The Biggest Challenge in Product Design
I was listening to an interview with former Twitter VP of Design Mike Davidson on the Intercom podcast and it made me fire away a tweetstorm.
It had me thinking that the best products have no choice but to evolve over time, and having to navigate all the different obstacles comes with the territory. That can be a growth challenge, a revenue challenge, a competitor challenge, and often it’s actually a first principle “what does our product even do?” challenge.
So with these in mind, I wondered what I thought was the single biggest challenge when it comes to designing products of any kind. And what I came up with is actually pretty basic, and often times something that’s easily forgettable because it’s not the sexiest or even the most intuitive to ask.
Here’s my own take on it:
Arguably the biggest fundamental challenge in product design isn’t the tech or visuals—it’s the ability to question your own assumptions.
— Jomi Cubol (@TheBadPrince) February 19, 2016
Be dogmatic about the vision, but be receptive towards the path. Many hills and unknown terrains. It’s about inching closer to the best one.
— Jomi Cubol (@TheBadPrince) February 19, 2016
You’ll face product choices that will be very difficult to make. And there’s no formula: it’s grounding it in both evidence and gut feeling.
— Jomi Cubol (@TheBadPrince) February 19, 2016
And I’m learning that the best ones constantly face this. But they plough through. And if they’re wrong, they change course and keep going.
— Jomi Cubol (@TheBadPrince) February 19, 2016
External noise is just noise including your own doubts and fears. Do what you think is best for the product and everything else will follow.
— Jomi Cubol (@TheBadPrince) February 19, 2016
Photo: Jonathan House