Design Principles at Wirecutter

Talk for Design Systems Coalition NYC meetup on October 4, 2017. (See the recording for more context.)

Transcript

2. We redesigned — yesterday!
3. Previously...
4. Today!
7. Early days Principles in our hearts
13. Staffed up Principles on paper
14. • Mission statement • Core values • Aspirational values • Accidental values Purpose and Values For editors
15. • Mission statement • Core values ◦ Mindfulness and real-world wisdom ◦ Rigor in evaluation ◦ Be useful • Aspirational values • Accidental values Purpose and Values For editors
16. • Mission statement • Core values • Aspirational values ◦ Great timing: proper timing to be most useful to readers ◦ Self-evolving: through evolving processes, structures, collaboration • Accidental values Purpose and Values For editors
17. • Mission statement • Core values • Aspirational values • Accidental values ◦ Overthinking/afraid to be wrong or to fail (in a negative way) ◦ Evaluative in hiring and everything else we do (in a positive way) Purpose and Values For editors
18. The Most Important Things For writers “FAQ or frequently spotted mistakes that people make all the time I’m tired of explaining”
19. Give the advice to readers that you’d give to your friends, your family, and your loved ones. The Most Important Things
20. Remember touch and feel. It’s the parts people touch and feel that often cause the most friction. The Most Important Things
21. Real-world differences are the thing to focus on when you describe gear, especially all the visual, audio, speed, and performance stuff that can usually be measured in numbers. The Most Important Things
22. Avoid cliché industry jargon. People are people, not consumers. Things are in stores, not on the market. The Most Important Things
23. Full size (for now) Principles for all the new folks
24. Postcard 2017
25. Postcard 2017
26. Today