Design Philosophy

Last year, I took a course called Design Thinking, which emphasized user-focused design principles with empathy as the main focus. I talked to real people and practiced distilling their needs into something that could be measured. It was a vulnerable process that taught me how to continuously reflect, listen, and change.

What this taught me about product design:

• True user-centered design takes into account not only how customers use the product, but also how they feel about using it. If your product works but people don't like using it, its utility is limited at best.

• Users should be embedded within the design process. It's easy to design a product thinking you know what the customer wants, but it is another thing entirely to integrate them within the process and truly incorporate their feedback. Don't assume you know everything about who you're designing for.

• Empathy is at the center of all design. Many users won't give you constraints in easily engineer-able terms ex. withstand 10 lbf . Empathy is the tool to hear and listen to what people say about their challenges, and translate it into a product that will solve those challenges.

To me, design is about creating solutions for those who often can’t articulate exactly what they need—but know when something works for them. It’s about asking thoughtful questions, paying attention to subtle cues, and being willing to let go of your assumptions in order to create something truly wonderful.