Design Thinking: A case study into the professional design marketplace

Reportby VivianTruong

Design Thinking

Acasestudyintotheprofessional designmarketplace.

Introduction

Everyuserisacomplexuser.

And built upon their experiences in life and the choices they’ve made up until now, professionaldesignerscanmapouttheirstories,empathisewiththeirproblems,and create solutions that aid them in their journey online and in person. Dubbed the foundingfatherofuserexperience(UX)design,DonNormanconveysthat:

“Wemustdesignforthewaypeople behave,notforhowwewouldwishthem tobehave.”

Andinmytimeasadesignstudent,thisnotionhasfollowedme.Thereinforcementof human-centricdesignpractices during my degree has given me the opportunity to learn about the little things. The micro-interactions which make or break your user experience And when considering how design affects our lives, it acts as an “instrumentofculturallife”(Buchanan,2001)asitisthewaywebuildsociety,making solutionstomeetourneedsanddesires.

After searching through various corners of the internet and reaching out to my network, Ipositionmyself as a designer who strives to build community and create inclusiveexperiences.

Comingfrom personalexperience asanAsianAustralianwoman,I’vefelt misplaced in school, social circles, and even at home. This experience I felt as an ‘other’ has pushedmetotrytwiceashardtogettoapositionwhereIcanstudyandworkinthe design field in Australia. Along with this, I feel a strong personal connection to disability-friendly design practices with my two younger brothers having Autism SpectrumDisorder.

Throughout their lives, I have been witness to increased struggle due to poorly planned user journeys and user experiences I would like the opportunity to aid children and othervulnerablegroupsintheirday-to-daylife.

Norman,D A (2016) Livingwithcomplexity TheMitPress

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In the future, I’d like to work with underserved communities like people withdisabilities,non-Englishspeakers,and socially vulnerable groups, creating safe and important solutions for whatever problemtheymayhave.

Myfocusliesoninclusivityatasociallevel and being able to achieve this through “a range of products and services that together accommodate the whole population without stigma” (Clarkson et al.,2013).

To achieve a greater understanding of this niche market, I’d like to research into ‘inclusivedesigners’, focusing on user experience and service design related roles Specifically investigating how professional designers end up designing for such specificgroupsofpeople

Stemming from this research, by providing differentcommunities with relevant and human-centredexperiences,Icanbecomemuchmoreequippedtodealwithdesign practiceandotherprofessionaldesignersasIcontinueoninmycareerjourney.

UserExperience Designers

WhoareUserExperienceDesigners?

User (UX) Experience design is defined as the “process design teams use to create products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users.” (Interaction DesignFoundation,2019)

But more than this, UX design involves the consideration of morals and ethics. Philosopher T.M Scanlon highlights in his book ‘What We Owe to Each Other’ that we areresponsibleforupholdinggoodandreasonableactionsforthebenefitofpeople. Itisinfactwhatweowetoeachother Althoughonecanbedeemedresponsiblefora decision, it is also recognized by the individual assigning accountability that several factorsbeyondone'scontrolplayedaroleintheultimateoutcome.

“Adesiretoactinawaythatcanbe justifiedtoothers”

Scanlon,T M (1998) Whatweowetoeachother BelknapPressOfHarvardUniversityPress

Thisphilosophydirectlytranslatesintothework of a UX designer. These designers are studying the intricate and complicated life stories of various audiences and creating an inclusive journey for them to experience. They look at every factor in one’s life and map out their motives,priorities,challengesandmore.From ideating solutions for a brief or testing the usability of digital applications to integrating a product or even branding and marketing, UX designers must understand how to be empathetic. Theyneedto putthemselvesinto the shoes of a user and judge what action wouldbethemostbeneficialtothem.

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ChallengesandOpportunities

A UX Designer’s work “touches the entire end-to-end journey of a user’s interaction with a product” (BrainStation, 2023) which also means that their work may differ depending on where they end up working. Whilst being versatile is a great skill, UX Designers often report the stress of being titled a ‘UX Designer’. User Experience Design Collective (UXDC)

Founder,OlhaBahaieva(2021)conveys that although a part of building a product from beginning to end, “you’re justasolutionprovider,butnotthefinal businessowner.”(Bahaieva,2021)

Theroleofa‘UXDesigner’actsasanumbrellatermforthemanyresponsibilitiesone canhave.Fromcontentdesign,UXresearchanduserinterfacedesign,therearemany different responsibilities which fall under this position. Often, in-house designers working at startups or small companies are ‘corporate unicorns’ covering other creativerelateddutieslikegraphicdesignormarketing.

Often times, corporations will not consider the extensive research and processes usedtofindasolution, rather focusing on the profitability of a product. However, as more companies realise the value of mapping out a user’s journey and planning products,thisischanging.Moreover,UXDesignersarelearninghowtobecompatible for both businesses and users, finding a moral ground between the two By considering the long-term benefits of user satisfaction and retention, UX designers can help companies achieve their goals while also prioritising the needs of their users.

With the demand of user-centered design growing, corporations are shifting their focustowardscreatingproductswhichgeneraterevenuebutalsocatertotheneeds and wants of their users. This shift is largely due to the realisation that comprehending the user experience is crucial for constructing products that are successful Another challenge UX designers face is keeping up with ever-evolving trends and technologies. With different technologies advancing, new devices and platforms emerge as users adopt new behaviors and preferences. UX designers mustbeabletounderstandthesechangesandapplythemtotheirdesignprocess

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ProfessionalDesignerProfile:

JamesNau-VPofDesign@AirTasker

James Nau is the VP of Design at AirTasker AirTasker is an Australian-based company which “provides an online and mobile marketplace enabling users to outsource everyday tasks. Users describe the task and indicate a budget, community members then bidtocompletethetask.”(AirTasker,2023)

James has been involved in building and rebranding AirTasker, coming on as VP of Design in 2019, he describes his journey from Motion Designer and Videographer to Head of BrandingandUserExperience.

“Ireallyjustwanttolearnfromother people”

(JamesNau,2023)

I wanted to interview a seniordesigner to learn more about their career journey and what brought them to their position today. As I interviewed James Nau, I gained a broaderperspectiveonmycareerpath,realizingtheimportance of userexperience aswellasthesignificanceoftimemanagementandwork-lifebalance.

StudyingDigitalMediainuniversity,Jamesdidn’tcomefromaproductbackground.In fact, he worked as a motion designer, photographer and brand designer before stepping into the UX space. He attributes these past experiences to building his characterandgivinghimanedgeagainsthispeers.However,Jamesalsocreditshis graphic design background as being a conduit for his imposter syndrome, always feeling out of place and afraid that someone may ‘find out’ you don’t know what you’re doing. His solution for this was to “throw yourself into your role as early as you can”(JamesNau,2023).

James gave me an insight I hadn’t quite expected, explaining how his passion for art translated into a job in the tech industry. In general, his enthusiasm about user experience design and the importance of creating accessible and inclusive solutions made me feel acknowledged as a designer who values inclusivity. And after interviewing James, I felt a strong affinity for his role and aspire to become aheadof branding/designatacompanythatprioritizesinclusivityandaccessibility.

Service Designers

WhoareServiceDesigners?

Service design refers to the creation of sustainable solutions and experiences for service providers and customers in “unique contexts” (Interaction Design Foundation, 2015) They aim to solve problems for various audiences based on one’s socioeconomicstatus,location,age,genderandotherfactors.Insteadoffocusingon one part of the design process or individual touch points, service designers must considertheoverallcustomerjourneyofauser.

“Usersdon’taccessbrandsinavacuum, butwithincomplexchainsof interactions.”

(InteractionDesignFoundation,2015)

For example, a train is a product. But to a service designer, it’s a tool used by high school students to commute to and from school, nurses to get to a hospital, elderly people visiting a family member. Within one product are the life stories of different people. One user may not know how to take public transport whilst one may have years of experience catching trains. Perhaps this user has a physical disability and must receive aid from train station workers. From here, we must now consider the serviceprovider'suserexperienceinrelationtothisuser.

Servicedesignersmustbeabletocatervarioususersandtheircontextasadesigner, understanding how each relates to each other from beginning to end. Only then will theybeabletoprovidesustain

Derivingfromthebook‘ThisisServiceDesignThinking:Basics,Tools,Cases’,authors MarcStickdornandJakobSchneiderpinpointthefiveprinciplesofwhatservicedesign shouldbe:

1.User-centered

Service design begins with investigating into the needs and desiresoftheusers,andthencreating solutionswhichcanmeettheseneeds.

3.Sequencing

Servicedesignersmustviewtheentire end-to-end customer journey and map out the touchpoints and interactionseachuserhas.

5.Holistic

2.Co-creative

Servicedesignersmustco-createwith users, stakeholders, and other designers to find more effective solutions.

4.Evidencing

By creating tangible evidence of the service experience, both the service provider and the customer can understandtheimportanceofthisjourney

Byconsideringtheentireecosysteminwhichtheserviceexists,designerscanmake solutionsthataresustainable,andconsiderateofallstakeholdersinvolved

However, service design does not come without its challenges. Often, service designers are building on top of existing processes and solutions to create an enhanced user experience. One of the biggest barriers service designers face is their team, or rather their “inertia to change'' (NEXA, 2019) With a team comes web developers, product managers and other people who want different things for this specificsolution. Designers must fight for their belief and change the opinions of or compromisewiththeirteamtocreateaviablesolution.

Some critics argue that service design on its own doesnotinciteenoughchangeto resistant organisations or government bodies. “Not because it isn’t an important piece of the puzzle” (Mhanna, 2019) but as the complex and systemic nature of problems users face requires radical change rather than “incremental problem solvingandexperimentation”(Mhanna,2019)whichcompaniesarepossiblywillingto implement.

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ProfessionalDesignerProfile:

MichelleOu-ServiceDesigner@ eHealthNSW

Michelle Ou is a ‘Human-Centred Designer’ at eHealthNSWwhereshetakesonaneducational role to teach non-designers about the design process.

Inthepast,MichellehasworkedfortheCentreof Inclusive Design where she supported different organisations to better serve their people, using culturally appropriate, safe research and designpractices Inhercareer,shehasengaged with over 200 people with lived experience of exclusionormismatch.

“Noteverypersonisjustlikeus" (MichelleOu,2023)

Having watched her inclusive design lecture in another unit of mine this semester, I was adamant to hear about her experiences as a UX and service designer. Michelle comesfromauniqueperspective,sheoriginallyworkedinthehealthsectorhowever after re-evaluating, she realised she didn’t want to do the same thing every day. Michelle spoke to me about her experiencesinconsulting and howitdiffered from working at a firm like the Centre of Inclusive Design, the main differences being culture and the difficulty of work you complete. After hearing about her personal story, I felt I could relate to her experiences as a person of colour living in Australia Through this, she extracted her experiences and used them to create a career for herselfasamentor,designerandeducator

As I heard more about her time working with underserved communities, it made me realise how much one designer can impact theworld.Ihadn'tfullyponderedthetangible effects of design in the real world until Michelle talked about her work with hospital patients and public schools I really enjoyed myconversationwithMichelleandstriveto changetheworldthroughmyowndesign.

Reflections

WhereIStand

Having interviewed multiple designers and conductedresearchonUXandservicedesign,my aim is to concentrate on improving user experience by enhancing existing solutions for the betterment of the world And after hearing from Michelle Ou about her experiences working with underserved communities, I’d like to start my career at a place like the Centre for Inclusive Design and hear about the processes involved in creating inclusive and sustainable solutions for vulnerablegroupsofpeople.

Through this research, I wanted to understand how design could change the world andaffectpeople’slives.Inmyexperiencestudyingdesign,we’reoftentaughtabout thesurfacelevelofhowoursolutionscouldhelpabusinessoracustomer,Ineverfelt connected with what I was creating. However, this has changed. I now appreciate how things differ within teams and how different solutions require different skill sets I want to be a designer that can educate non-designers and put myself within their shoes,designingnotformyselforabusinessbutforahuman.

Although I don’t know which field I’d eventually like to work in, user experience and service design align with what I’d like to be doing in the future. I hope to make a difference in the world in my own way, solving problems through empathy and strategy, incorporatingdifferentphilosophiesoflifetosolutions. It is what we owe toeachother.Hopefullyoneday,I'llbeadesignersomeonereachesouttoforhelp,a mentor who can teach them about the career market or perhaps even asks to interviewthemfortheirassignmentabouttheprofessionaldesignmarketplace.

What'sNext?

Fromhere,Ihave3yearsleftofmydegree.

During this time, I’d like to build my network and become involved with more extracurriculars. As of now, I am currently the co-president of the University of Sydney’s Google Developer Student Club and work forthestreamingcompanyStanintheproductteam Page11of12

By the end of 2023, Ihaveaninternshiplinedup for a consulting firm. Eventually, I’d like to move overseas and explore the world, working with different types of companieslikestartupsorlargecorporations.

AfterhearingfromJamesNauabouthisexperiencejob-hoppingandhisshiftintothe techspace,Ihopetoworkinvariousindustrieslikefilmormusic,findingouthowuser experiencecanrelatetodifferentcornersoftheworld.

Lateroninmycareer,beingthe‘HeadofDesign’likeJamesNauwouldbemyultimate goal as I’d like to dictate the vision of a company’s brand and be in charge of other aspiring designers, shaping their career journey just as all of my role models and mentorshavedoneforme.

1year 5years

Completemy internshipata techcompany

Becomeajunior UXdesigner@a mid-levelfirm

10years

Moveoverseas andexperiencedifferent designrolesforvariousfims (inclusivedesign,service design,graphicdesignand etc)

20years

Becomeheadof branding/designfor aninclusivedesign firm

Bibliography

AirTasker (2023) Aboutus Airtasker https://wwwairtaskercom/au/about/

Bahaieva,O (2021,December11) 3RevealingReasonsWhyaUXDesignerCareerIsStressful UX DesignersClub https://mediumcom/ux-designers-club/3-revealing-reasons-why-ux-designercareer-is-stressful-30a9b4bdcb6a

BrainStation.(2023).WhatDoesaUXDesignerDo?(2021Guide)|BrainStation®.BrainStation. https://brainstation.io/career-guides/what-does-a-ux-designer-do

Buchanan,R (2001) HumanDignityandHumanRights:ThoughtsonthePrinciplesofHumanCenteredDesign DesignIssues,17(3),35–39 https://wwwjstororg/stable/1511799?

casa token=J2HInryMuNgAAAAA%3Ah0NpO5xjreaLdOVHXukXf55DIHLPpnI5JConCWt7AtvG nSvUZDrwiAPfRs8CRd1r6WAQ6aSh7AQQhSbCXegQwukTg1D45KjYy6X5O5uCLfnlYXB0l

Clarkson,P.J.,Coleman,R.,Keates,S.,&Lebbon,C.(2013).InclusiveDesign:DesignfortheWhole Population.InGoogleBooks.SpringerScience&BusinessMedia. https://books.google.com.au/books?

hl=en&lr=&id=z2vjBwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP17&dq=inclusive+design+&ots=oAaObSv6fA&sig=kZD aPm1GhNryidYAAhmbzVGA4mU#v=onepage&q=inclusive

InteractionDesignFoundation (2015) WhatisServiceDesign?TheInteractionDesignFoundation; UXcourses https://wwwinteraction-designorg/literature/topics/service-design

InteractionDesignFoundation (2019) WhatisUserExperience(UX)Design?TheInteractionDesign Foundation.https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-design

Mhanna,S.(2019,October15).ServiceDesignisnotenough.TheMoment. https://www.themoment.is/service-design-is-not-enough/

NEXA (2019) ServiceDesign:6BarrierstoServiceDesignandhowtoovercomethem Nexacomau

https://blognexacomau/blog/6-barriers-to-service-design

Norman,D A (2016) Livingwithcomplexity TheMitPress

Scanlon,T.M.(1998).Whatweowetoeachother.BelknapPressOfHarvardUniversityPress.

Stickdorn,M.,Lawrence,A.,Hormess,M.,&Schneider,J.(2018).Thisisservicedesignmethods,a companiontoThisisservicedesigndoing:expandedservicedesignthinkingmethodsforreal projects.O’reillyMedia,Inc.