It is difficult to find a phrase that exactly describes my work and the way I approach it. I’ve started to talk about human-centred approaches. This post explains what I mean by that. Read full article
1 commentArchive — Human-centred design
Beginner’s guide to content design
Many people are intrigued by content design but unsure if it's the right fit for them. So here is my beginner's guide to being a content designer. Find out why it might be a better fit for you than you might think — and why it might not be. Read full article
CommentUX design’s UX design problem
How a chat at a conference underlined that user experience itself has a user experience problem — and what we can do about it. Read full article
2 commentsService design and the Mario complex
At Service Design in Government, I discovered that service designers see themselves as Mario. But that is an unrealistic model for what service design should be. Read full article
11 commentsView from Service Design in Government 2020
Last week I attended the Service Design in Government conference, held here in Edinburgh. It was a hugely thought-provoking event. Almost every session I attended was excellent, sparking new ideas and thoughts that I am still getting to grips with almost a week on. Read full article
4 commentsThere is no design system — — 24 ways
Why a design system should not be thought of as a Thing like a style guide, but in fact is all about building a community.
I have to tell you: a lot of the time that I’m working in design systems, I’m not even touching a design tool. Or coding. Rather, it’s a lot of people-focused work: Reviewing. Advising. Organizing. Coordinating. Triaging. Educating. Supporting. That’s a lot of invisible systems work right there.
Types of design focus —
Useful definitions outlining the differences between user-centred design, person-centred design and human-centred design.
If user-centred design is more functional in terms of understanding and meeting needs. Person-centred design is more holistic. This means that it’s more focussed on emotional needs and goals. Human-centred design is then about thinking beyond individual needs and more towards the collective needs of a system, place, or community.
What is co-design? — — Beyond Sticky Notes
I’ve been thinking and reading a lot about co-design recently (as well as doing some of it too). This website, Beyond Sticky Notes, has provided me with even more food for thought.
I am particularly struck by the table describing various approaches from transactional to transformational. In this model, “Anything ‘centred’ — human, user, patient etc.” is little better than “Designer as expert”. Meanwhile, what I thought of as co-design may actually be more like participatory design. There’s so much more to do.
But one line of warning is familiar to any good user experience practitioner, and is worth repeating until the cows come home.
Co-design builds long term commitment. By contrast, consultation often gives the illusion we’ve bought people on board — only to have them then fall overboard. With consultation, we pay later — often in costly, public and damaging ways.”
Make sure you also see Mindsets for co-design, another enlightening article on how to do co-design better.
This website is in support of a book due to be published in 2020. I am now looking forward to it.
Thanks to Alison Wright who retweeted the latter article and brought it to my attention.
Are users rational? It depends on what you mean by rational
It’s fashionable to dismiss rational choice theory out of hand. But contrary to what you may have been told, aspects of rational choice theory can still be helpful in understanding the world. And I find it a useful way to think about user experience. Read full article
CommentThe limitations of the phrase user experience
The meaning of user experience has changed over time. While it can still be a useful phrase, its limitations are becoming problematic. Read full article
Comment