The Politics of Design
We come out of art school with the notion that we'll be spending about 80% of our focus and time on designing fabulous widgets and eccentric interfaces. But the truth of the matter is, in the real world with real people, we end spending about:
- 1/3 on Politics — scoping goals and overall agendas
- 1/3 on Design — actual hands-on photoshop thinking in right brain
- 1/3 on Production — assets, content input, & technical development 'n integration
This makes perfect sense when taking a closer look at the definition of Politics:
"Politics is the process and conduct of decision-making for groups. Although it is usually applied to governments, political behavior is also observed in corporate, academic, religious, and other institutions"
It is possible to make politics more of an art form by applying some good old design thinking:
- The politics of questions: How will the questions we ask at the beginning of a process shape the decisions we make and the product that eventually results?
- The politics of change: How can we change the mind-set about design? Can we change the typical processes, which are technology or feature-and-function driven, to be user-focused? Can the designer become the interpreter of the requirements with a well-developed sense of user empathy?
- The politics of convergence: Where are the gaps and strengths of the team? How can we successfully marry the agendas of both the business and the user?
- The politics of corporate survival: What creates barriers or opportunities for good design decisions?
- The politics of language: How can a clear content strategy affect the politics of design?
- The politics of politics: Good intentions are not enough. Work within the system, or fight from the outside. Celebrate unexpected success.
