How to be anintelligent designer

Simon Lewis

The problem

✓ ✗

Why are digital products so complex?

vs

It doesn’t have to be this way

Bring on the men with beards

✓✗

Intelligent design principles

Reduce the number of features that the product offers1

Introduce a strong mental model for the user2

Pay attention to aesthetics3

Intelligent design principles

Remove features1

Add a mental model2

Care about aesthetics3

• Users struggle to understandwhat the product is for.

• Features interact with each other -usually badly.

• Navigation is compromised.

Intelligent design principles

Remove features1

Add a mental model2

Care about aesthetics3

• Design it explicitly.

• Do it first – before you designthe product.

• Build the product to support the model – not vice versa.

Intelligent design principles

Remove features1

Add a mental model2

Care about aesthetics3

• Create the right first impression.

• Showcase your simplicity.

• Reveal the mental model.

Intelligent design principles

SIMPLE1

INTUITIVE2

DELIGHTFUL3

(COMPLEX)

(OBSCURE)

(DREADFUL)

vs

It’s that simple

(or is it?)

Thank you

Simon Lewis