Design@SAIF - Issue #10

June 13, 2016

Until recently, my Monday morning was about compiling reports on various projects - and I would demand the same of my teams. Now even before Monday arrives, I think through the many questions, the problems, the discussions I have had with the founders, designers and product folks the week before. It also means reflecting on how some of these articles would help them (and me) in excelling at what we do. That's the genesis of this list and my new Monday regime.

Our issue is in double digits and our subscribers have crossed a humble 100. Here's to more actionable inspirations ahead...

This one is for all of those brave first/only designers, most often encountered in Startups. Jeffrey Kalmikoff shares some practical, handy tips for the lone (designer) wolf in a startup. He should know since he's been the one (and only) at many.

For those of us who use Slack everyday - this is a wonderful sneak peek into the workings of its design force. Discover how Slack’s design process "mirrors the open communication that the company was created to foster." Recommended read with some great takeaways. Interestingly, I recently had a longish discussion with startup folks on a key takeaway (spoiler alert) and my favourite: - don’t prescribe the solution, describe the context around the problem.

This isn't a terribly easy read, yet its a 'Conversion-101-for-Designers' article: weaving Content, UX, A/B testing, User Research and more in a relatively short article. And it drives home a point that is always worth reiterating - understand "business goals and articulate how these goals connect to UX." (Note its web centric but some take aways for the mobile world).

"Are your design skills about to become irrelevant in an age of AI? Or can you reinvent yourself in time?" Former colleague (and a Physicist turned Usability Architect turned Author) Giles does what he does best—delivering a short, but thoughtful talk, with a mild hint of British humour. [12 mins]

: : Non-UX inclusions : :

"On October 23, 2006, Brain Pickings was born as an email to my seven colleagues". Nine years and millions of subscribers later, BrainPickings remains a treasure trove of inspiration, delightful connections and more. As our little despatch steps into the 10th issue, I thought its a good time to step back a little, and reflect on the learnings including one from a wise common friend: "everything worthwhile takes time."

Until next week,

@JDallcaps @SAIFpartners

PS: Any actionable interesting you may have come across, please don't just keep it to yourself. Share it forward... :)