This document discusses the importance of communicating design decisions to stakeholders. It notes that design can be subjective and intuitive, making it difficult to explain decisions to others. The key message is that communicating the rationale for design work will become more important than the design itself. It provides principles for design communication, including identifying problems, describing solutions, empathizing with users, appealing to business needs, and securing agreement. Overall it argues that explaining design choices is critical and one of the biggest failures is the illusion that communication has already occurred.

1.
ARTICULATING DESIGN DECISIONS
Oct. 22nd 2016 | X Design Academy | @mariosakata

2. BACKGROUND
WHAT I WILL COVER WHAT I WILL *NOT* COVER
ISSUE
MESSAGE
PRINCIPLES
HOW TO BE A UNICORN
HOW TO PLEASE EVERY STAKEHOLDERS
RECOMMENDED TOOLS AND METHODOLOGIES

3. Ç
2008-2013; USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNER
2013-2015; USER EXPERIENCE ARCHITECT
2015-2016; PRODUCT MANAGER
2016-; PRODUCT MANAGER

4. COMMUNICATION IS DIFFICULT WHEN YOU
SEEK FOR APPROVAL AND WHEN IT WAS
KEPT UNTIL THE END.
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5. TIM O’REILLY
image courtesy suzukisan_
Articulating Design Decisions
by @tomgreever will change
the way designers talk about
design. Get it, read it.

6. BACKGROUND
Your work is now becoming the interface of
the entire company like never before and
the non-designers have strong opinions
about how your work reflects on them.

7. DESIGN, MORE THAN MANY OTHER
DISCIPLES, HAS THE PROPENSITY TO THE
DIVISIVE AND POLARISING.
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8. ISSUE
Because design is subjective and because
we don’t always understand how our
intuition connects to the problem at hand,
we’re unable to adequately tell other people
why we did, what we did, and that’s one of
our biggest failures.
image courtesy p.marione

9. THE SINGLE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN
COMMUNICATION IS THE ILLUSION THAT IT
HAS TAKEN PLACE.
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10. MESSAGE
The ability to properly communicate
expectations within the organisation will
become more important than the design
itself.

11. DEVELOP EMPATHY FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS FOR
ATTEMPTING TO LOOK AT OUR PRODUCT FROM THEIR
PERSPECTIVE SO THAT WE’RE NO LONGER DEFENSIVE
AND PROTECTIVE TO OUR OWN IDEAS.

12. MESSAGE
Personality PersonalityStory StoryActivity InteractionActivityInteraction
Front Stage Experience Design
Communication Design
Back Stage Experience Design

13. COMMUNICATING ABOUT THE DESIGN WAS
MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE DESIGNS
THEMSELVES.
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14. WHAT YOU NEED TO ANSWER
‣
(What problem does it solve?)
‣
(How does it affect the user?)
‣
(Why is it better than the alternatives?)

15. 5 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION
‣
(Identify the problem)
‣
(Describe your solution)
‣
(Empathise with the user)
‣
(Appeal to the business)
‣
(Lock in agreement)

16. MAKE EVERY IDEA YOU TALK WITH
STAKEHOLDERS TO SOMETHING THAT IS
TRULY IDEAL.
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17. HOW WE DO - WRITTEN IN VERY LAST CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK!

18. AVAILABLE IN STORES.
‣ O’REILLY MEDIA
‣ AMAZON
KEEP IN TOUCH:
@MARIOSAKATA
MARIOSAKATA@PIVOTAL.IO
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