Lesson: Design & Prototyping with Devika Patel & Natalie Griffen

Step #9 Design: Design is in every step of our product creation process

Design is important for this project because it's how we approached the project in general. So human-centered design, the specific design approach we used was integral to creating this product in the first place. We wouldn't have got anywhere if we hadn't used it.

Design plays not only a very large role in terms of what is normally thought of as design in terms of visual aesthetics, but design also plays a huge role in how the user experiences the product and how a user goes through the product and understands what's happening, understands what to do next to get to where they want to go. All these aspects of design that aren't necessarily linked directly to the visual aesthetics of the product are really important and are fundamental for the success of the product. Without design, this product would be just a backbone technology interface. But with design, we're able to add something more meaningful.

I think design is important for every step of the process. I like to think of it as an iterative kind of approach and not something that you do something in the beginning, but something that you come back to at each step.

So first you understand the product. You define it. You prototype it. You test it. And then you go back and see what worked and what didn't work. Sometimes you have to go all the way back to understanding the product, because you might have had some misconception.

So I think design is something that you look at each step of the product and is something that you continue to look at even after you have released the product, because there's always room for improvement. There's always room for updating the product. I think that design definitely is something that you should keep in mind throughout the process.