Design Doing
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
• CEO, Philosophie Group
• Web since 1996
• Over 200 web/mobile products
• GA UXDi Global Curriculum
• UCLA alumnus
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Jordan Keating Jinny Oh JN Bayette Taneen Jafarkhani
Design is a process for reducing
ambiguity in even the most
chaotic environments.
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Design Thinking
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Design Thinking
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Diverge and Converge
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
diverge converge diverge converge
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
diverge
Iterate and
Experiment
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HYPOTHESIS
OPPORTUNITYTEST
IDEATE
MAKE
UNDERSTAND
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 1
I am not the user.
–Stephen P. Anderson
It’s all about People, their
Activities, and the Context of
those activities.
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How do we get that info?
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Contextual inquiry
User interviews
Diary studies
Card sorting
Focus groups
Analytics
A/B testing
Eye tracking
Secondary research
Surveys
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 2
What’s the problem?
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_____________________ needs a way
to ________________________________

because/but _____________________.
Problem Statement
«Persona»
«Goal»
«Synthesized Insight»
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 3
Time to play.
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Creative Play
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TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Crazy-eights
Productive Brainstorming
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• Get silly
• Use crayons
• Turn it into a game
• Play with extremes
• Remove obvious constraints
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 4
Articulate the solution.
Assume you’re wrong.
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I believe that _______________________ 

needs ______________________________.

I will know this is true if
_____________________________________.
Solution Hypothesis
«Persona»
«Proposed Solution»
«Evaluation Criteria»
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 5
Stop talking and make
something already.
What is an “MVP”?
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QUESTION:
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ANSWER:
The smallest thing you can
create to learn what you
need to to move forward.
Different types of MVPs
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• Pitch MVP
• Concierge MVP
• Design Prototype
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TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 6
Prove it.
Many different types of tests
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Concept Validation
Focuses on behavior. Does it
solve the problem we set
out to? Is this actually
valuable to people?
Perception
Focuses on attitude and
comprehension. How do
people feel about the
solution?
Usability
Focuses on usage. Can users
complete tasks effectively
and efficiently?
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Design Doing
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We’re going to be designing a
mobile app to help a stranger
solve a problem they have.
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DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 1
I am not the user.
Have a genuine
conversation with a human
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5 minutes × 2
Make a persona for the
person you interviewed
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5 minutes
Personas
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Segment / Demographics Backstory / Motivation
Activities / Habits Pain Points / Needs
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 2
What’s the problem?
Create a problem
statement
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2 minutes
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
_____________________ needs a way
to ________________________________

because/but _____________________.
Problem Statement
«Persona»
«Goal»
«Synthesized Insight»
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 3
Time to play.
Sketch eight radically
different ideas.
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5 minutes
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Crazy-eights
Present your ideas and get
feedback from your partner
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2.5 minutes × 2
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 4
Articulate the solution.
Assume you’re wrong.
Create a solution
hypothesis
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2 minutes
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
I believe that _______________________ 

needs ______________________________.

I will know this is true if
_____________________________________.
Solution Hypothesis
«Persona»
«Proposed Solution»
«Evaluation Criteria»
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 5
Stop talking and make
something already.
Turn your best idea into
something that you can test
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10 minutes
Share your solution and get
feedback from your user
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5 minutes × 2
DESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING TWEET @SKOTCARRUTH
STEP 6
Prove it.
You did
design.
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HYPOTHESIS
OPPORTUNITYTEST
IDEATE
MAKE
UNDERSTAND
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Takeaways
Some bonus tactics
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
• Beginner’s mindset
• Listen to users; ask them to design with you
• Diverge, then converge
• Timebox
• Think and share visually
TWEET @SKOTCARRUTHDESIGN DOING > DESIGN THINKING
Thank You!
Email me: skot@philosophie.is

Forget Design Thinking — Start Design Doing