Brian Gardner spoke on the design panel at Authority Intensive, instructing attendees how to design for engagement. He cited three central questions for any design project: 1) Where am I going and what should I bring? 2) Who do I want to take with me along the way 3) Why am I doing this and how is it going?

1. Designing for Engagement:
TAKE YOURSELF TO THE SUMMIT
By Brian Gardner

2. 3 Critical Questions
Before Starting My Journey
▶ Where am I going and what should I bring?
▶ Who do I want to take with me along the way?
▶ Why am I doing this and how is it going?

3. Where am I going and
what should I bring?
▶ Research the destination (niche)
▶ Enterprise, small business, individuals
▶ Identify the necessary gear (tools)
▶ Website, blog, landing pages, email signups

4. Who do I want to take
with me along the way?
▶ Identify key members of the team
▶ Guide, coach, authors, admins
▶ Consider who your audience will be
▶ Writers, designers, consumers

5. Why am I doing this
and how is it going?
▶ Identify the desired result
▶ Make a sale, get an email, qualify a lead
▶ Recalibrate along the way
▶ What’s working, what’s not

6. Life in the Real World
▶ Design and typography – first impressions
▶ Fonts, colors, spacing
▶ Mobile responsive, mobile responsive
▶ Site layout – organization of content
▶ Navigation, columns, widgets
▶ Critical elements – necessary components
▶ Ads, social media buttons, opt-ins

7. Happy Climbing!

8. Brian Gardner
@bgardner