Users are as much our team as they are our clients.
We are building a product.
Extra clarity at every step.
Plan time for brainstorming. Then get into doing and iterating – iterating needs to go beyond adding « comments ». It is about meaningfully improving the work with each cycle.
Speed will come from delivering a better and better outcome each time.
What is a better outcome? What is a good product?
A good product is the combination of many things working together.
- It considers the usability
- It considers the end user – the client – and the client here is anyone for whom you are presenting or creating for
- It considers positioning
- It consider not efficiency in the short term — but the best way to get to the best outcome in the smoothest way possible
- Considers who we are, our voice and our values
- Considers all the details that are important
- And packages it into a single outcome
We need to be careful with efficiency.
Efficiency is often misunderstood. In many ways, it is the plague of the 21st century. It can stunt long term, critical thinking – which can be done quite efficiently if your mind is wired to accept it
True, long-term efficiency is earned. To turn something inefficient into efficient, it takes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and what can seem like inefficiency to get there. Like skiing. The most skilled skiers are the incredibly efficient — a level that only comes with time and practice.
The irony of the matter is: the the more you do the work properly, the faster you become. And over time, higher quality output that initially takes a lot more effort becomes efficient. You become efficient.
Shortcuts almost always cost something later. When it comes to building something meaningful, shortcuts are unimportant. They’re distractions that take away focus on the end goal.
Standards and Expectations
So you know, I will not, and cannot put it forward, if I do not believe it is represents best possible outcome.
Yes, there is a degree of subjectivity in this. But that is true of any craft or culture. Over time, I’m sure you will come to understand me and my expectations.
There are times when less-than-ideal outcomes are acceptable, but only as a conscious choice and where the trade-off is limited.
When it comes to building long-term structures, quality cannot be compromised.
It almost always ends up costing more down the line.