Retake 4 – ‘Lights, Camera, Action’....Design Iterations

Even as I write this, Sakku in TVD office is working on 10^th design option for our internal company profile (and thats just one page that he is designing). I sometimes wonder ‘Where do Design iterations end’. When are we utterly gratified by our design. Do we ever see a culmination to our design?

Iterative Design Methodology

Design methodology is often an iterative process – cyclic process of prototyping, testing, analysing – perpetual work in progress. In iterative design, interaction with the designed system is used as a form of research and analysis for evolving the design of the product. However, what’s critical is the designer’s grip on Design Methodology. Design should be envisaged and implemented in phases. Each phase should elevate design further.

Does all this mean that the product will never be launched in its absoluteness? Will there be constant shaping required to create that utopian Monalisa? How do architects carry through? They can’t design and build buildings in an iterative modus operandi.

The answer to this is perhaps the nature around us. God almighty has created the world in a beta stage. Living beings are getting archaic and new ones are originating. Human design is forever modifying and evolving. From the apes to nomads and now the super tech humans we have seen it all.

Designing in the Real World

I have repeatedly witnessed debates between the Product team and the Design team – Product team being always at a bullet speed to launch the nouveau and Design team always agog to make it a design beyond compare and hence requiring more time. How do we draw the curtain? Where do we call the ceasefire? I have finally adopted the following methodology:

· Understand the user requirements and separate them into categories of ‘Must Haves’, ‘Good to Have’ and ‘Bells and Frills’.
· In the given time frame ensure that the ‘Must Haves’ have been taken care of. If you have included design solutions to the other two categories in the given time frame then you can pat your back.
· Give the product team the other two categories along with your design solution. This would help them in planning the next variant. (This is also done to ensure that the product team does not raise fingers at your design and say that everything has not been taken care of J)

Designing with peers

In the iterative design process, the most copious thinking that you need at any moment is the one which will get you to your next prototype. Isolated thinking may not help and therefore take help from peers and users of your product to get to the next level. I do any of the following and it really helps:

· Bounce off initial design ideas and prototype to your peers and take their comments.
· Gather a group of potential users and show your design to them to take their feedback.
· Involve stakeholders in discussion of ideas and solutions.
· When towards finalisation, rope in friends and take their views.

Like Oscar Wilde had once said – ‘A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so unbearable that we are compelled to alter it every six months’. I would say that Design gets archaic and ugly so soon that we need to relook at it every six months. So all you designers, keep iterating and hold dignity in creating versions. The more the number of iterations, the better you get. Final design is anyways the other end of the rainbow.