Formula for Design

Design as a Formula

Design processes are often broken down by steps and taught as a set of formulas. That is the common misconception so many new designers get tangled up in. In UX design, the “double diamond” process is something that most designers follow religiously in their process. Each step would include several methodologies that follow one another.

School curriculums are generally set up to teach their students the right process and familiarizing them to the methods that are well known in the industry. However, such tools are often mistaken as a formula for grandeur. Many new designers fall victim to this misconception; I am guilty of it as well.

Choose the Right Tools

What the schools are providing for their students isn’t a template for perfect design. They are supplying the tools necessary to push the projects across the finish line. It is still up to the designers themselves to choose the right tool for the job. It is highly unlikely that designers need all the tools in the arsenal to solve a design problem. I had to learn this the hard way.

The trick is to not get stuck in the loop of defining the product like it’s a new idea. The majority of the designers in the industry are working on products that were already well defined and iterated. New designers fresh out of school are easily caught in the endless cycle of forcing the project to fit the formulaic process instead of using the right tools to do the job.

The Clear Ask

Sometimes the answer might have already been given from the initial brief. I learned that it is better to understand the “ask” than to redefine it. At the end of the day, what’s the purpose of wasting valuable time looking for answers when it is right in front of you? Open up a direct line of communication with the stakeholders and save yourself some time.

The ask always defines the project, but the project rarely defines the ask.