Design Iteration
Iterate, refine, profit!
As designers and product makers, we’ve all been there: staring at a blank screen, trying to come up with the perfect solution to a complex problem. But here’s the thing: there’s no such thing as a “perfect” solution. Even if there was, how long would it take you to get there?
That’s where design iteration comes in – a repeatable process of improving your idea (or part of it) in relatively short but regular bursts. It’s like a feedback loop that helps you refine your ideas, test them out, and make data-driven decisions about what works and what doesn’t.
So why should you care about short design iterations? For one thing, it saves time and resources by helping you identify and fix problems early on - try things out. It also facilitates collaboration among stakeholders, designers, and developers on your team – which is essential AND low risk. Especially for a start up without a ton of time and cash.
So how do you make design iteration work for your team? Here are some tips:
- Embrace trial-and-error: Learn what works and what doesn’t. It’s okay to make mistakes – it’s all part of the process!
- Be flexible: Adapt your workflow as needed to stay on track.
- Work asynchronously: Allow other teammates to contribute to different parts of the product at the same time.
- Collaborate and listen: Gather feedback from stakeholders and users to inform your design decisions. I’ve heard this referred to aas Complaint Driven Development - which kind’a works.