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#54 - Design Thinking XI - Define

Author face
Article written by
Juan Jesús Millo

Writing of the week

It is the moment where the empathy findings are decomposed and synthesized into needs and a specific and meaningful challenge is defined; it is a totally "focusing" process.

The objective of this definition is twofold:

  • To develop a thorough understanding of the users and the context.
  • To elaborate a problem statement, your point of view.

Your point of view is nothing more than your unique perception and vision of the users' needs and their problems.

The definition is fundamental to the design process because it explicitly expresses the problem you are trying to solve. To be truly generative, you need to develop a specific problem statement and use it as a springboard for solution generation.

A good point of view (POV) is one that

  • Provides a focus, framing the problem
  • Able to inspire the team
  • Allows your team to make decisions independently in parallel
  • Drives brainstorming by suggesting "how could we" statements.
  • It'ss something that is revisited and reframed as you learn by doing

Articles & Ideas

Frustrating Design Patterns: Mega-Dropdown Hover Menus

Do we need mega-dropdown hover menus in 2021? Probably not. Let’s explore things to keep in mind when designing and building a mega-dropdown, alternatives to hover menus and fine details for designing a better UX. Vitaly Friedman

On Building a Fluid User Interface

In late 2019 we launched Threads from Instagram, our standalone messaging app designed to help you stay connected to your close friends. Threads was built from the ground up as an entirely new experience, and presented an opportunity for us to rethink our approach to user interfaces. Rishi Mody

Left-Side Vertical Navigation on Desktop: Scalable, Responsive, and Easy to Scan

Vertical navigation is a good fit for broad or growing IAs, but takes up more space than horizontal navigation. Ensure that it is left-aligned, keyword front-loaded, and visible. Page Laubheimer

Microcopy: an essential guide to becoming a more literate designer

Designers should not be mere decorators, but have an understanding of language and microcopy, a crucial design skill, now more than ever. David Hall

Better in black: Rethinking our most important buttons

Based on our research on accessibility, we’re making significant changes to the buttons you see across the Spotify experience — in terms of color, text formatting, and size. In this article, you’ll read all about our changes and why we made them. Spotify Encore Team

Preserving Syrian design history and graphics in the Arab world: Meet the Syrian Design Archive

Founded by Kinda Ghannoum, Sally Alassafen and Hala Al Afsaa, the nonprofit documentary project celebrates a little-known design history among the global canon. Jyni Ong

A better segmented control

How we embraced a growth mindset and ended up with a more robust ecosystem of selection patterns. Runi Goswami

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