There are a lot of ways to approach design. Some are well known and commonly used, others are obscure or often not well-implemented. This talk is a survey of 17 useful techniques that are not well known (Axiomatic Design, Wardley mapping), or are known but not sufficiently practiced (draw the map, deliver higher-value information).
Topics include:
- Separate function from implementation (Axiomatic Design)
- Solve the abstraction first, or see how it was solved in other domains
- Track your assumptions
- Introduce constructive constraints
- Pursue bigger, better boxes
- Deliver insight and actions, not just information
- Architect for human use
- Draw the map or diagram
- Consider what could go wrong
- Design for human inaction
- Track opportunities for improvement
- Do root cause analysis
- Analyze the market visually
- Predict the (inevitable) future with Wardley mapping
- Pursue much bigger boxes
- Work on stuff that matters
- Save the world
Three key takeaways:
- Learn how to find the right problem to solve, and solve it well
- Learn to think more holistically about the design process and problem-solving
- Your choices matter and have an impact on the world
