The importance of good principles in the process of creating a solid foundation for functional design systems
5 min read · Dec 17, 2018
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During my work experience as a Lead Designer, I’ve been facing a lot of complications and difficulties when I had to structure my design thinking. Throughout time I came across some useful rules that helped me to better understand the job of been a Designer.
First of all, above these 10 principles, I just want to say that the most helpful habits for me is to continuously trying to attempt to keep simplicity into my choices, and never stop learning and discover new ideas that works best for me.
But for now here are my 10 golden rules in design thinking:
1) Be humble
Don’t think of yourself as a genius. It’s the first big mistake to avoid. Put your ego a part and involve everyone around you. Listen to other people’s opinion, compare it with yours and get new and different solutions.
2) Mutual trust and respect
Take time to understand the team you’re working with and their behavior. Be aware that the whole team brings unique skillsets to the table. This is a good start to build a good working relationship and create a solid foundation of trust and respect. This is one of the most important rules that drives the team towards awesome results.
3) Users come first
It is very important to think of it with empathy. Good UX in a design process empower users to get the most out of the product, increasing customers satisfaction. It’s important to understand and keep in mind that UX design deals all the time with customer’s emotions and how to capture their attention. Therefore it is fundamental to grab the essential aspect of performing a positive and impressive UX design experience. Moreover before to physically start with UI, it’s always better to build a good UX infrastructure that encompasses many right strategies such as research, information architecture, analytics data, and visual design. The end goal should always be helping people throughout enjoyable user experiences.
4) Break down the challenge
Having many small tasks make it easy to analyze and define the key design elements for each and every problem. This will allow to come up with an effective and solid design solution that works best. Never start designing until you know exactly what the design is going to look like. With this process in mind, the final design is always very close to the original idea.
5) Mental clarity and focus. You know where you’re going?
Sometimes it’s very good to grab a cup of coffee and go outside for a walk. Staying too much behind the desk isn’t always productive. It’s a good practice to distract your focus from complex surroundings on something else and try to remove the clutter from your thoughts. It’s a good practice time by time to get some fresh air and keep your mind sharp. A messy mind will impact negatively on your choices and will bring on the table messy results.
6) Reconsider the design continuously
Reconsidering the product, the features, the entire architecture it’s another important rule in product design in order to create a performing product. Remove what has become unnecessary instead of just always add to it (features over features throughout time will create an even worse user experience). Throughout the process of constant reassessment, will be easier to find out what area need more work and what not.
7) Never be afraid to trash design ideas and refactoring new solutions
A flexible mind will help to approach the refactoring and redesigning process. Throughout the entire process of creation of a new product, will be easy to come across of tasks that didn’t exist before. It’s very important reconsidering and refactoring the entire structure (or a good part of it), by keeping in mind the overall functionality. For example it’s a good practice to do every time a new task is added to the project. By doing so will be easier to solve new and old problems in one time with an even better solution. Therefore changes can turn out ideas into solutions that can create better and simpler user experience.
8) Good design is self explanatory
Every Designer should keep in mind that a good design doesn’t need to be explained. The best and more intuitive user experience sometime have simple design solutions. Users should instinctively know how to interact with the product all times. Therefore it’s a must, before pushing pixels around, to keep this concept in mind. If a design, even though is beautiful isn’t self explanatory, need to be refactored, considering to start everything over again.
9) Be innovative
Often, the first solution isn’t always the best one. Allow space in your workflow to discover and iterate your design. Think out of the box and keep yourself away from your comfort zone. Create disruptive experiences, even if at the first sight, they cannot be developed. Multiple designs sketches can be iterated or merged with each other in order to create a final solution that fulfill better the final goal of the project.
10) Less is more
Keep it as simple as possible is the hardest behavior pattern to apply to, but once it’s nailed, will be easier to look back without any regrets. As easy as it sounds, is a matter of consistency and patience, mainly with yourself.
As an experienced professional in the field of design, I can attest to the critical role that solid principles play in the creation of functional design systems. My extensive background as a Lead Designer has exposed me to various challenges in structuring design thinking, and I have developed a set of principles that have proven invaluable in navigating these complexities.
First and foremost, the article rightly emphasizes the importance of simplicity, a principle I have consistently incorporated into my design approach. Throughout my career, I have continually strived to keep my choices simple, understanding that simplicity is often the key to effective design solutions.
The concept of mutual trust and respect, highlighted as a crucial rule, resonates strongly with my experiences. In my leadership role, I've learned that understanding and appreciating the unique skill sets of the team members fosters a positive working relationship. This collaborative approach is essential for achieving outstanding results in design projects.
The emphasis on prioritizing users and approaching design with empathy aligns seamlessly with my design philosophy. I recognize the significance of user experience (UX) in product design, acknowledging that understanding and catering to users' emotions is fundamental. My design process involves building a robust UX infrastructure, incorporating research, information architecture, analytics data, and visual design.
The article underscores the importance of breaking down challenges into smaller tasks, a practice I've consistently applied in my work. Analyzing and defining key design elements for each problem enables the creation of effective and solid design solutions.
The mention of mental clarity and focus is a principle I actively advocate. Taking breaks, going for walks, and maintaining a sharp mind are strategies I employ to enhance productivity and avoid the negative impact of a cluttered mind on decision-making.
Continuous reconsideration of design, coupled with a willingness to discard ideas and embrace new solutions, is a practice deeply embedded in my design process. Flexibility in thinking and constant reassessment contribute to the evolution of a high-performing product.
The article's assertion that good design is self-explanatory resonates strongly with my belief in the importance of intuitive user experiences. I consistently strive to create designs that users can instinctively interact with, minimizing the need for explanations.
Innovation, as highlighted in the article, is a principle I actively endorse. My design workflow allows space for discovery and iteration, encouraging thinking outside the box and the creation of disruptive experiences that may lead to breakthrough solutions.
Lastly, the principle of "Less is more" aligns with my commitment to simplicity. While acknowledging the challenge of adhering to this behavior pattern, I understand the long-term benefits of consistency and patience in simplifying design choices.
In conclusion, the principles outlined in the article resonate deeply with my own experiences and approach to design. These guidelines, rooted in practical wisdom gained through hands-on design work, are essential for creating a solid foundation for functional design systems.
