z-shaped
thinkers

Really good
interaction
design

SUBJECTIVE / QUALITATIVE
Focused on
Experiences
(People, Activities, Context)
Meaningful
Has personal significance
Pleasurable
Memorable experience worth sharing
Convenient THIS IS THE “CHASM” THAT IS REALLY, REALLY
HARD FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO CROSS
Super easy to use, works like I think
Usable
Can be used without difficulty
Reliable
Is available and accurate
Functional (Useful)
Works as programmed
Focused on
Tasks
(Products, Features)
OBJECTIVE / QUANTIFIABLE

“Never Use a
Warning When
you Mean Undo”

“Never Use a
Warning When
you Mean Undo”

“Never Use a
Warning When
you Mean Undo”

“Never Use a
Warning When
you Mean Undo”
X
“infinite scrolling”

“Never Use a
Warning When
you Mean Undo”
X
“infinite scrolling”

‘Z’-Shaped
Thinkers

Why ?

‘T’ was taken...

‘T’ was taken...
T
empathy to see
patterns and branch out
into other areas
deep vertical
expertise

-Shaped
Thinkers?

V
-Shaped Thinkers?

iShaped Thinkers?

Z

“When everyone zigs, zag.”

X

Z

Z

Z

reliable, but
diminishing returns

reliable, but
diminishing returns
opportunity to
‘change the game’

?

Nicholas
Negroponte

Nicholas
Negroponte
George Lucas

Dean Kamen

minster
buck
fuller

Geodesic Dome Housing

The Fuller Projection

The Dymaxion Car

The Dymaxion Bathroom / Fog Gun Shower

“When everyone zigs, zag.”

Cool...
But What does this have
to do with application
design and development?

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers
approach challenges
(of all kinds!)
in different ways

Z

Z
what happens here?

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...
challenge
assumptions

“Ladders of Abstraction”
also known as...
Why?
Why?
WHY?
WHY?
WHY?

Build a tricycle
with wings!

Build a tricycle (Silly Request)
with wings!

Build a tricycle (Silly Request)
with wings!
B
What color
do you
want it?

Build a tricycle (Silly Request)
with wings!
B We can try
out some
Ajax-coated
titanium!
B
What color
do you
want it?

Build a tricycle (Silly Request)
with wings!
B b
Stop.
We can try
Why is this
out some
valuable? And
Ajax-coated
for whom?
titanium!
B
What color
do you
want it?

Things not broken
modal transparent
confirmation messages
boxes

Things not broken

Context makes the content explicit
(remove the darn labels!)

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...
reframe the
problem

A ROUGH DESIGN MATURITY CONTINUUM
DESIGN AS Design redefines the challenges facing the
organization.
FRAMING Framing sets the agenda, outlines the
boundaries and axes of interest, and moves
design from executing strategy to shaping
strategy. Disruptive innovation lives here.
Design finds new opportunities by solving
existing problems.
PROBLEM ?
Design process generates alternatives within
a problem space. Design also narrows down
SOLVING those options to a specific solution.
Design makes things work better.
FUNCTION This is the classic practice of design - but it's
still commonly limited to incremental
+ improvements through iteration over existing
AND FORM
solutions.
Design is the gateway to be hip and cool.
,
STYLE
Design is stylish, but too often is percieved
and practiced as a cosmetic afterthought.
Design value isn't recognized.
?
NO CONSCIOUS This attitude fosters design by default -
however things come out is fine, because
DESIGN there are more important issues to deal with.
(Jess McMullin - Design Maturity Model - http://www.bplusd.org/2005/10/19/a-rough-design-maturity-model/ )

Design a vase.
(example from Marc Rettig)

Design a better way
for people to enjoy
flowers in their home.
(example from Marc Rettig)

(Insert Jeremy’s example from Quizno’s)

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...
explore many
perspectives

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html
Coopetition

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html
Coopetition
3rd Party Developers

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html
Coopetition
Government Regulations
3rd Party Developers

http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2007/01/sobering_though.html
Global Market
Coopetition
Government Regulations
3rd Party Developers

‘the important stuff’
changes over time...
What about different
‘time-based’ layouts?

‘the important stuff’
changes over time...
Confirmation
What about different
‘time-based’ layouts?

‘the important stuff’
changes over time...
Navigation
What about different
‘time-based’ layouts?

‘the important stuff’
changes over time...
Check-In
What about different
‘time-based’ layouts?

‘the important stuff’
changes over time...
What about different
‘time-based’ layouts?

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...
synthesize
information

+
= Fog Gun Shower

Project A
Project B
Project A
Project B
Project C

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...
challenge assumptions
reframe the problem
explore many perspectives
synthesize information

‘Z’-Shaped Thinkers...
challenge assumptions
reframe the problem
explore many perspectives
synthesize information
in order to...
envision unseen
opportunities

Thanks!
ME MY PERSONAL SITE
THE BEST WAY TO REACH ME
Stephen P. Anderson / www.poetpainter.com