The Young Grasshopper Reflects

Inspired by this blog entitled 101 Things I learned in interaction design school, I wanted to take a moment to document a few of the things I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks, i.e. being tossed in the pit of software development. I was very lucky to work with a dynamic team, and these are just some of the thoughts I came out with. Naturally, reading awesome blogs like Smashing Magazine and A List Apart definitely helped.

And lo! I give unto you a few of the things I learned while in conference rooms, standing before a whiteboard, and while hiding behind a sketch pad.

1. Open minds and active listening are key to success.
2. Always ask, ‘Why?’ How is this feature providing benefit to the user?
3. Mapping out purpose will provide the pathway to functionality, design and flow of the product.
4. Developers and designers come from two different viewpoints and have so much to share with each other, so always respect each other’s role in the process.
5. Clearly define scope of a product from the outset and beware little additions along the way.
6. Drawing on a whiteboard together will provide clarification of ideas and more often than not save a lot of time.
7. Your design is going to continually change. Don’t get hung up on your “vision” because you might just be blocking improvement.
8. Learn to take criticism well, and learn to give it constructively.
9. Taking a lo-fi wireframe or sketch to a meeting typically encourages a more lively exchange of ideas as people realize that this is just the first iteration of a final product.
10. Never hesitate to take an incomplete idea to a team member and brainstorm; it can help you get past roadblocks and provide some really amazing ideas.