Human > Simple > Creative > Delightful
We all consider ourselves crazy but there is a method to our madness. Here are some lenses we use to design and review everything we do. They are our guidelines. It is almost a checklist of how we believe things should be done to achieve positive change.
Human. Are you solving someone's problem/necessity?
We don’t design for browsers, tablets and smartphones. We design for those who love to use them. Someone will use what you are doing. Don't forget about him. Are you solving their problem/necessity? Are you making his life a little bit better? They are humans just like you with aspirations, expectations and desires. Are you considering those?
Simple. What is really essential to that solution?
What is really necessary? Is it as simple as it can be? Is there anything else that can be taken of? Will users know what to do? Two pixels, that last line of code or that comma that is not making sense. Is the result simple? Is the way of doing it simple as well? As Steve Jobs would say: “Simple can be harder than complex” and, in fact, it is. But it’s worth it.
Creative. Have you tried looking at it from another perspective?
Creativity is a skill. And as any other skill it can be trained and developed. Ask yourself: Does it bring a different perspective on that subject? Does it make new connections? Are you experimenting a new way of doing things? Is that little detail being taken care of?
Delightful. What kind of experience are you trying to create?
Is it pleasing? Does it have a nice experience embedded to it? Are you considering that people will interact with this experience? Does it have that "one more thing"? What kinds of feeling they will have after they experienced it? Will people smile or rage out after this?