Posts tagged “all”
National Maritime Museum
Touch Group
Hemming Group
Highlander
Leader or manager?
A while ago a colleague of mine asked me the question “Do you consider yourself to be a leader or a manager?” Initially, I responded that I thought myself to be a manager as an essential aspect of my role is managing expectations, ideas and developments of a number of services. However, a debate ensued as my colleague believed me to be more a leader than a manager, and now I am not so sure which one I am!
Approximate conversion from points to pixels
Here’s a chart that converts points to pixels (and ems and %) where the base size is 16px. It’s an approximation, which will depend on font, browser and OS, but it’s a good starting point.
International Airline Passengers’ Association (IAPA)
Open standards: Break down those walls
On the Web, a walled garden is an environment that controls the user’s access to Web content and services. In effect, the walled garden directs the user’s navigation within particular areas, to allow access to a selection of material, or prevent access to other material.
Online social networks: Everywhere, yet nowhere
In the late 1990s, a large multi-national technology corporation, hoping to become a major force in online advertising, bought a small start-up in a sector that was believed to be the next big thing. That corporation was Microsoft and the start-up was Hotmail. Hotmail and Microsoft established web-based email as a must-have application for personal use. The addition of Hotmail to the Microsoft inventory promised to increase the companies online revenues that were being dominated by Yahoo!, Google and AOL amongst a host of others.
tmg
My work philosophy
Okay, so many of the points below aren’t purely my philosophy, but ideas and principles I have picked up along the way throughout my career. Some relate to the UNIX philosophy, or even the Zen of Python, but wherever they’re from, they can be applied to many other domains.
Google’s Philosophy – Ten Things
One of Google’s mantras is to never settle for the best. The perfect search engine, says Google co-founder Larry Page, would understand exactly what you mean and give back exactly what you want. Given the state of search technology today, that’s a far-reaching vision requiring research, development and innovation to realise. Google is committed to blazing that trail. Though acknowledged as the world’s leading search technology company, Google’s goal is to provide a much higher level of service to all those who seek information, whether they’re at a desk in Boston, driving through Bonn, or strolling in Bangkok.
IDEO’s Human-Centred Design Toolkit
Human-Centred Design (HCD) is a process used for decades to create new solutions for companies and organisations. HCD can help you enhance the lives of people. This process has been specially-adapted for organisations like that work with people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. HCD will help you hear people’s needs in new ways, create innovative solutions to meet these needs, and deliver solutions with financial sustainability in mind.
Jakob Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics
These are ten general principles for user interface design suggested by Jakob Nielsen. They are called heuristics because they are more in the nature of rules of thumb than specific usability guidelines.
Dieter Rams’ 10 Rules of Good Design
Dieter Rams is a German industrial designer closely associated with the consumer products company Braun and the Functionalist school of industrial design. Many of Rams’ designs—coffee makers, calculators, radios, audio/visual equipment, consumer appliances and office products—have found a permanent home at many museums over the world, including MoMA in New York.
Google’s 5 privacy principles
In honour of International Data Privacy Day today, 28th January 2010, Google has published their own guidelines on privacy.
An Introduction to the Semantic Web
The Semantic Web is a web of data. There is lots of data we all use every day, and most of it is not part of the web. I can see my bank statements on the web, and my photographs, and I can see my appointments in a calendar. But can I see my photos in a calendar to see what I was doing when I took them and on a map so I know where I took them? Can I see bank statement lines in a calendar? The answer, right now, is no.
The Human Action Cycle by Don Norman
The human action cycle, also known as the Seven Stages of Action, is a psychological model which describes the steps humans take when they interact with computer systems. The model can be used to help evaluate the efficiency of a user interface (UI). Understanding the cycle requires understanding the user interface design principles of affordance, feedback, visibility and tolerance.
Memory for goals – An activation-based model
When people plan, react to emergencies or other interruptions or make mental notes to do things in the future, an important process involved is the cognitive management of goals.
Anobii
Shneirderman’s 8 Golden Rules of Interface Design
To improve the usability of an application it is important to have a well designed interface. Shneiderman’s (1998) “Eight Golden Rules of Interface Design” are a guide to good interaction design.
Hansen’s user engineering principles for interactive systems
The ‘feel’ of an interactive system can be compared to the impressions generated by a piece of music. Both can only be experienced over a period of time. With either, the user must abstract the structure of the system from a sequence of details. Each may have a quality of ‘naturalness’ because successive actions follow a logically self-consistent pattern. A good composer can write a new pattern which will seem, after a few listenings, to be so natural the observer wonders why it was never done before.
The dimensions of a good experience
Good designs are useful, usable and desirable. But what is a good experience? While crafting the experience of her own startup, Foodspotting, Alexa Andrzejewski found answers in urban design. Asking the same question about urban experiences, Kevin Lynch, author of Good City Form, extracted a set of dimensions for evaluating experiences. By applying these principles to interactive experiences, you can identify what kind of experience you’re creating for users: Is it adaptable? Does it tell a story? Are there signs of life? You’ll leave with a set of guidelines that, unlike traditional heuristics, will enable you to evaluate the experiential qualities of your designs.
Basic performance levels and human error types
The generic error-modelling system (gems)
Notes on the generic error-modelling system (GEMS) conceptual framework and the origins of basic human error types.
Gestalt principles of perception
The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
Gestalt psychology is a theory of mind and brain positing that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analogue, with self-organising tendencies.
Design Principles – The Philosophy of UX
The visual principles of harmony, unity, contrast, emphasis, variety, balance, proportion, pattern and direction (and others) are widely recognised and practiced, even when they aren’t formally articulated. But creating a good design doesn’t automatically mean creating a good experience. In order for us to cultivate positive experiences for our users, we need to establish a set of guiding principles for experience design.
A Design Thinker’s personality profile
Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need weird shoes or a black turtleneck to be a design thinker. Nor are design thinkers necessarily created only by design schools, even though most professionals have had some kind of design training. Many people outside professional design have a natural aptitude for design thinking, which the right development and experiences can unlock.
Human error and user-interface design
From chapter 22, handbook of human-computer interaction
“To err is human, to forgive is the role of the computer interface.”
Categorisation of action slips in human error
Norman, 1981
A slip is an error that occurs when a person does an action that is not intended.
The controlled experiment approach to evaluating user interfaces
Research methods for human-computer interaction
The question most commonly asked: “Does making a change to the value of variable x have a significant effect on the value of variable y?”
How to make Design Thinking part of the innovation drill
The myth of creative genius is resilient. We believe that great ideas pop fully formed out of brilliant minds, in feats of imagination well beyond the abilities of mere mortals. But Design Thinking is neither a sudden breakthrough nor the lightning strike of genius; it is the result of hard work augmented by a creative human-centred discovery process, followed by iterative cycles of prototyping, testing, and refinement.
Plans and situated actions – The problem of human-machine communication
The organisation and significance of human action lies in plans. This view of purposeful action is the basis for traditional philosophies of rational action and behavioural science.
Robert Cialdini’s 6 Universal Types of Influence
The human mind is an intriguing thing, capable of the most complex thought processes and ideas. Yet the brain is on automatic pilot for many situations. That allows the conscious mind to focus on other tasks. One potential drawback is that it is possible take advantage of our conscious inattention.
Top-down and bottom-up processing in sensation and perception
There are two general processes involved in sensation and perception. Bottom-up processing refers to processing sensory information as it is coming in. In other words, if I flash a random picture on the screen, your eyes detect the features, your brain pieces it together, and you perceive the image. What you see is based only on the sensory information coming in. Bottom-up refers to how we construct the image from the smallest sensory information pieces. Top-down processing, on the other hand, refers to perception driven by cognition. Your brain applies what it knows and what it expects to perceive and fills in the blanks.
43 things customers think are fun
We’ve all played games as children. Today, millions of people ‘lose’ themselves in massively multiplayer games (MMPG) like World of Warcraft, strategy games like League of Legends and social media games like FarmVille. Games satisfy our need to interact, compete, and exercise our imagination. And they’re fun.
Game Dynamics, or Gamification to you and me
In behavioural economics, gamification is the use of game dynamics for non-game applications, particularly consumer-oriented web and mobile sites, in order to encourage people to adopt the applications. It also strives to encourage users to engage in desired behaviours in connection with the applications.
10 principles of inclusive web design
Inclusive design is well established in architecture and industrial design and the principles that apply to these disciplines are equally relevant on the web. It’s people that your website engages with, not technologies, so a user-centred approach is fundamental.
11 laws and principles to use in design
Design elements, laws and principles, garnered over centuries of observation, describe fundamental ideas about the practice of good visual design that are assumed to be the basis of all intentional visual design strategies. These elements form the ‘vocabulary’ of the design, while the laws and principles constitute the broader structural aspects of its composition.
You’re being gamed
You, like many people, aren’t stupid, but it’s an unfortunate fact of life that you can be fooled. Since the dawn of time, the best salespeople, rightly or wrongly, have been known to exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses of the human mind to their own gain.
Dan Ariely on how we’re gaming ourselves
For some of the online world’s compulsions, we have only ourselves to blame.
Self-motivated and skilled
Simon was a pleasure to work with, self motivated and skilled. He had a true passion for technology and took great pride in his work.
IBM’s design principles
Software can be designed to simplify tasks and to create a positive overall experience for users. Thoroughly understanding the goals of users and stakeholders and designing software with those goals in mind are the best approaches to successfully delivering products that will delight customers.
Donald Norman’s 3 dimensions of emotional design
Emotional Design is both the title of a book by Donald Norman and of the concept it represents. The main issue discussed is that emotions have a crucial role in the human ability to understand the world, and how they learn new things.
Lund’s expert ratings of usability maxims
Published in the Ergonomics in Design journal in 1997, Arnold Lund collected and created this list of 34 rules-of-thumb (given below in order of priority) that were found particularly useful during the design process by colleagues working in the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design field.
Canonical
Disney’s 12 basic principles of animation
The Twelve Basic Principles of Animation is a set of principles of animation introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation.
Apple’s 27 guidelines for mobile user experience design
People appreciate mobile apps that feel as though they were designed expressly for the device. For example, when an app fits well on the device screen and responds to the gestures that people know, it provides much of the experience people are looking for. And, although people might not be aware of human interface design principles, such as direct manipulation or consistency, they can tell when apps follow them and when they don’t.
Creative thinking hacks
Back in 2007, Scott Berkun wrote a really interesting essay on Creative Thinking Hacks. In the article he suggested “all of us possess everything necessary to be more creative. The problem is we’ve been trained away from our creative instincts by schools, parents, movies, workplaces” and now the unerring distraction of the World Wide Web.
The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar
Pixar story artist Emma Coats tweeted a series of “story basics” last year—guidelines that she learned from her colleagues on how to create appealing stories.
Foolproof
Nordstrom’s Innovation Lab – Sunglasses iPad app case study
By applying a healthy dose of Lean and Agile methodologies to projects, the waterfall model of software development has been replaced leading to rapid innovation and learning.
Highly likeable, talented and driven
Simon is an all round talent. He has quality communication skills which he blends well with his considerable technical abilities. Highly likeable, talented, passionate and driven individual.
Accomplished and passionate
Simon is an accomplished User Experience Architect. He has a keen mind, an inherent understanding of human interaction, and a real passion for user-centred design. In addition to his user experience skills, Simon’s also a very capable developer.
Cuts through complexity
I had a great time working with Simon at Canonical. He fit our team immediately and was soon a key part of it, so it was sad to see him go. His insight and experience were most valuable and he very quickly had a thorough understanding of the business, which at a company like Canonical is vital to do good work and is, in my opinion, an essential part of being a great user experience designer.
Plutchik’s wheel of emotion
Pyschologist Robert Plutchik developed one of the most popular classifications of emotion called Plutchik’s wheel of emotion.
Tom Drummond’s vocabulary of emotions
The vocabulary of emotions by Tom Drummond is a practical source of inspiration and a means for communication in design practice and education.
How are you feeling today? A vocabulary of emotions by Jim Borgman
How are you feeling today, by Jim Borgman, is an imaginative way to help people understand and identify their emotions.
Taxonomy of emotions
Products and services can evoke a wide range of emotions, both negative and positive. Considering these emotions in the design process is an important step in understanding behavioural impact.
Prototyping towards a better user experience
Designing websites has traditionally been an expensive and laboured experience. Many hours have been spent pouring over information architecture, deliberating interactions, elaborating upon wireframes and creating pixel-perfect Photoshop and Illustrator compositions, only for those design artefacts to be archived neatly away, on a server, never to be seen again.
VML
Blinkbox Music
Enthusiastic and hard-working
I worked with Simon on a number of projects and initiatives while at Foolproof. Simon is an experienced professional with a broad skillset ranging from user experience research and design, to multi-channel digital strategy, and front-end development. Simon is enthusiastic and hard-working, and I always enjoyed collaborating with him.
Talks the same language
I worked with Simon at Foolproof, where he split his time between practising UX as a Principal Consultant and developing the new role of Creative Technologist within the business. Simon brought a unique technology perspective to the table, which complemented our team and helped us to expand our knowledge and build our capabilities into new areas (responsive design, front end development and emerging technologies). He built up an impressive device lab, which was used as a resource to the UX research and design teams as well as our clients.
General Assembly
Thinks holistically
I have worked with Simon closely on two key mobile projects in Blinkbox Music and I have to say that his knowledge and understanding of UX best practices, user centric approach to finding solutions and the overall knowledge in the UX field has made him a valued member of the team.
Carwow
R/GA
Brandfuel
Yoti
Cares about solving problems
I have worked with Simon at a number of places and he has really shaped my understanding of what a good UX professional is. Simon truly cares about the customer and solving their problems. To him UX is not just about creating nice interfaces, he really strives to understand users, their needs and interactions.
User experience design and research interview questions
During my time on both sides of the interview table, I’ve asked and received a wide range of design and research related questions. For each interview, I’ve tried to compile the questions asked. In planning interviews, I’ve also researched and collated questions others have asked. Here are a few of them.
Challenges assumptions
Simon is a pleasure to work with - while he is capable of turning round designs rapidly when required, the depth of his experience and user empathy really shines when he is running the process.
Respectful and pragmatic
I worked with Simon on several product initiatives at Yoti. Simon brings with him a wealth of product design experience. He has a diverse skill set and applies a versatile set of tools appropriate to the opportunity at hand. He is respectful and pragmatic about business and technological constraints but champions consumer value. Simon works very well with multidisciplinary product development teams, as well as externally resourced venture initiatives.
Tenacious and passionate
Simon is an incredibly tenacious and passionate User Experience designer. He has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience that he brings through an empathetic and considered approach. His ability to take user-centred problems and translate them into business value is second to none, and he always approaches every challenge with a smile.
Ministry of Justice
Balances creativity and pragmatism
Simon is a talented and focused Senior UX Designer.
What would augment reality?
From a series of tweets by luke wroblewski
The technology industry is buzzing about Augmented Reality (AR) applications and hardware. In a series of illustrations titled “what would augment reality?” Luke Wroblewski attempts to answer “what value would exceed the pain of charging and wearing augmented reality headsets each day?” and “Are there enough compelling use cases to make AR a daily necessity?”.
Anticipating failure with a pre-mortem
A pre-mortem is the opposite of a post-mortem. A post-mortem allows the team to learn from what happened during a project. We use pre-mortems to identify everything that could go wrong before the project starts.
How to write problem statements
A problem statement is an indispensable tool in any decision-making process. From setting the stage in scientific research to defining the goals of a business project, a well-articulated problem statement can serve as the guiding light that directs your thoughts and actions towards a specific end goal.
Learning from successes and failures with a post mortem
You can’t always anticipate failures with pre-morterms. The problem space may be continually evolving as you iterate and learn. A post-mortem is an opportunity for the team to pause, reflect and learn from their recent successes and failures.
Getting to the heart of a problem with Socratic questioning
Questioning is a skill, yet ambiguous and purposeless questions fill our daily lives, wasting time and not eliciting helpful information. The Socratic method solves this problem by asking focused, open-ended questions encouraging participants to reflect.
Building a register of public-facing services at the Ministry of Justice
Co-authored with matthew solle
The Ministry of Justice is made up of over 30 agencies and public bodies. From Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) to the Prison and Probation Ombudsman. The department delivers a wide range of justice-related information services to complex and widely used public services such as ‘Get a divorce’, ‘Apply for probate’ or ‘Apply for legal aid’.
Focused on the user
Simon’s work as a Service Designer on my team at the Ministry of Justice over the past 2 and a half years has been second to none. His dedication, attention to detail and focus on the user has always been at the forefront of his work.
Introducing the Ministry of Justice design system
Co-authored with matthew solle
A design system unites product teams around a common visual language. It reduces design and technical debt, accelerates the design and development process, and builds bridges between teams working in concert to bring products to life. —Maxime Rabot
Values learning
Simon brought energy, logic, and humour to the design community at the Ministry of Justice. It’s clear that he valued learning, instead of just answering questions or fixing code, always justifying his rationale and explaining why something went wrong so that I could learn. That’s such a great quality and he will be a huge asset to wherever he goes next.
Government Digital Service
Deep thinker
Simon is an excellent designer with coding skills and technical knowledge. Together this makes him superb at designing end to end digital services as well as producing interfaces that are usable and accessible.
Knowledgeable and unfalteringly professional
Working with Simon was an absolute pleasure. Extremely knowledgeable and unfalteringly professional.
Department for Education
Calm and proactive approach
I worked with Simon on GOV.UK’s coronavirus response and transition preparations, and can honestly say he’s a total dime to work with. He has a brilliant skills blend of strategy, front end design, and technical. And you know that any design challenge you throw at him from across this spectrum will be in a safe pair of hands. He works with a calm and proactive approach, and speaks up for users’ needs when it most counts. He has extensive knowledge of GOV.UK’s design system (and has contributed to the development of quite a few of the components and patterns on it). This really helps when you’re working on something of critical importance at such pace, as we have been on the coronavirus response. I hope he comes back to work with us on GOV.UK soon!
Excellent coach and mentor
I worked with Simon at Ministry of Justice Digital & Technology between 2017-2019 during which time for all intents and purposes he was the lead interaction designer across the whole of the team of 25+ designers. He was the go to person for all support and an excellent coach and mentor. He was instrumental in the development of the MoJ Design System and the relationship with the GOV.UK Design System team in Government Digital Service. He was also instrumental in the building and development of the MoJ Register of Public Facing Services. He was one of the most senior and experienced design assessors in the team. I always want Simon as part of my team and that is why he is part of the highly esteemed Bright & Matt network.
Sees the bigger picture
Simon is one of those designers you can put into any situation and you know he’ll deliver good work. He has a broad skillset across the design spectrum and is calm under pressure. He is very adaptable and is capable of working on bigger picture strategy as well as the more detail orientated nature of digital service delivery. Simon also has great knowledge of the government design principles, service standard and GOV.UK design system.
Getting things done with the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique, created by Francesco Cirillo, is a productivity system that helps you stop procrastinating or getting distracted, allowing you to focus on getting stuff done.
FourthRev
Natural advocate for design
For over two years, I worked with Simon in his various service design and interaction design roles and at various product lifecycle stages. Simon is excellent at designing services with different stakeholders and incentives in complex contexts.
Thinks strategically
Simon was the first designer I ever worked with when I started out as a content designer at the Department for Education and he set the bar very high!
The paradox of simplicity in service design
The most straightforward service designs often have the most intricate thought processes behind them.
Important Metrics: How to quantify success in service design
Quantifying success in service design isn’t just beneficial—it’s crucial.
Navigating 2024: Important service design trends you should be thinking about
As the world catapults into 2024, the landscape of service design is pulsating with innovation and transformation.
Stickdorn & Schneider’s 5 principles of service design thinking
Marc Stickdorn and Jakob Schnieder’s book “This is Service Design Thinking” offers foundational insights into service design.
3 simple (but effective) pieces of advice for anyone starting out in service design
Have you ever wondered what separates successful service designers from those who stumble?
The 1 tool I can’t live without when designing services
The 1 tool I can’t live without when designing…
CARDS, the secret sauce that separates the best from the brilliant
CARDS originates in the world of Rugby and describes the most important skills for the players to work on on and off the field.
The difference between systems thinking and design thinking
Systems thinking and design thinking are two distinct methodologies often used in problem-solving, innovation, and addressing complex issues.
10 unconventional, counterintuitive or unique service design principles
Traditional service design principles don’t always apply.
Pace layers and how they apply to design
Understanding pace layers is crucial for designers aiming to create products that endure and evolve.
Applying Kurt Vonnegut's 8 rules for writing to design
Kurt Vonnegut’s timeless rules for writing offer unexpected yet profound insights into the design world.
Senge’s 11 laws of systems thinking
In an era obsessed with quick fixes, systems thinking challenges us to embrace complexity rather than oversimplify it.
A great book to read on systems thinking
There are few books on systems thinking.
Key figures in systems thinking
The landscape of systems thinking is dotted with intellectual giants whose ideas have transformed how we approach interconnected problems.
Quotes from key figures in systems thinking
Quotes from key figures in systems thinking
What is systems thinking?
Systems thinking is an approach to problem-solving that sees the world as a series of interconnected systems, understanding how parts interact and affect the whole over time. A vital tool in our complex, interconnected world.
Exploring interconnectivity in systems thinking
Interconnectivity is the concept that elements in any system are deeply intertwined, influencing each other in obvious and subtle ways. Understanding this opens doors to deeper insights.
Diving into feedback loops in systems thinking
Feedback loops are crucial mechanisms that either amplify or stabilise changes in a system, influencing its behaviour and evolution.
Exploring systems structure in systems thinking
Systems structure delves into how the arrangement of parts within a system determines its behaviour, capabilities, and limitations.
Introduction to systems thinking in business
Systems thinking in business is about seeing your organisation as a dynamic system where every part is interconnected. This approach can revolutionise how we improve structure and processes.
Introduction to systems thinking in environmental policy
Systems thinking in environmental policy is crucial for addressing complex ecological challenges. It helps us see the environment as a web of interconnected systems, not just isolated issues.
Introduction to systems thinking in education
Systems thinking in education is about teaching students to see connections and patterns, not just facts. This approach cultivates critical thinking and a deeper understanding of how the world works.
Introduction to challenges in Systems Thinking
While Systems Thinking offers profound insights, it’s not without challenges. Understanding complex interdependencies and navigating resistance to change are key hurdles. Let’s explore these aspects.
Solutions and strategies to overcome the challenges with systems thinking
Introduction to overcoming challenges
Summarising the value of systems thinking in tackling complex, multifaceted issues
Systems thinking offers a way to see the world not as isolated but as a network of interconnected systems, crucial for tackling today’s complex issues.
Links to further resources, books, or courses for those interested in learning more about systems thinking
Embarking on a journey into systems thinking can be a transformative experience, offering new perspectives and insights into the complex interconnections that shape our world.
Writing to think 💡
Writing is not just a mode of communication but a powerful tool for clarifying and organising your thoughts.
Looking back at my five most popular posts from November
Two months ago, I started doing #Ship30, aiming to write daily about things that interest me: #servicedesign, #systemsthinking and #businessdesign.
Fathom Analytics
I recently switched from Google Analytics to Fathom Analytics, and you should, too.
Warren Buffett’s 5/25 rule
How I prioritise my goals and achieve greater productivity.
Questions to spark interesting conversations
If you’re anything like me, starting a conversation can sometimes feel like navigating through a maze — exciting yet daunting.
Applying systems thinking to business strategy
Applying systems thinking to business is like solving a Rubik’s Cube, where adjusting one part affects the whole.
The genius design of Dutch money
This video is super interesting. It discusses the unique and innovative designs of the Dutch currency, the Gulden, from the 1960s and 1970s. It highlights the work of graphic designer Karel Willem Kloos, who was responsible for the distinctive and eye-catching features of the Gulden notes.
Strategic planning through a systems lens
Can viewing strategic planning through a systems lens be the solution to overcoming persistent challenges in organisational growth and adaptability?
Systems thinking in competitive analysis
In a market obsessed with short-term gains, applying systems thinking to competitive analysis is the only way to achieve sustainable advantage.
Organisational dynamics and systems thinking
Applying systems thinking to organisational dynamics is like deciphering a complex piece of music, where each department is an instrument contributing to a larger symphony.
The Toyota way
The Toyota Way is a comprehensive set of principles and practices that form the foundation of Toyota Motor Corporation’s management philosophy.
What is the secret to a successful service design career?
The secret sauce to a fulfilling service design career is a blend of focused expertise, expansive knowledge, and diverse experiences.
Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?
What does it take to commit wholeheartedly to a journey, especially when the length and challenges of the path are unknown?
Embracing uncertainty
Embracing the unknown and taking the leap of faith to pursue a path with an uncertain outcome can be daunting, yet it holds the potential for immense personal growth and fulfilment.
Seven tips for developing a deep reading habit
Developing a deep reading habit takes time and effort, but with dedication, you’ll cultivate a love for learning and open yourself up to a world of knowledge and wonder.
Challenges in service design
Being a service designer is hard!
“Art is very important, but design shapes our world”—Paola Antonelli.
The moment Charles and Ray Eames created their lounge chair, it became clear that design could be as influential as any masterpiece in a gallery.
The prisoner’s dilemma and designing digital services
Learning organisations
At the heart of a learning organisation lies the commitment to perpetual evolution and the cultivation of collective intelligence.
Forecasts are about probabilities. Assumptions are about possibilities.
Both forecasts and assumptions are crucial in navigating uncertainty and making sense of the world around us. Forecasts provide a data-driven perspective, while assumptions allow for creative exploration and strategic planning.
Everyone is a creator
The statement “Everyone is a creator” is rich and multifaceted, sparking agreement and debate.
The three pillars of reasoning: Deduction, induction and abduction
Deduction, induction, and abduction form the trinity of reasoning, each playing a distinct role in understanding and interacting with the world.
First-principles thinking
First-principles thinking is a radical approach that involves stripping down a problem to its fundamental truths and rebuilding it from the ground up.
Applying the Renaissance categorisation to foster creativity and innovation
Applying the Renaissance categorisation of human activities – work, play, learning, and inspiration – to modern organisations could be a powerful way to foster creativity and innovation.
Goals without plans are just wishes
The statement “goals without plans are just wishes” reminds us to couple our ambition with action. While wishes can be the seeds of our aspirations, plans are the tools we use to cultivate them into reality.
Don’t just set goals. Build systems.
While goals provide direction and aspiration, they need more concrete steps and structure for actual progress. This need is where systems come in, offering a robust framework for consistent action and long-term success.
Human growth is an interplay between motivation and satisfaction
“Development requires both inspiration, the stimulation that induces the pursuit of something better, and recreation, the extraction of satisfaction from the pursuit itself.”
On continuous development
Continuous development is a crucial mindset for growth and progress.
10 principles every service designer should work by
Choosing just ten principles from the vast world of service design is challenging, as different contexts and perspectives might prioritise different aspects. However, here are ten fundamental principles that form a strong foundation for any service designer:
Defining a system
“A system is a set of elements or parts coherently organised and interconnected in a pattern or structure that produces a characteristic set of behaviours, often classified as its function or purpose.”—Donella H. Meadows.
Example systems
We can apply systems thinking to analyse virtually any complex system, from the human body to the global climate. By understanding a system’s elements, interconnections, and behaviours, we can gain insights into its dynamics and find more effective ways to manage its challenges and opportunities.
Design with purpose
Designing with purpose goes beyond just making something aesthetically pleasing. It’s about creating something that solves a problem, improves lives, and makes a positive impact. It’s about having a clear intention and using design to achieve it.
Changing your perspective changes what you see
Changing your perspective can dramatically alter what you see and perceive in the world and within yourself. It’s like shifting the lens through which you view things, allowing you to see new details, possibilities, and interpretations that might have otherwise remained hidden.
Communicating openly with ‘design histories’
I’ve written hundreds of ‘design histories’ in the last three years.
The three persuasive appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos
The difference between strategy, tactics, and operations is crucial for effective service design
Understanding the relationship between strategy, tactics, and operations allows you to design effective and sustainable services that meet user needs and achieve your business goals.
Pave the “desire paths”
Desire paths, those unplanned trails worn smooth by repeated use, offer a fascinating lens into the organic flow of human behaviour and its implications for design. They speak volumes about what works and what doesn’t, often pointing towards more intuitive, user-centric spaces and experiences.
Strong opinions, weakly held
“Strong opinions, weakly held” is a powerful mantra for decision-making, encouraging us to be assertive and adaptable in our beliefs and actions.
“A Pattern Language”, by Christopher Alexander, is one of the best books I’ve ever read!
A Pattern Language by Christoper Alexander
Start conversations with “Why?”
Paradox of need
The paradox of need lies in the contradiction between the essential nature of our needs and our tendency to disregard them for perceived “higher” goals. This can lead to burnout, resentment, and a disconnect from ourselves and our values.
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”—James Clear
In that powerful quote, James Clear distinguishes between desired outcomes (goals) and the processes that drive them (systems). He posits that simply setting ambitious goals won’t guarantee success; it’s the consistent execution of a well-designed system that ultimately determines your progress.
Properties of highly functioning systems
What makes specific systems thrive in complexity and change, consistently achieving their goals with remarkable efficiency and adaptability?
Use the “question protocol” to critically assess your forms
The “question protocol” in UX design is a tool to assess the necessity and usability of form fields critically. It helps ensure you only collect essential information, minimising friction and maximising user experience.
Beguiling events - A poem about systems
“A system is a big black box Of which we can’t unlock the locks, And all we can find out about Is what goes in and what comes out. Perceiving input-output pairs, Related by parameters, Permits us, sometimes, to relate An input, output and a state. If this relation’s good and stable Then, to predict, we may be able, But if this fails us—heaven forbid! We’ll be compelled to force the lid!” —Kenneth Boulding, economist
Three fundamental truths about systems
In her book “Thinking in Systems”, Donella Meadows lays out three fundamental truths about systems that shed light on how we understand and interact with the world around us.
The behaviour of a system is its performance over time
“The behaviour of a system is its performance over time—its growth, stagnation, decline, oscillation, randomness, or evolution.”—Donella H. Meadows
A plan is not a strategy
A comprehensive plan—with goals, initiatives, and budgets–is comforting. But starting with a plan is a terrible way to make a strategy.
15 mantras that underpin the All Blacks’ success and how designers can use them
Behind every All Blacks victory lies a philosophy equally applicable to design.
Expanding your horizons with structured and unstructured curiosity
Being curious is an essential trait. It makes you a more open-minded, adaptable, and well-rounded individual.
How can prototyping create value for organisations?
Prototyping is a powerful tool for organisations, offering a treasure trove of valuable benefits at various stages of development. It allows for informed decision-making, reduces risks, improves product and service quality, and ultimately helps create successful and sustainable organisations.
Creativity is boundless
The moment you realise creativity is boundless, your perspective on creation and innovation shifts forever.
Prototyping in words
Words are the unsung heroes of design, silently transforming thoughts into prototypes.
The “Tragedy of the Commons” in service design, and how to avoid it
The Tragedy of the Commons is a concept in economics and ecology that describes how individual users, acting in their short-term self-interest, can collectively overuse or deplete a shared resource, ultimately leading to its destruction and harming everyone involved.
Bounded rationality
We are not perfect decision-makers.
Roger Martin on Objective & Key Results (OKRs)
OKRs are not a substitute for a well-thought-out strategy.
Harmonising your goals
Most people fail not because of lack of effort but because their goals are in discord.
“The desired state of the system is influenced by the perceived state.”
The statement “the desired state of the system is influenced by the perceived state” is a powerful one with applications across many fields, from psychology and engineering to economics and social systems.
Outcome-driven UX metrics: Measuring what matters
What if we could pinpoint the exact impact of our design choices on user and business outcomes?
Establishing a clear connection between our designs and the business context
How can we, as designers, establish a clear connection between our designs and the business context?
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”—Eleanor Roosevelt
This powerful quote by Eleanor Roosevelt speaks to our power over our self-worth. She emphasises that others cannot determine our feelings of inferiority unless we allow them to.
Proving the value of design(ers) beyond numbers
In a world obsessed with data, how do we advocate for design’s profound, yet less tangible, impact on business success?
Why do UX outcomes make better goals than business outcomes?
There are a couple of reasons why UX (user experience) outcomes can be better goals than just focusing on business outcomes:
Experienced UX teams prioritise outcomes over outputs
By focusing on outcomes, user experience (UX) teams can demonstrate the value they bring to the table. They can show how their work is directly contributing to the success of the product and the business.
“Low fidelity design gets high-level feedback; high fidelity designs get low-level feedback.”—Maxim Leyzerovich
This statement captures a fundamental principle in the design process: the focus of feedback shifts as the fidelity of the design increases.
High performance in the context of design
We often discuss high performance in the context of sport. But what is high performance in the context of design?
Continuity, consistency and coherence in service design
Continuity, consistency, and coherence are fundamental principles in service design. They work together to create a seamless and positive user experience.
Practice doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent
The saying “practice makes perfect” is familiar but not entirely accurate.
Viewing things differently is not a defect; it is an advantage
In Russell Ackoff’s book Management f-Laws, his statement, “Viewing things differently is not a defect; it is an advantage,” challenges the common assumption in organisations that conformity is a positive trait.
It’s better to dissolve a problem than solve it
There’s merit to the idea that dissolving a problem can be preferable to solving it.
“The best way to find out how to get from here to there is to find out how to get from there to here.”
Russell Ackoff’s statement in Management f-Laws presents a counterintuitive approach to problem-solving.
Design = making sense + giving form
“Design = making sense + giving form” is a great way to think about design. It captures two crucial aspects of the design process:
What does it mean to have a “clear path to completion” in design?
In design, a “clear path to completion” refers to how easily a user can understand and navigate a process to achieve a specific goal. It’s essential in interfaces like websites, apps, and forms.
In a classroom, the teacher learns most
“In a classroom, the teacher learns the most” highlights the importance of student-centred learning and how it fosters growth for both teachers and students.
The three faces of trust: Disposable, interpersonal, and institutional
The three faces of trust: Disposable, interpersonal, and institutional
Independent, dependent and confounding variables in experiment design
Why is qual research not a good way to run A/B testing?
Qualitative research (qual research) isn’t a bad way to run A/B testing, but it’s not the entire picture. A/B testing relies on quantitative data—numbers—to tell you which variation of something performs better.
Second-order thinking
Understanding how to think things through—to push your mind past the first step—can help you solve problems and make better decisions.
Do the cheapest thing to test your idea
“Do the cheapest thing” is a good starting point for testing your design ideas.
Learn, then decide – Ray Dalio
“Recognise that 1) the biggest threat to good decision-making is harmful emotions, and 2) decision-making is a two-step process (first learning and then deciding).”—Ray Dalio.
When you have to make a choice and don’t make it
“When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that in itself is a choice.”—William James
Is it good to include everyone in the decision-making process?
Including everyone in the decision-making process is a balancing act.
The constant push and pull between speed and quality of execution
In service design, there’s a constant push and pull between delivering a service quickly (speed) and ensuring it’s delivered well (quality).
Avoid using colour alone to convey meaning
There are two main reasons why designers should avoid using colour alone to convey meaning:
Reducing errors in user experience (UX)
Reducing errors in user experience (UX) design is a multi-pronged approach, with strategies to prevent mistakes from happening in the first place and help users gracefully recover if they do occur.
Creativity in interaction design
Creativity in interaction design is the fuel that drives innovation in how people interact with digital products and services. It’s not just about making things look pretty (although aesthetics can play a role). It’s about finding original and valuable solutions to user problems.
Jeff Bezos' management style and philosophy
Love him or hate him, Jeff Bezos’ management style and philosophy is noteworthy:
The difference between design systems and systems thinking
Systems thinking provides the framework for understanding the big picture, while design systems are the tools used to build a consistent and efficient design experience within that framework.
What’s the difference between ‘hard systems methodology’ and ‘soft systems methodology’?
Hard and soft systems methodologies are two approaches to tackling problems, but they differ in their focus and how they handle complexity.
How to do great work according to Paul Graham
In his essay “How to Do Great Work,” Paul Graham argues that there is a recipe for greatness that applies to many fields.
The four product risks: desirability, viability, feasibility and usability
To truly learn from your decisions, make your design thinking process visible
Making your design thinking process visible is crucial for learning and improvement for yourself and those around you.
Applying Toyota’s 14 guiding principles to service design
Toyota’s 14 guiding principles, also known as the Toyota Production System (TPS), go beyond just manufacturing and can be pretty insightful for service design.
Do users know what they want or need?
Users’ awareness of their wants and needs can be complex.
What is the risk of not doing UX research?
Underestimating the importance of UX research can lead to many issues for a project, some of which can be pretty severe.
The average user experience is harmful
“The idea that there is an average user experience is harmful. We should focus on the extremes instead.”—Anon
How do we choose the right UX metrics for our product or service?
Choosing the right user experience (UX) metrics is all about understanding what you want to learn from your users and how it relates to your overall goals.
Where do you find the right UX metrics? In the users’ experiences
Understanding how users interact with your product or service is crucial for creating a positive user experience (UX).
A designer’s role is not “at the table”
The idea that a designer’s role isn’t “at the table” is a recent counterargument to the traditional view that designers must fight for a seat at the decision-making table.
Designers need to think more like ecologists
The idea of designers thinking like ecologists encourages a more holistic, sustainable, and user-centred approach to design. It’s not a replacement for existing design principles but a way to broaden a designer’s perspective.
The power of the invisible and non-human in service design
Creating genuinely successful services goes beyond just focusing on the human user. A core service design principle acknowledges the invisible and non-human elements contributing to a well-rounded and sustainable experience.
The power of design critiques
Design critiques are a double-edged sword. They’re incredibly valuable for improving designs (think more robust products, services, etc.) but can also feel unpleasant.
The two key traits of the best problem solving teams
According to the Harvard Business Review (HBR), diversity and psychological safety are the key ingredients for a successful problem-solving team.
How can teams avoid subjectivity in design reviews?
While eliminating subjectivity in design reviews is unrealistic, there are strategies teams can employ to minimise its influence and ensure a more objective and productive discussion.
“Make things open. It makes things better.”
“Make things open: it makes things better” is the tenth and last design principle in the UK government’s design principles.
What role does data play in a UX team’s decision-making?
Data is not just a tool but a powerful asset in a user experience (UX) team’s decision-making arsenal. It’s not just about numbers and charts but about understanding your users more deeply. By providing insights into user behaviour and preferences, data empowers designers to create user-centric experiences that are both functional and enjoyable.
Are you data-driven, data-informed or data-inspired?
Using the data, information, knowledge and wisdom (DIKW) pyramid to make better design decisions
“Design is the art of gradually applying constraints until only one solution remains.”
Design is often considered an art because it involves creativity, intuition, and subjective decision-making. Designers use their skills to create aesthetically pleasing and functional products, spaces, or experiences.
The importance of asking smart questions
In a world demanding agility and critical thinking, asking good questions is a crucial skill for designers.
Learning to ask smart questions
Unlike lawyers, doctors, and psychologists, who receive extensive training in questioning techniques, designers must learn this skill while practising their craft.
Design is more than aesthetics
Everyone in an organisation should know what design can do for their business—creating product value—but most people would say it’s to make things look pretty or easier to use.
“Mistakes are life lessons often learned too late.”—Anon
The quote “Mistakes are life lessons often learned too late” captures a bittersweet truth about human experience.
When a design team is distributed across several products and services, what strategies can they employ to avoid UX debt?
User experince (UX) debt refers to the accumulation of design and usability issues in a product or service that results from shortcuts or compromises during the design process.
“You get what you measure.”—Richard Hamming
Richard Hamming’s quote, “You get what you measure,” highlights a fundamental principle in management, performance improvement, and organisational behaviour.
What matters more, an idea or its execution?
They both matter a great deal but in different ways. It’s more like a question of which comes first: the chicken or the egg? An idea without execution is just a thought experiment, while poor execution can squander a brilliant concept.
“Don’t follow the path of just one person; strive to find your own path.”—Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki, a revered figure in animation and storytelling and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, emphasises individuality and the importance of personal discovery with his quote: “Don’t follow the path of just one person; strive to find your own path.”
Familiarity enables the transfer of experience
The idea that familiarity enables the transfer of experience between similar products or services is grounded in several cognitive and usability principles.
Applying the philosophy behind Kintsugi to service design
Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, silver, or platinum, embraces the philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection and valuing an object’s history and story.
The four flavours of prototypes
Horizontal vs vertical prototyping in service design
Throwaway vs incremental prototypes in service design
In product development, prototypes are preliminary versions of a product used to test and validate ideas before committing to full-scale production.
What are the differences between design systems, pattern libraries, style guides, and component libraries?
Here’s an analogy: A design system is like a comprehensive cookbook, with a style guide being the ingredients section, the pattern library being pre-made recipes, the component library containing the individual ingredients, and the usability guidelines and design principles being cooking techniques and philosophies.
UX design and the Feynman Technique
The Feynman Technique is a method of learning that emphasises deep understanding and simplification of complex concepts.
Applying the ‘Minto Pyramid Principle’ to UX design
To be a designer is to be a facilitator
Facilitation is a core aspect of design.
Work hard on things you like the most
“Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter. Explore the world.
Perfection is impossible
Roger Federer’s commencement speech at Dartmouth emphasises the importance of resilience, acceptance of imperfection, and maintaining focus on the present moment.
The neglected leadership role is the designer
“The neglected leadership role is the designer of the ship. No one has a more sweeping influence than the designer. What good does it do for the captain to say, ‘Turn starboard thirty degrees,’ when the designer has built a rudder that will turn only to port or which takes six hours to turn to starboard? It’s fruitless to be the leader in an organisation that is poorly designed. Isn’t it interesting that so few managers think of the ship’s designer when they think of the leader’s role?”—Peter M. Senge
The Deming Red Bead Experiment: A lesson in systems thinking
W. Edwards Deming created the Red Bead Experiment, a simple yet powerful tool that showcases the limitations of traditional management and the significant impact systems have on performance.
5 principles service designers can learn from Taiichi Ohno, co-creator of the Toyota Production System
Taiichi Ohno’s Toyota Production System (TPS) offers valuable lessons that we can apply to service design.
The Funnel Experiment by W. Edwards Deming
The Funnel Experiment, devised by W. Edwards Deming, is a thought experiment we can use to illustrate the dangers of tampering with a process without understanding the underlying causes of variation.
What have we already tried?
“What have we already tried?” is a powerful question that can lead to a more efficient and effective product development process. By focusing on outcomes, uncovering bottlenecks, and learning from mistakes, teams can make informed decisions and build better products.
“Creativity is asking the question no one has asked before”—Anon
The quote, “Creativity is asking the question no one has asked before”, captures a critical element of the creative process.
Everything is a decision, even if it doesn’t feel like it
In service design, “Everything is a decision, even if it doesn’t feel like it” underscores the idea that every service aspect, from the smallest detail to the overarching structure, results from a deliberate choice.
Note to self: Goals
Note to self:
Ethical design principles
In today’s digital age, the things we interact with daily have a powerful impact on our lives and the world around us.
Weaving ethics into the design process
Ethical design isn’t just about creating a feel-good product; it’s about building a foundation of trust and positive impact. But how do you translate principles into action?
How can we design user experiences that feel tailored without being creepy?
Designing user experiences that feel tailored without being creepy is a complex task that requires balancing personalisation with privacy and ethical considerations.
Ways to make design inclusive
Inclusive design aims to create products, environments, and experiences accessible and usable by the widest range of people, including those with disabilities.
The importance of prioritising accessibility features
I cannot overstate the importance of accessibility features in design. They play a crucial role in ensuring everyone can effectively engage with products, environments, and technologies regardless of their abilities.
The benefits of inclusive design are for everyone
Inclusive design benefits everyone by creating products and environments that are easier to use, more intuitive, and accessible to a broader audience.
The styles directory is broken into a number of layers in order to help provide a logical structure, loosely following the conventions of ITCSS.
About
I come from an illustrious line of “Simons”, which perhaps started with a 1950’s personal computer, went via the first-ever smartphone, made by IBM, and on to a famous 1980’s electronic game. While all these objects share my name, that is where the comparison ends. I’m not a digital device, but I am passionate about technology, user experience and, how technology drives or is driven by human behaviour.
Accessibility
This accessibility statement applies to my website at https://www.simonwhatley.co.uk.
Contact me
hello@simonwhatley.co.uk
Cookie policy
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Doing
Over the past nineteen years, I’ve been fortunate to work with and lead teams across a wide variety of industries, for a large number of clients (in-house and agency-side) and across a broad range of platforms (desktop and mobile; Android, iOS and Web).
My name is Simon Whatley. I’m a service designer, creative technologist, coach, thinker, tinkerer, observer of people, maker of things.
99% Invisible
Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture.
Being Human
Being Human is for people who want go deep on what it means to be a human making a difference. Guests discuss how to be better humans at work and in life. They explore leadership, relationships and how to make changes in ourselves and our environments.
d.MBA – Beyond Users
Beyond Users explores relevant business concepts that helps us become better designers who not only solve user challenges but also achieve business goals.
Creative Confidence
The IDEO U Creative Confidence Series hosts candid conversations with some of today’s most inspiring change makers and design thinkers who believe in leading through creativity. Hosts Suzanne Gibbs Howard and Coe Leta Stafford, co-managing directors of IDEO U, speak with guests about their approach to leadership, creativity, innovation, and growth. Get insight into their success through personal stories, tips and tricks, and learn how to bring a human-centred approach to your own work.
Design Better
The Design Better podcast delivers insights from the world’s most renowned design leaders, empowering teams to transform their practice and build remarkable products.
Design Details
Design Details is a weekly conversation about design process and culture.
Design Matters
Design Matters with Debbie Millman is one of the world’s very first podcasts. Broadcasting independently for over 14 years, the show is about how incredibly creative people design the arc of their lives.
The Design of Business | The Business of Design
The podcast interviews fascinating people from a range of industries—from music and retail to journalism and technology—who are exploring their creative practices, inventing new ways of working, and helping shape a more inclusive world.
Exponent
Simply, Exponent is a podcast about tech and society.
Finding our way
UX design pioneers and Adaptive Path co-founders Peter Merholz and Jesse James Garrett discuss the evolving challenges and opportunities for design leaders.
Listening
A wise person once said, “hearing is through the ears, but listening is through the mind.”
The Knowledge Project
The Knowledge Project quite simply helps you master the best of what other people have already figured out.
Layout
Layout is a weekly podcast about design, technology, programming and everything else.
Mixed Methods
Mixed Methods is a podcast interested in the how’s and why’s of user experience research. Through interviews with industry experts and hands-on trial and error, they indulge in and celebrate curiosity. Aryel and her guests test assumptions, examine methods, and engage in some old fashion experiments.
Re:considering
Re:considering explores how to navigate your career, relationships, and the values that guide you through the inevitable changes of life. Each episode co-hosts Bob Baxley, Meredith Black, and Aarron Walter talk with people who’ve figured a few things out about living a satisfying life filled with meaning and show you how you can too.
Service Design Podcast
In collaboration with the Service Design Network, the Service Design Podcast, unsurprisingly, includes conversations about Service Design with practitioners from around the world.
Service Design Show
The Service Design Show hosts light hearted conversations with the people that are shaping Service Design field, discussing the current state of the industry, exciting new developments and challenges up ahead.
The Growth Equation
Performance coaches and bestselling authors Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness host a podcast on peak performance and well-being that is different than all others. Instead of focusing on “hacks” or nonsense bro-science they delve deep into what actually works—according to years of science, wisdom, and the experiences of the world’s best. A mix of news analysis, concrete tips, and interviews, The Growth Equation podcast is a must-listen for those interested in getting the most out of themselves, success, and fulfillment.
This is HCD – Human-Centred Design
This is HCD aims to educate and empower about human-centred design.
GOV.UK Design System Snippets
This Atom package and Visual Studio Code (VSCode) extension includes snippets for Nunjucks to help build UK Government digital services.
GOV.UK Publishing Components
This npm package used in conjunction with the GOV.UK Prototyping Kit and GOV.UK Design System, contains the code you need to start building user interfaces for UK Government digital services. It’s an amalgamation of components and patterns described in the GOV.UK component guides.
Making
Whether it’s soldering together a Simon game, 3D printing a replica Google Glass or building one of the UK’s first open device labs, I always enjoying making things across different media. It’s cathartic, liberating and helps me learn.
Ministry of Justice Design System
The MoJ Design System and associated npm package is a central repository for patterns and components in use at MoJ Digital & Technology. It builds on and extends the design patterns, components and research evidence in the GOV.UK Design System.
NHS.UK Design System Snippets
This Atom package and Visual Studio Code (VSCode) extension includes snippets for Nunjucks to help build UK NHS (National Health Service) digital services.
Open Device Lab (London)
This is one of the World’s first device labs set up in London at my then employer Foolproof. The lab, which is still running, exists to support local creative communities to test their work on an ever-growing range of handheld devices.
Benedict’s newsletter
Brain Food
Brain Pickings
dConstruct by Clearleft
Dense Discovery
Exponential View
Hacker Noon
Newsletters
Here are a few of the newsletters I subscribe to to inject a potent blend of utility, optimism, and curiosity into my search for knowledge and inspiration.
Prioritised
Smashing Newsletter
The Download
UX Collective
Privacy policy
This is the privacy policy for simonwhatley.co.uk. I wrote it with clarity and brevity in mind and does not provide exhaustive detail of all aspects of my collection and use of personal information. I’m happy to provide any additional information or explanation needed beyond that. The privacy notice is valid from 1st January 2020. I keep my privacy policy under regular review, it was last updated in January 2020.
100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
We design to elicit responses from people. We want them to buy something, read more, or take action of some kind. Designing without understanding what makes people act the way they do is like exploring a new city without a map: results will be haphazard, confusing, and inefficient. This book combines real science and research with practical examples to deliver a guide every designer needs. With it you’ll be able to design more intuitive and engaging work for print, websites, applications, and products that matches the way people think, work, and play.
A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction
About Face
The essentials of interaction design
The Art of Innovation
Lessons in creativity from ideo, america's leading design firm
The Art of Scientific Investigation
In The Art of Scientific Investigation, originally published in 1950, W.I.B. Beveridge explores the development of the intuitive side in scientists. The author’s object is to show how the minds of humans can best be harnessed to the processes of scientific discovery. This book therefore centres on the “human factor”; the individual scientist. The book reveals the basic principles and mental techniques that are common to most types of investigation.
Building Successful Communities of Practice
Business Model Generation
A handbook for visionaries, game changers, and challengers
Change by Design
How design thinking transforms organisations and inspires innovation
The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas are identified and developed before being realised as new offerings and capabilities.
Closing the loop
Systems thinking for designers
What does it mean to serve people in today’s converging world where change is a constant? If the last few years have shown us anything from COVID-19, societal imbalance, and climate change, the playbooks that explain how we should serve people need to change. How might we revisit our institutions and industries to instigate systemic, positive change?
Content Design
Content Everywhere
Strategy and structure for future-ready content
Content Strategy for Mobile
Content Strategy for the Web
Conversational Design
Creative Confidence
Unleashing the creative potential within us all
Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the “creative types.” But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO and with many of the world’s top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.
Creativity, Inc.
Overcoming the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration
Crossing the Chasm
Marketing and selling disruptive products to mainstream customers
Design for the Real World
Design Journeys through Complex Systems
Practice tools for systemic design
Design Journeys through Complex Systems is a designer’s handbook for learning systemic design tools to engage stakeholder groups in collaborative design to address complex societal systems.
The Design of Business
Why design thinking is the next competitive advantage
The Design of Everyday Things
Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door. The fault, argues this ingenious, even liberating, book, lies not in ourselves, but in product design that ignores the needs of users and the principles of cognitive psychology.
Design Systems
A practical guide to creating design languages for digital products
As the web continues to become more complex, designing static pages has become untenable, so that many of us have started to approach design in a more systematic way. In this book, Alla Kholmatova sets out to identify what makes an effective design system that can empower teams to create great digital products.
Design Thinking
Integrating innovation, customer experience and brand value
Design Thinking
Understanding how designers think and work
Design thinking is the core creative process for any designer; this book explores and explains this apparently mysterious “design ability.” Focusing on what designers do when they design, Design Thinking is structured around a series of in-depth case studies of outstanding and expert designers at work, interwoven with overviews and analyses. The range covered reflects the breadth of design, from hardware and software design, to architecture and Formula One.
The Designful Company
How to build a culture of nonstop innovation
Designing and Reporting Experiments in Psychology
Designing for Interaction
Creating innovative applications and devices
Designing for the Digital Age
How to create human-centred products and services
Whether you’re designing consumer electronics, medical devices, enterprise Web apps, or new ways to check out at the supermarket, today’s digitally-enabled products and services provide both great opportunities to deliver compelling user experiences and great risks of driving your customers crazy with complicated, confusing technology.
Designing Interactions
Discussing Design
Improving communication and collaboration through critique
Real critique has become a lost skill among collaborative teams today. Critique is intended to help teams strengthen their designs, products, and services, rather than be used to assert authority or push agendas under the guise of “feedback.” In this practical guide, authors Adam Connor and Aaron Irizarry teach you techniques, tools, and a framework for helping members of your design team give and receive critique.
Don’t Make Me Think
A common sense approach to web usability
The Elements of Content Strategy
The Elements of Typographic Style
Renowned typographer and poet Robert Bringhurst brings clarity to the art of typography with this masterful style guide.
The Elements of User Experience
User-centered design for the web and beyond
Envisioning Information
Exposing the Magic of Design
A practitioner's guide to the methods and theory of synthesis
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Form Design Patterns
A practical guide to designing and coding simple and inclusive forms for the web
At first glance, forms are simple to learn. Made up of just a handful of inputs, you can create a form in little time. But when we consider the journeys we need to design, the users we need to design for, the browsers and devices of varying sizes, capabilities and bugs being used; and ensuring that the result is simple and inclusive, form design becomes a far more interesting and bigger challenge.
The Four Steps to the Epiphany
Successful strategies for products that win
Gamestorming
A playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and changemakers
Good Services
How to design services that work
Service design is a rapidly growing area of interest in design and business management. There are a lot of books on how to get started, but this is the first book that describes what a ‘good’ service is, what makes a good service and why.
Grid Systems in Graphic Design
A handbook for graphic artists, typographers, and exhibition designers
This book is suitable for those who work with automated text and image design. It shows examples of working correctly on a conceptual level. Exact directions for using all of the grid systems presented (8 to 32 grid fields) are given to the reader. These can be used for the most varied of projects. The three-dimensional grid is treated as well. Put simply: a guidebook from the profession for the profession.
Handbook of Usability Testing
How to plan, design, and conduct effective tests
How to Make Sense of Any Mess
Information architecture for everybody
Everything is getting more complex. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of information we encounter each day. Whether at work, at school, or in our personal endeavours, there’s a deepening (and inescapable) need for people to work with and understand information.
Human Error
The Humane Interface
New directions for designing interactive systems
Reading
The best way to learn is by doing, but it would be remiss of me if I didn’t list some of the books that have helped contextualise what I do.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
Information Architecture: for the Web and Beyond
Information architecture (IA) is far more challenging—and necessary—than ever. With the glut of information available today, anything your organisation wants to share should be easy to find, navigate, and understand. But the experience you provide has to be familiar and coherent across multiple interaction channels, from the Web to smartphones, smartwatches, and beyond.
The Inmates Are Running the Asylum
Why high tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity
Imagine, at a terrifyingly aggressive rate, everything you regularly use is being equipped with computer technology. Think about your phone, cameras, cars-everything-being automated and programmed by people who in their rush to accept the many benefits of the silicon chip, have abdicated their responsibility to make these products easy to use.
Insight Out
Get ideas out of your head and into the world
Interviewing Users
How to uncover compelling insights
Just Enough Research
Lead with Content
How to put content at the centre of digital transformation
Leaders Eat Last
Why some teams pull together and others don't
The Leader’s Journey
Transforming your leadership to achieve the extraordinary
No one gives you a manual for how to be a great leader. Enter Donna Lichaw. Her step-by-step book draws on psychology, neuroscience, design thinking, and years of coaching experience to help you activate your superpowers and achieve your mission. You’ll transform yourself, your team, and your business into a league of superheroes poised for success.
The Lean Startup
How constant innovation creates radically successful businesses
Lean UX
Designing great products with agile teams
Lean UX has become the preferred approach to interaction design, tailor-made for today’s agile teams. Lean UX advocates Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden expand on the valuable principles, tactics, and techniques to share how product teams can easily incorporate design, experimentation, iteration, and continuous learning from real users into their Agile process.
Letting Go of the Words
Writing web content that works
Making Comics
Storytelling secrets of comics, manga and graphic novels
The Making of a Manager
What to do when everyone looks to you
Measuring the User Experience
Collecting, analyzing, and presenting usability metrics
The Mom Test
How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Observing the User Experience
A practitioner’s guide to user research
Org Design for Design Orgs
Building and managing in-house design teams
Design has become the key link between users and today’s complex and rapidly evolving digital experiences, and designers are starting to be included in strategic conversations about the products and services that enterprises ultimately deliver. This has led to companies building in-house digital/experience design teams at unprecedented rates, but many of them don’t understand how to get the most out of their investment. This practical guide provides guidelines for creating and leading design teams within your organisation, and explores ways to use design as part of broader strategic planning.
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
Persuasive Technology
Using computers to change what we think and do
The Power of Habit
Why we do what we do, and how to change
Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods
Integrating theory and practice
Quantifying the User Experience
Practical statistics for user research
Radical Candor
How to get what you want by saying what you mean
Radical Focus
Achieving your most important goals with objectives and key results
Resilient Management
Rocket Surgery Made Easy
The do-it-yourself guide to finding and fixing usability problems
In this how-to companion to Don’t Make Me Think, Steve Krug spells out a streamlined approach to usability testing that anyone can easily apply to their own Web site, application, or other product. (As he said in Don’t Make Me Think, “It’s not rocket surgery”.)
This Is Service Design Doing
Using research and customer journey maps to create successful services
Service Design
From insight to implementation
This Is Service Design Methods
A companion to this is service design doing
This is Service Design Thinking
The Service Organization
How to deliver and lead successful services, sustainably
All organisations are becoming service organisations. But most weren’t built to deliver services successfully end-to-end, and the human, operational and financial impacts are abundantly clear. Given how rapidly services change, the stakes are even higher in the digital era. Yet default working practices (governance, planning, funding, leadership, reporting, programme and team structures) inside large organisations haven’t changed. Rather than modernising just one service at a time, the underlying organisational conditions must be transformed — anything less is futile.
The Shape of Design
Renowned typographer and poet Robert Bringhurst brings clarity to the art of typography with this masterful style guide.
Shape Up
Stop running in circles and ship work that matters
Sketching User Experiences
Getting the design right and the right design
Sketching User Experiences approaches design and design thinking as something distinct that needs to be better understood―by both designers and the people with whom they need to work―in order to achieve success with new products and systems. So while the focus is on design, the approach is holistic. Hence, the book speaks to designers, usability specialists, the HCI community, product managers, and business executives.
Start With Why
How great leaders inspire everyone to take action
The Startup Owner’s Manual
The step-by-step guide for building a great company
Talking to Humans
Success starts with understanding your customers
Think Like a UX Researcher
How to observe users, influence design, and shape business strategy
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Thinking in Systems
Universal Methods of Design
125 ways to research complex problems, develop innovative ideas, and design effective solutions
Universal Methods of Design serves as an invaluable compendium of methods that can be easily referenced and used by cross-disciplinary teams in nearly any design project.
Universal Principles of Design
125 ways to enhance usability, influence perception, increase appeal, make better design decisions, and teach through design
Whether a marketing campaign or a museum exhibit, a video game or a complex control system, the design we see is the culmination of many concepts and practices brought together from a variety of disciplines. Because no one can be an expert on everything, designers have always had to scramble to find the information and know-how required to make a design work—until now.
Usability Inspection Methods
Considered the founder of this research area, Nielsen presents a contributed exposition written by the foremost experts in this rapidly growing and important field.
User Research
A practical guide to designing better products and services
Validating Product Ideas
Through lean user research
Value Proposition Design
How to create products and services customers want
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information
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Join me on my learning journey as I collate my thoughts and document things that interest me. You’ll find subjects from interaction design to service design, product management to the business of design and management, and much more.