VDT?
WTF?
What's VDT again?
It stands for VISUAL DESIGN THINKING,
a work-in-progress toolkit we created a year ago,
trying to systematize the chaos we've faced
in every project 'til now!
Visual design
because we design visual interactions
Visual design thinking
because we co-design using visual tools and methods.
Let's start jamming
What's the purpose, you ask?
Because we value customer collaboration
over contract negotiation, as the agile manifesto says.
Why?
in order to create a strong and more effective identity
awareness with our clients
and to make the working space a better place to stay
Designers, developers, IA:
we are all craftsmen, creating (visual) products and services with a story and a human touch, satisfying real people needs.
Ethnography
What's this?
implying interviews and contextual observation.
When?
Why?
to define needs /desires/ opportunities
to map the relationships between people, objects, places, institutions.
A few tips
- forget to meet the average user: s/he doesn't exist;
- focus on users' niche: they will give you more interesting insights;
- do not pretend you to be objective;
- data are not evil. Use them;
- listen, observe, take notes.
Did we mention listen?
Observe?
Take notes?
You sure?
Moodboards!
What are moodboards?
In other words, mood-boards establish a site's look and feel the same way that a brand style guide specifies how a brand is represented in various context
Christopher Butler, The strategic web designer.
Sketching
Refining
'til everybody's happy!
Brands, tripolars.
You can think about brand in three parts:
who you are, how you dress and how you act .
Who you are is your brand strategy,
how you dress is your brand identity
and how you act is your marketing.
Andrea Shillington, Branding for good.
User stories!
TOOLS
Invision
or alike
ZURB Foundation
What's this all for?
BE RESPONSIVE.
Responsive has lots of meaning.
- be ready for mobility
- promptly respond to a query
- have an applicable brand identity
- right content, right context
- right interaction, right context
Did I mention contexts?
And cognitive payload?
REDUCE IT.
DON'T MAKE USER THINK.
unless he wants to.
Who we are then?
Chiara Albanesi
A visual designer and ethnographer, who works and lives in Milan.
She comes from a family of artisans and has an academic
background in Aesthetics and Anthropology.
In 2013 she co-founded MOKAlab, a co-working + open lab
for makers and designers.
Carlo Frinolli
An Experience Designer, Creative Director and CEO at nois3,
working and living in Rome.
With his hands-on mindset and hacker’s passionate tension, he loves to innovate and experiment in his job and everyday life.
And, by the way, the answer is 42.
vdt-webinar
By Carlo Frinolli
