Philosophy
Our Responsibility
As designers we have a responsibility through our work to focus on solving the correct problem, yet ensure we solve it in a universal, inclusive and accessible manner.
This is hard to achieve — It is not always possible for a solution to meet the needs of an entire population, but it should be accessible to as many people as technically possible. This is a worthy pursuit as it underpins the fundamentals of good design.
My primary objective is to inspire teams to solve meaningful problems by creating inclusive and universal design solutions which are accessible for users. This aspirational objective, combined with principles of the D.I.S.C. Behavioral Model, form the foundation of my design philosophy.
Framing the Problem
A Simple First Step
Before the design process can truly begin, we must understand more about the problem the process is aiming to address.
Framing the problem is a critical first step and when executed properly ensures the focus will be on the problem and not the symptoms. Time is well spent here as this serves as the foundational mechanism to understanding what is motivating users and their behaviors.
An Iterative Approach
Iteration is the Key
Additionally, as the design process unfolds I adopt an approach that facilitates iteration.
It is this iterative approach that allows for feedback, corrections and enhancements to be made with the added benefit of minimizing wasted effort and rework.
Research
Prior to focusing on the implementation of the design, a critical step in the process is research. It is necessary to understand the criteria for a successful design as well as investigate how others have solved similar problems (related to both visual design and interaction design). Competitive research within the same industry and outside typically provides useful results. Exploring the environments in which people use the products or services and the methods utilized within can yield powerful design and behavioral insights. Initial prototyping can be useful in this stage.
Design-Build-Test
Design solutions begin to be explored iteratively, and once built, more detailed user feedback is sought via user testing. Prototypes, sketches, and other design artifacts are crafted, refined and presented to people to begin selecting the most promising approach while simultaneously providing an opportunity to validate the overall design concept. This process cycle can iterate as needed leading to solutions that are aligned with user needs while satisfying business objectives.
Specify
As lean development methods become more integrated with user experience practices the need for exhaustive documentation is yielding to alternatives, chiefly around strong communication. While detailed specification documentation may still be required in some instances, in lean development environments (and in accordance with Agile principles) the software itself serves as the specification.
Design Superpower
A Helpful Design Framework
I wasn't aware my design superpower was taking shape. What I did know was, as a designer seeking continuous improvement, it took me a long time to develop and refine my skills over the span of my career.
As I thought more deeply about what differentiated me as a designer, I came to realize establishing a design superpower could not only be useful, but advantageous. I am grateful my skills have evolved in such a way as to reveal my design superpower. While it is not my only skill, I am proud to have it in my design arsenal.
What Is My Design Superpower?
My Design Superpower is designing with the D.I.S.C. Behavioral Model. This model is based on a theory from psychologist William Moulton Marston and further developed by industrial psychologist Walter Vernon Clarke. It relies primarily on an assessment model to determine to what degree a person expresses the four different personality traits:
[D] Dominance, [I] Interactiveness, [S] Supportiveness, [C] Conscientiousness
Understanding and applying these four distinct behavior characteristics to designs can help in the creation of features and workflows that satisfy all four personality traits. This affords designers the ability to craft inclusive and universal experiences for the widest possible audience.
Why it works
Design offers us the possibility to make more than just art. Design affords us the capability to solve a problem, to make something more useful, to improve someone's life. This is far easier to achieve when design is set in the context of guiding principles.
The D.I.S.C. Behavioral model works well in design solutioning because it addresses the behavioral aspects of how people consume information and interact with digital tools.
For this reason, it can deliver powerful results when applied to different areas of the UX design process. Interaction design can benefit greatly from using this framework as well as the structuring and forming of content in a design.
- Widely applicable to practically every industry
- Adaptable to almost all design use cases
- Uses data–driven feedback to inform design process
- Users' behavioral characteristics can be identified and addressed
Where I've Used It
I was able to test this method on a project implementing a telehealth option for Blue Shield of California. As we iterated the design, the team felt the stated objective was being met but realized the design could be made more universal. The D.I.S.C. model was helpful in allowing us to fine-tune the design to better accommodate users' expectations.
Another area where I was able to design with the D.I.S.C. model is this very website you are reading! My website is structured in a manner that follows the D.I.S.C. behavior principles with the objective of being accessible to as many people as technically possible.
