As interactive designers we spend a lot of time trying to court the people who will use what we design. We are hunters for the ultimate romance between products and people. This is natural because we’re inventors and thinkers—we want to delight. And we should. But when we reach the pinnacle of our creation we must ask how many people actually want to climb to the peak with us.
Let’s explore ways we can truly understand who we’re designing for, how they’ll use what we’re creating, and how we can use an iterative, informative process to arrive at products that delight in their simplicity. We’ll break down the mystique of the design process into tangible principles, evolving us from carnies to artisans.