Amy Blunden [ design journal ]

[ Reflections: Design Delightful Experiences, Use Metaphors and Analogies and Audit Design ]

In this week’s material, the three concepts that stood out to me most were designing delightful experiences, utilizing metaphors and analogies and auditing design.

Designing delightful experiences means thinking about every aspect of the user experience, and then integrating that information to tailor a pleasurable, pain-free and intuitive experience for the user. Don’t make the user have to think too much- think for them, and they will repay you kindly.

Utilizing metaphors and analogies was another concept that stood out to me, probably because it’s something I do naturally as a writer. I think that metaphor, analogy and story are literary elements that are very necessary in the design world. Long before traditional education, people used story and metaphor as teaching mechanisms, so story is inextricably related to learning in every culture on this planet. Because story is so innately human, these are truly effective tools for crafting personal, pleasant communications with the intended audience.

The final concept for this week, auditing design, is going to be crucial in the coming months. For the brand campaign thesis project, a thorough design audit is absolutely necessary. The most critical parts of the design audit are discerning between successful and unsuccessful brand elements and determining whether the design budget is being utilized effectively.

When you implement a comprehensive design audit and weave story into your designs, you’re well on your way to designing a delightful experience for the user.

[ Reflections: Be Aware of Yourself, Ask Questions and Build Brand Experiences ]

In this week’s material, the three concepts that stood out to me most were being aware of yourself, asking questions and brand-building through experience.

I thought being aware of yourself was an important concept, because everything a person does, or doesn’t do, contributes to their brand. Every interaction, phone call, e-mail and social media post we make helps define us in the eyes of our audience. This, of course, is also true of brands that represent entire companies and organizations. It’s also especially pertinent to remember that as designers, we’re representing ourselves in all that we do, so it’s best to be mindful.

Asking questions is a technique used to extract information about ourselves, our process, our clients and our decisions. Questioning helps us explore all of the facets and options available to us, and it helps us assure that our designs will be on-point and reach the heart of their audience. In life, and design, I feel it is good to begin with questioning yourself about who you are and why. I believe that a clear understanding of oneself is the first step to being able to see and understand another.

The last, and perhaps most pertinent, concept was how brands are built through experience. While many identity elements tend to be static pieces, it’s the experience the user has with the branded object, place or service that creates a lasting memory in their minds. It’s vital to engineer the most delightful experience imaginable through your brand, because that’s how you fulfill the needs of your users.