Relationships are the heat source of all creativity. The best advice one can give, is find a design firm that is open to new ideas, can pay attention to delivery and details and says yes.
There may be pitches such as a crazy way to video your new product or perform a massive social media stunt, it might sound risky but jump in. Generally, when there is confidence in the room, ideas will seem nonsensical. In regards to crafting prototypes and digital products, therein lies unique circumstances for creatives. Creatives are gifted in the fact that they can quickly imagine a product and prototype it. They tend to intertwine stories and fascinate about the usability, the look, the feel. As this is a gift it is also a curse. Our inner relationship with ourselves can be suffocating. We must on a daily basis test our products among sample groups. We must talk to potential clients and we have to get out of our every day and meet new people.
Beyond ourselves comes relationship building. Working with a team has said to be crucial for creatives at every level. With the decision made to start a project or agency solo or with a team there is consensus to have a partner. "Going in to freelancing and working for yourself sounds really nice on paper, but I do think that if you jump straight to it, you could possibly miss out on some opportunities afforded to you in working as part of a larger whole" said Justin Mezzell continuing by suggesting that inner development will come natural as you work with people.
Working with people has its distinct hurdles. Working with the particular designer and developer relationship may at times seem like your walking up Mount Everest. But when developers and designers work in unison and form a unique bond, they can create magic with their collective efforts.
Conventionally, developers have a technical look at product development. Designer's recognizing that there are many ways that products can be made and must be committed to the time spent learning. It is been said that transparency between every particular facet of the design must be highlighted. Using wire framing techniques, at times are not enough.
There are many exclusions, but usually the mystery behind one group is like an enigmatic to the other - nonetheless both the designers and developers will form a unique relationship together, fostering skills that the other needs to fill the void. As a baseline, breakthrough products always start out very simple, highlighting one or two features max. Designers at the beginning should make every effort to build sterile models that anybody could understand. From there its generally certain that more than one designer and developer will contribute to the piece, whether its outsourcing or network cross-pollination. Going into any project at first should start with a simple prototype. Use arrows and prototyping tools such as Invision greatly advances the dialogue.
When it comes to applying details consistently during your design phase, you’ll realize that style guides are an admirable tool for developer and designer collaboration. Creating a style guide usually is completed during the beginning to the middle of the project, when creativity has flourished and it's time to produce deliverables. Developers will have a fast visual list to select from and can level speed up their product development.
Typically style guides are shown to have a color palette, text, and maybe a logo. They read more like a catalogue of brand assets, which is useful to a point. Rethinking the style guide to include product sketches, diagrams, highlighted keywords, photos, and cultural inspiration can not only foster conversation but can enhance "the why" in your project.
At this stage its exciting. When creating the style guide, include the process work. Style guides should include the look and feel of the product sketched out. Maybe this occurred during a conversation between both the client or end users and the developer. If so, include notes within it. The color pallets, form, diagrams, or (layout if digital) should start to bleed through along with any leaders or callouts that describe function. Style guides with an immense amount of details, will exhibit a great deal of work but in the work will come the start of the product, whether hardware or software. These guides can go from 4 pages to 90 easily.
There are periods when a design appears like it will be sublime, but when it gets built, some potential gap might occur. A developer must be able to recognize this and defer to the designer for their knowledge. Its normal for intense conversations to occur during the design / development stage. Beforehand, conversations must be made so that expectations are laid out. Doing this early on in the style guide process, diagrams, . During the scope of the assigned project both the designer and the developer should be in the mix. This can deliver remarkable feedback, ideas and insights, which can truly be valuable. Designers or Developers shouldn’t be scared to reach out each other or the client (if applicable) and transparency throughout the project should be absolutely maintained. Regardless of the project there are project collaboration tools out there that are free, such as Trello.
Both the designer and the developer are conveying together two of the very diverse skills and attributes that are likewise important. Designers and developers have different tools and tactics that are unique to them. Focus on the skills that are unique to them and foster those out during every project. Push the boundaries of the other and make sure conversations are held that can promote the project not your ego.
