Posts Tagged ‘Design’
The Power of a Customer Advisory Council
As long as you’re continuously talking to your customers, you don’t necessarily have to add more features, but you do need to improve how well you’re solving their problems. A great way to do this early on is by forming an advisory council. Identify your best and most important customers; they should be people who…
Read MoreWhat Makes a Healthy Design Team?
This has been an interesting week. Monday I attended a product404 event where my friend Butler Raines talked about creating a product-led organization at SalesLoft. My book was released on Tuesday and my inbox exploded with questions like “why did you write the book?” and “what’s the one big take-away?” Then yesterday I participated in the Adobe…
Read MoreDo you *really* understand your User Journey?
A User Journey is basically what it sounds like: the journey a user goes on when trying to accomplish a task. For example, you might think it’s pretty easy to open your phone and post something on social media. True, but when we break down all the steps it actually takes, it begins to shed…
Read MoreDon’t Build a MVP!
A popular term in the startup world is MVP, or Minimum Viable Product. An MVP is the simplest version of your product that’s capable of demonstrating the value you have to offer the customer. A common mistake people make with an MVP is to build something that’s too focused on the mechanics of the task.…
Read MoreThe Importance of a Great Design Process
Ever notice a recurring theme in your life? I’ve had several conversations about process with people over the last few weeks. So many conversations, in fact, that I thought it was worth writing about here. If you’ve ever watched The Profit you know Marcus Lemonis gives a standard lecture about his recipe for success to all the…
Read MoreThe Solution Is Your Destination
It’s easy to fly from New York to London as a passenger. You get on the plane, listen to the announcements, order a drink, watch a couple movies, and then land in London. It’s all very uneventful. That same flight from New York to London is a totally different experience in the cockpit. Up there,…
Read MoreThe End of an Era at Apple
Welp. It’s over, kids. Or soon will be. The much celebrated and literal Knight of Design, Sir Jony Ive, has decided to leave Apple. The Financial Times broke the news yesterday saying “Jony Ive is leaving Apple after more than two decades in which his iconic designs for the Mac, iPod and iPhone turned one of Silicon…
Read MoreTech is Creating a Reality Distortion Field
Almost anyone with a WiFi connection can tell you technology has changed the way people behave and interact with each other, both online and IRL. It’s no mystery that social networks have had a profound impact on society as a whole. What’s not being talking about, at least no often enough, is how tech as…
Read MoreAvoiding Analysis Paralysis
Have you ever fallen victim to analysis paralysis? I bet you have. Not sure what that is? Here’s an example: You’re on the condiments isle of your local grocer looking at 30 different jars of jelly. Some say organic on the label, while others have obscene amounts of sugar. You narrow your search for the…
Read MoreDesign is not that Important
John Maeda, former MIT professor and renown designer, sent shivers down the spines of designers everywhere in his recent Design in Tech Report when he made the bold statement “…in reality, design is not that important.” For years designers have been lobbying for, and getting, more authority and influence over how things get made. Overall that’s a…
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