Some highlights:

Designers do not “own” the design
Feedback is not personal
Share early and often
This is NOT design by committee
Build your design gut
Celebrate the design that ships

Now this may not seem out of the ordinary for many of you, but our development model here has been not to waste effort, and that means prototype using reusable code. For me, that just defeats the purpose, but changing how things are done is not an easy feat. I am working to sell the idea of prototyping at all levels – from designers and dev to PMs and biz folks. But its slow.

In the past, I’ve been all about prototyping – from quick and dirty paper sketches to throw-away html. Or full-color mocks linked to mimic an interactive experience. Depending on what we were trying to learn of course. We are designing interactive experiences – we need to think about those interactions, and only using mocks/wireframes doesn’t always cut it. We have to think about the entire experience.

The last version of dorelvis went live sometime in 2001 – so its time. It looks so dated now – but at the time, not a lot of people had their portfolios online, and it helped me find work.

So let me know how you like the new look and functionality. Most of the same stuff is here – just reorged etc.

A few takeaways:

• Why do designers wear uniforms? (I know we really don’t officially, but how many of us wore rectangle glasses, mostly black, interesting messenger bags and artful hairstyles?)
• Tom Kelley is smart, engaging, and quite the storyteller. I admire his enthusiasm and style. I’m a Tom Kelley groupie.
• Many of the presenters spoke about their user-centered methodology, using ethnography and empathy to see the solutions that are just staring at us in the face, and my teams have been doing this stuff for longer than I can remember. Wow — I’m on the leading edge! Who’d have thunk it?
• I am re-inspired to design thoughtfully — I can use design to do good
• Everyone has trouble articulating design rationale’s to non-designers. I am not alone.
• My friends Jody, Wendy and Marcy are the best and I miss them.

There was much gossip about mutual friends too.

But what got me really excited was when we talked about our design philosophies — essentially she believes that the traditional model of a creative director’s vision executed by a team of designers doesn’t make for innovative experience design, and I’m in total agreement. I’ve ranted previously about the value of design reviews — one of the most basic positives of a more natural collaborative design process is that the team dynamic can really inspire iterative ways of thinking. I strive to be the kind of leader who trusts the team to do what they do best — and when they surprise me I get inspired. Its not about me being the alpha designer — its about making the best product we can.

<sigh>

Maybe because I come across all friendly and funny people think I won’t be a hardass. Or maybe some people are just high-maintenance — not caring how their decisions impact others. I probably erred in cutting them too much slack too early. No matter why, what sucks is when I have to actually play policeman rather than coach.

Years ago I had a manager that watched me all the time; if I took a break she’d call out asking if I had enough work to do. I couldn’t plan my life because at the last minute she’d throw me another project. I vowed not to be that manager, to remember how much I wanted to be trusted to do my job, and I think I’ve been successful. I’ve had team members follow me from project to project and from org to org. When someone is motivated and does good work I let them be, and do my best to recognize their accomplishments.

Perhaps because I can be hands-off with these superstars, other folks think they immediately can get away with “lax” behavior, not realizing that the others have earned their points already.

I guess thats the real point — you need to earn points with me before I stay out of your business.

I typically think our review sessions are great because:

• Designers know they don’t have to think of every teeny thing; at the review someone will come up with another solution
• Other designers learn about areas they might not be subject matter expects in; the team is exposed to the body of work rather than their individual silos
• Visual designers get a chance to discuss interaction design, and design researchers get to discuss visual design etc; expanding everyone’s expertise
• The product is better because of all the iterations and input

But — this developer made me think twice. She asked me if I wanted to review code with her — when I said no, she said then why would she want to discuss design. I said, perhaps its a chance to see where we intersect, if there’s something we can make work through better code. I said understanding the foundations helps all of us — but she wasn’t biting.

So this has me reevaluating. I typically have a team of interaction designers, visual designers, design researchers and web devs meet each week. Sometimes the cast expands if we have a content person, a writer etc.. joining us. Should I be inviting engineers? Am I wasting people’s time?