Harmony in Process

Process does not design make but inharmonious process does design break.

Most designers have been taught and follow a design process to help reduce the friction of creating and concluding on design solutions. When the process is not in harmony with the available tools, skill level, deadlines, goals and even the outcome, the resulting designs are jumbled and incoherent, often missing crucial elements and needing rework.

Harmony in Delight

Great design delights its users.

In order to delight, the design must first establish a harmonious predictable and stable relationship with the user. After all, design is a human relationship and if it is inconsistent, it’s hard to tell if we are being delighted or led astray. Delight therefore equals a certain level of trust and trust requires a definite level of harmony.

Harmony in Simplicity and Universality

Simplicity is what we get when we strip something of it’s extraneous features and focus on its core value.

By remaining true to a user’s main goal, the designer is able to limit options and create an environment with obvious objectives and low cognitive load in order to initiate action and proficiency. This clarity is based on and works in harmony with the user’s familiarity of established tools. Great design allows users of different ages, genders and nationalities to efficiently interact with a tool universally.

Harmony in consistency

Great design knows and accepts itself.

By building on its own identity, great design is able to create a consistent persona, communicate a consistent message, and behave in a consistent manner creating trust and harmony. Having harmony in persona makes the design invisible and allows the function and offering to remain front and center.

Harmony in relationship

Like a good friend, great design is thoughtful and gets to know its users through time.

That’s the harmony, the user and the design get to interact with each other and adapt. Great design will know what it’s users love about it and will give priority to that. Great design will (eventually) treat it’s users differently based on a users individual needs. Common goals will lead to common understanding and views that pave the way for a harmonious relationship. One common goal for most relationships is growth and for good design that is no exception. Growing with users sometimes means offering more complex options when the user is ready for them and at other times reducing steps to reach desired goals faster. Growth also means knowing when to inspire and when to push users to try new things.