Process
As a designer - design thinking is extremely important. Understanding how to break it down and apply it in different projects can be difficult; especially in interdisciplinary teams. There are several methods and diagrams which illustrate this process, but my three favorite examples are the double diamond, the NNGroup's Design Thinking 101 iterative design process, and
High Level Strategy
The general process for Industrial Design, Service Design and UX/UI Design is the same. The main differences are in medium, resources and team requirements. I've outlined a high level approach and philosophies I adhere to while developing a design strategy below.
VR/AR Process
VR/AR development involves different technologies and techniques which you can view the process of via the link below.
1. Discover
Most projects have a specific goal or brief explaining what general issues exist or what outcome is sought after. As a designer I like to really understand what the problem is down to the core before starting to look for solution. This is the first and most important steps because the core problem is the focus of iteration. Everything that happens after this stage needs to reflect the core problem and address every concern successfully or develop further until it does so.
2. Define
Having a clear view of the problem and establishing value proposition for customers and service providers helps develop a realistic understanding of the goals we are trying to achieve. Once the core problem is defined, I like to identify what possible directions we may start going into and starting to define what methods, technologies and partners we may need to develop the concept. I find it very important to synthesis all the research into a simple presentation or poster to really highlight the problems and what directions we should pursue to further develop the concept.
Understand the User
3. Ideate
Ideating is the task of finding solutions to problems with insights and relevant information. For me, ideation is equal parts thinking; open discussions, simple sketches, quick 3D models as well as small paper/wire/foam models. Ideation is not just high quality marker renderings or clickable prototypes. Ideation is about exploring different avenues of thinking and perception. Ideation can be anywhere from sitting at a table and chair sketching, walking in a park with friends and discussing topics relating to the project, or even riding my motorcycle and thinking about different directions and problems which may arise.
4. Prototype
Building and testing ideas allows us to make mistakes quickly and succeed faster. This is the most hands on phase in which the concept is close to finalized and is ready to be developed into a physical or digitally interactive experience to understand how the product/service might function when fully developed and implemented. I have made a variety of prototypes in my time as a designer ranging from a fish tank made out of wood and acrylic, a vacuum formed lamp, several scaled 3D printed and finished models, a full scaled children 12v ride on vehicle and several app prototypes consisting of paper prototypes, fully flushed out clickable app mockups and websites to virtual/augmented reality proof of concepts.
5. Evaluate
Does the solution answer the problem? It is a very proud moment when a prototype is complete, but as a designer I know it is just the beginning. The prototypes has two uses to gain an audience or investors, but more importantly to test quality and function. Prototype testing is extremely important and should happen early and often. While doing research sometimes I will prototype and test specific mechanical functions or features. From my 5+ years professional experience and 10+ years of total design experience, I’m comfortable with being a self-taught engineer, whether it be mechanical and manufacturing to coding and architecture based, as it is also my duty to understand how they may function and be able to convey our concepts effectively to engineers without them needing to change too much of the original concept.
6. Implement
In my experience, I have found this to be smooth transition as long as myself or the team keeps reflecting back to the core problem at every step of the process. If all the steps are followed, the implementation stage becomes very streamlined and easy to explain to potential investors and partners. On top of this, the concept has a real potential to be successful if the core problem is solved and all stakeholders are considered.
When it comes to working in teams, I am a very flexible individual. As an interdisciplinary designer, I find myself often in interdisciplinary teams and have a lot of experience working in uncertain situations with people with different professional languages. Because of my personality and design thinking, I am very empathetic towards others and consider other people’s thoughts, views and concepts. That being said I am never shy to speak my mind and I don’t mind being the odd man out when it comes to group discussions. My goal is always to keep the team members motivated, aligned and the project moving forward.
I have been project manager of several small teams throughout my career as a designer. I pride myself on my ability to understand team members skills, workflow and compatibility to organize and create scenarios where the members can work together and individually to work at their highest potential and come together to develop a unified project. I believe as a project manager it is my duty to keep everyone organized, informed and consistently communicating with one another. When it comes to ideas, concepts and direction I believe it is up to the team to come together and decide. I am a strong believer that one should not be married to ideas and no one person’s ideas should have weight unless there is evidence to back it up. My idea of a successful project is one which satisfies the original brief and solves the core problem in an efficient and positive fashion.
If you've gotten this far, you must be interested in the design process and how to implement it in the real world - feel free to reach out to me via the contact page if you're a student seeking guidance or looking for a temporary contractor or a permanent hire for a team!