"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."
Sun Tzu
The Process
Design plays a primary role in the interpretation of message/product.
Learn:
Systems thinking (some people call it “first principles thinking”) – I can argue that’s the only way to solve a problem. Ignoring the approach of just seeing inspiration, copying, and tweaking a little bit of what other people are doing. This approach taken by a lot of folks, I think, is somewhat troubling. Why? Software products have started to work and look alike. What I intend to do is – Take a step back, and see how I can fundamentally solve it. Look at where things are coming from on a business side in order to know how to rebel against competition.
Refine:
Personally, I don’t go on Dribbble and look at what’s popular. Instead, I ask if – this is solving people’s problems in the fewest clicks possible? Is this the easiest mental model users will understand? Is this fun to play with? More objective, less fashiony, less Dribbble–y.
Focus:
This approach, I submit, allows me to – navigate the solution maze, and be sure of why something I have designed is going to work. Work well enough. And allows me to finally put my focus on figuring out the skin I want to put on it. (Typography, layout et.)
