Something for the Weekend - It's hardly nasal surgery!

I read an interesting story early this week that really brings to life the value of prototyping.

In 2001 designers at IDEO were tasked with working with teams of surgeons to create new improved tools for nasal surgery. During the design session one of the surgeons was trying to explain how the ideal mechanism would be a trigger grip only he struggled to put in to words what he meant. One of the designers picked up a marker pen and a 35m film canister and taped them together. They then picked up a plastic peg and fastened that to the front creating a basic version of what the surgeon was attempting to describe. This might sound like Blue Peter but it saved a huge amount of follow up meetings, through the ability to physically demonstrate what was actually needed.

I love the story as I see similar comparisons day to day in our roles. Where written requirements fail to adequately express the need; quite simply fail to bring it to life or allow for different interpretations. I am, without doubt, an advocate of using diagrams and screen mock ups to validate and elicit requirements so I thought I'd share some thoughts on the topic.

Tips for Prototyping

• We're using BalsamIQ - It’s a great tool - do check it out at Click Here
• Recognise that that creating mock-ups won't slow things down, it generates results faster and gets people on the same page.
• Be clear as to why you're mocking up screens - it's not for the purpose of a final design but to elicit comment and validate written requirements and assumptions.
• Keep it rough - to have something too polished suggests it’s a final design, enough to get to the answers as quickly as possible is all that is needed - Lo-Fi is the way to go. (just think of nasal surgery!)

Sources & Credits
IDEO

Business Week

Something for the Weekend - Frank Lloyd Wright

I've written previously (Emotional Connections, Fail Whale, Anthora Coffee Cup) about the importance of creating deeper connections with our products. So when I spotted this quote by Frank Lloyd Wright I just had to share it;

"Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one. Joined in a spiritual union."

Frank Lloyd Wright, recognised by the American Institute of Architects as the 'greatest American architect of all time', was a master at balancing aesthetics and practicality - making his spaces and objects desirable, aspirational and usable.

I often feel that, as BAs, our natural tendency is to focus on the functional first and the form second. Indeed we even refer to our products as "functionality"! And that's understandable, it makes good business sense to focus on building products that do what they need to do without ceremony but does it feel like we should offer more to our end customers?

In order to achieve this it won't be through just in adopting some of the tools and techniques (shared previously) but in changing our individual mind sets.

• Pursuing User Experience shortcomings with the same passion as functional ones
• Using the whole team to contribute ideas for the best possible UX
• Understanding and deeply empathising with the end customer

Sources and Credits
Quote found via Design Milk
More info on Frank Lloyd Wright

Something for the Weekend - Anthora Coffee Cup

Lesley Buck passed away a fortnight ago aged 87 - In the 60's Buck was Head of Marketing for the Sherri Cups company, an established disposable cup business. As a man with no design experience; he calculated that slathering a paper cup in Greek motifs and the colours of the Greek flag would help him crack into the ethnically-Greek dominated New York diner market. The gambit worked.

The sheer ubiquity of the cup (total figures are hard to come by, but Sherri Cup sold half a million of them in 1994 alone) has propelled the design into museums, T-shirts, and countless television show prop masters seeking a visual shorthand for hard-boiled detective, hard-working hack or Gothamite-on-the-go.

Reflecting on his success is relevant to our roles too. Buck had a real understanding of his customer base, not just what they needed (or asked for) but also what they valued beneath the suffice, perhaps even sub-consciously. Looking at other companies, Apple act as a great pioneers of this, fan's often quip that "you don't know what you need until Apple have invented it".

It's a concept that's I'm increasing embracing... we're great at delivering highly 'functional' things, and that's a good foundation, but to take things further we need to add that much needed 'emotional' connection to our work... more on that next time!!

Finally, I can't end this with out covering the issues with packaging waste! With 58 billion paper cups being thrown away each year, the challenge for today's paper cup designers is how to design a functional AND sustainable solution. People like Tom Farriday think they've got an answer with a cup made from 100% recycled, recyclable plastic! Read more…

Sources

NYTimes

The Graffik