This document provides an introduction to design for all audiences. It discusses defining design, the business value of design, design fundamentals, and making design happen. Some key points include: - Design is communication, not decoration, and improves human interactions. It fulfills human needs and is a competitive advantage. - Good design is inevitable; the alternative is bad design. Design is also needed in enterprises as users now expect polished experiences from smartphones. - Design fundamentals include color, typography, layout, form, and using data. Design is a process that involves research, prototyping, and iteration. - Agile design processes like using live style guides and prototypes allow for faster iteration and testing

1. Design Awareness
An introduction to design for everyone
Brian McConnell
October, 2012

2. 1995 Built first website
2000 Founded web design agency
2004 Started profitable media property
‘03-’08 Programmer & Tech Lead
2008 Learned I’m not a user
Who is this guy?

3. Design Awareness
1. Defining design.
2. The business value of design.
3. Design fundamentals.
4. Making design happen.

4. 1. Defining design.
2. The business value of design.
3. Design fundamentals.
4. Making design happen.
Design Awareness

5. Design is everywhere.

10. This font is called Avenir.
It is san-serif, geometric, high x-
height, made for the screen.
It was designed in 1988 by
Adrian Frutiger.

11. Design is communication,
not decoration.

12. Design is communication,
not decoration.
It’s a process for improving
human interactions.

13. Design fulfills us.

14. Maslow’s Higherarchy

15. A design view of Maslow

17. 1. Defining design.
2. The business value of design.
3. Design fundamentals.
4. Making design happen.
Design Awareness

18. Design is a competitive advantage.

24. Design is needed in the enterprise.

25. Smartphones have spoiled
enterprise users.

26. Smartphones have spoiled
enterprise users.
iOS
Blackberry
Android

27. Basecamp is used at:

28. "Questions about whether design
is necessary or affordable are quite
beside the point: design is
inevitable. The alternative to good
design is bad design, not no design
at all."
--Douglas Martin

29. 1. Defining design.
2. The business value of design.
3. Design fundamentals.
4. Making design happen.
Design Awareness

32. Color

35. Typography

36. Helvetica
Didot MT Trade Gothic
Rockwell
Caslon
Gil SansThin
FF Din Regular
Cheltenham
Blackmoor
Banana Split
League Script
Digital-7
Eccentric
Rosewood
Cooper Machia

37. Layout & Form

38. Grid Systems

41. Proportions in Nature

42. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55
a/b = .618

43. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55
a/b = .618

47. In god we trust.
All others bring data.

48. Quantitiative data

52. Qualitative data

54. 1. Defining design.
2. The business value of design.
3. Design fundamentals.
4. Making design happen.
Design Awareness

55. Design is a process.

56. "What I really want is a product that
is complex, has a steep learning
curve, carries lots of extra features
and is really slow."
--nobody

65. Product process

66. Design
Research
Information
architecture
UI Design
Iteration
Development
Design
Prototype
Development
Refactoring
Planning
Objectives
Requirements
Validation
Prioritization
Testing
Regression
Staging Data
Production Data
Production Env.
Waterfall

67. Design
Information
architecture
UI Design
Development
Prototype
Development
Planning
Requirements
Prioritization
Testing
Staging Data
Production Env.
Scrum-but
a.k.a “Waterfall Lite”

68. Sketch
Refine
Prototype Retool
Test Measure
Agile UX

69. Agile UX
Principles
Communicate instead of document
Work iteratively
Operate on data
Tools
Live style guide
Prototypes
Testing

70. Live Style Guide
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/styleguide
http://platform.cinchcast.com/content/styleguide.html

74. Prototypes

77. Testing

80. Thank you!
@mrbmc
mrbmc.com