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AMA: I'm Matias Duarte, a VP of Design at Google!

over 8 years ago from Matias Duarte, VP Design, Google

  • krishnan srinivasankrishnan srinivasan, over 8 years ago

    Hi Matias,

    First of all, I wanted to say thank you. Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich were some of the most compelling UI/UX designs I had ever come across, and they taught me a lot about how I thought about function and form.

    My question is: what sources of inspiration do you draw from when you are thinking of design. What made you want to design in the first place? Do you typically have a design routine or method that you practice every time start a new project?

    2 points
    • Matias DuarteMatias Duarte, over 8 years ago

      I have a mantra I follow when tackling design projects, which is focus on the problem. Too many times I’ve fallen in love with an idea and wasted a bunch of time. However if you focus on something that’s a problem - something that causes pain or frustration or is an unmet need - you know you’re not just building a fantasy.

      I like to have all projects be summarized in one page: What’s the problem? A real tangible problem we’re solving - not how, just what. What’s the opportunity? How will the world be better if the problem was solved. Again, not how will the problem be solved, but what’s the end result? How can you tell without seeing someone use your product that after the fact you actually solved their problem. What’s the plan? Not a solution. A plan, a first draft, a germ of an idea that you’re willing to throw out when it turns out not to actually solve the problem.

      At the start of every crit, it’s nice to have this one pager, and a summary of our user research posted on the wall next to the designs. Those two things serve to keep us honest about our work.

      7 points