During a recent re-read of Henry Dreyfuss‘s seminal book Designing For People, I realized just how little the basic design process has changed since his practice began in the 1930′s:
- study the problem,
- talk about objectives and requirements with the stakeholders,
- study the current use and current market,
- understand the means of production or enabling technology,
- build conceptual prototyping followed by final models (testing them along the way),
- and finally the delivery of detailed design documentation.
Change in process
At the same time as I was perusing Dreyfuss’s book, Liz Danzico emailed and reminded me of a slide I showed at the 2006 IASummit. The slide was intended to convey how the common process seemed to be evolving recently in web-based design (the “common” design process doesn’t map one-for-one with the bulleted process above, but there’s obviously big overlaps)…
I think this slide speaks to at least three changes. First, iteration is possible even after the “product goes to market” as a beta. Second, design decision are made during building, much more like architecture and less like mass-produced product design. Third, the designer is creating a platform for further tailoring and extension by users (through simple rules and interactions).
Change in drivers
These are just some of the process changes going on, but they’re symptomatic of deeper changes in economics and infrastructure.
- Lower risk of going to market — there’s comparatively less cost and less risk than in Dreyfuss’s world to creating something reasonable that can be produced and released to customers. Networks make customer feedback and re-deployment instantaneous. No more building a solution, crossing your fingers, and waiting for sales reports. More than ever people play a real-time democratic role in “voting” for which products and services best fit their need through choosing to buy/use them, or not.
- Networks mean groups mean co-design — The magic of networks is in the exponential value each new “node,” i.e. person, adds to it. Networks are inherently about groups and peoples. Groups form themselves; designers can’t form them. The formation of groups, their communications, and their identities are all out of the hands of the designer. Designers and developers can create the stage, but groups have to put on the show and therefore a more active participant in the process than ever before.
