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March 28, 2006
Do it right, then do it again
I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of iteration, and the role it plays in design. We, as humans, are smart. Our biggest flaw, though, is that we know and understand that we are brilliant, and think that no one before us has ever been smarter than we are. In fact, we think we're so smart that most of us look back at our younger selves and are embarrassed about the idiot acts that we once carried out.
When designing, this sense brilliance can either be a very dangerous or very rewarding thing. It is important to realize that there are so many things going on at once in any given situation that there is no way that one could understand everything that is going on. Therefore every design must have flaws, since we are not able to take all of the details into account. This is where iteration comes into play.
At the outset of a design (or any other kind of) project, a team sets out with a set of assumptions about the domain, which lends itself to a certain set of questions. These questions are then tested through primary research, which leads to insights, which hopefully leads to one or many designs. It is at this point that the naive designer thinks that he is finished. In fact, once there is a design, the "real" work is ready to begin, at least in my opinion. It is at this point that one should reassess the initial questions that were asked, and a whole new set of questions can be considered, as well:
- Do the people who will use the design think it will help them?
- Does the design actually help these people?
- How could the design be changed to better support the user(s)?
Ideally, at this point the project can begin anew. I have been so surprised at my output when I have the ability to look at an old project with fresh eyes. I see the fatal flaws almost immediately. This is why iteration is so important. Sometimes it simply takes a little time and perspective before we can see the errors in the things we make.
Humans should take advantage of the fact that we become smarter each day, and have the ability to see details that yesterday were simply invisible. Locking ideas into the here and now, and not giving our "future selves" a chance to comment on and improve a project is downright ignorant. I'm calling for a change in the way we think about the work we do. There's no reason that iteration couldn't be applied to the work most people do. Who's with me?
How could iteration change your work habits and results? (even if you aren't a designer...) I suspect they'd completely change your work...what do you think?
Posted at March 28, 2006 11:09 PM