.
Practical Approaches to Customer Centricity in Product Development
Products often tend to be technology-driven, without actually solving a real problem of real users ‒ we see companies and products fail every day because money was invested in the wrong idea. In contrast, a truly customer-centric approach ensures you enter the right market with the right product, thus increasing user experience, loyalty, and profitability ‒ a win-win situation. One format for user-centered innovation projects are Design Sprints, which allow for a first validation of a product idea within a week.
5 Design Methods I’ve Successfully Applied as a UX Manager at C&A
Depending on the environment you have to navigate, it's not always easy to try and apply all of the awesome design methods that are out there, be it due to daily business or a lack of management buy-in. In this article, I describe 5 methods that I have successfully and effectively applied in C&A's eCommerce department: Design Jams, Storyboards, Crazy 8s, 4×4×4, and Buy a Feature.
What is Design Thinking?
Design Thinking is often considered a buzzword or bullshit and many people—even if familiar with the concept—struggle to define it in a brief, but concise way. In this article, I develop such a definition: "Design Thinking is the understanding that the process is the design and therefore all people involved, no matter their role, are responsible for creating a product that is useful, functional, aesthetically appealing, and affordable."
On Design Thinking
According to Patnaik (2009), Design Thinking is "any process that applies the methods of industrial designers to problems beyond how a product should look." The term was already used as early as 1987 by Rowe in his eponymous book in an architectural context and has lately become popular through research done at Stanford University and the Hasso Plattner… Continue reading On Design Thinking
2008 – Tales of Design & User Experience 