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🚀 Unlocking Success: The Power of Design Systems for Startups 🎨 Are you a startup aiming for long-term success? Discover why implementing a design system is a game-changer. Dive into our latest blog here https://lnkd.in/d2V2bfUN to explore its benefits: 🌟 Scalability: Fuel your growth journey with consistency. Learn how a design system ensures seamless expansion while retaining user familiarity. ⚙️ Efficiency: Time is money, especially for startups. Explore how design systems streamline development processes, empowering innovation without reinventing the wheel. 🎨 Brand Identity: Stand out from the crowd right from the start. See how a cohesive design system builds trust, loyalty, and a memorable brand experience. Ready to elevate your startup? Dive into the details and unlock the building blocks of success with Squads. Let's shape the future together! #DesignSystems #StartupSuccess #UIUX #BrandIdentity

Prototype to Product: Harnessing Entrepreneurial Engineering The journey from prototype to product is not merely a matter of engineering precision, but also of adopting an entrepreneurial mindset in the form of design thinking, a concept I came to appreciate deeply during my tenure at IBM. It is not merely a methodology; it is a creative lens through which we view our endeavors, with a focus on understanding users, accurately identifying problems, and crafting innovative solutions. At its core, it is human-centered design. So, what does this mean for us designers, creators and dreamers? 1.    Utility: Is your product addressing a genuine need, or is it a solution looking a problem? Does it meet essential criteria in terms of cost and scalability? Without clear value, there is no hope for adoption.   2.    Usability: A product's brilliance in solving a problem is wasted if the experience of using the product is frustrating. Think of this as a bridge between a product's capabilities and its acceptance by customers. Your product must not only perform its intended function but do so in a way that is intuitive and user-friendly. Otherwise, even the most innovative solution will falter.   3.    Desirability: You’ve cleared the first two steps…but did you solve the right problem? This is where many ventures stumble, having failed to recognize the importance of thorough market research and genuine engagement with potential users. It's critical to understand that the initial problem you identify might only be the tip of the iceberg. Often, deeper, more nuanced pain points emerge upon closer inspection. Achieving desirability means aligning your solution not just with the problem but with the users' real aspirations and needs. Your ideas have the power to shape the future. Let's innovate with purpose, design with empathy, and engineer solutions that leave a lasting impact. #Entrepreneurship #innovation #engineering #designthinking #SoftwareEngineering https://lnkd.in/gmmGcyxN

Google’s 3 E’s of Design Thinking Before we can delve into Google’s guide to effective inventiveness,, it is important to understand that design thinking is rooted in people’s creativity and ability to analyze the world around them. This means that anyone can be an innovator, and according to this illuminating article by Google- there are three simple steps one can take to achieve their goal of ingenuity. The first E, and one of the most important is empathy. Why do we care about the problems we’re trying to solve and how will our solutions impact those around us? I believe that empathy is a crucial subject in the domain of entrepreneurship that often gets overlooked. This article discusses the importance of discussing our solutions directly with people we believe will benefit the most from our ideas. As a student enrolled in the Entrepreneurship and Value Creation course at ASU, I agree from first hand experience that the interview process of a design is the most pivotal and substantial part of the entire design process. Afterall, a project's success is measured by others’ interest in the solution. The second E, expansive thinking, focuses on improving a current solution design and allowing for more variety in the problem-solving process. If our solutions have a wide variety of potential implementations, we gain more freedom for growth and room for application. Google refers to this process as 10X thinking- in other words, thinking of solutions that are 10 times better than what we’ve currently come up with. The third and final E, experimentation, is the step in which the other E’s combine and manifest into a physical prototype. Each project must undergo multiple iterations in order to weed out any flaws. In their article, Google suggests testing based on the specific project. For example, some project prototypes may perform better if they are tested internally before being released to the public. There are plenty of ways to go about testing a solution, and each way is certain to provide a form of valuable feedback. Through experimentation, we can gauge the effectiveness and accuracy of our empathic and expansive approaches. If you’d like to read more on this subject, here is the link to Google’s article: https://lnkd.in/g3WhNKF3

These days, there's way too much noise about "engineering" led companies. What if you actually want to create a "design led" company instead? If you do - here's a great way to start - https://lnkd.in/gr9T6xWx #uxd #startup #creativeorganizations

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or Startups for that matter, often struggle to bridge the gap between ideation and product realization. Bang Design as a strategic partner, offers a structured approach that optimizes product development for this crucial market segment. This article explores Bang Design’s methodology, highlighting its core strengths in translating client visions into breakthrough solutions. https://lnkd.in/gcB6dMdf If you're an SME owner or Chief Product Officer, Looking to bring your concept to reality, DM Prashant Subhedar or Vinay Rao 📩 #product #development #design #invention #sme #chiefproductofficer

Experimenting is wrong… sometimes. What's the alternative? Design. Here’s what I mean: I’ve worked for companies large and small. I’ve even started and exited a few. One thing that always struck me is how few actually design their profit systems. If you’re building a custom home, you’ll have an architect blend art and function in a blueprint. They design how things should work together. And they document it visually. The same thing happens for any manufacturing process. Someone designs and documents the flow. I rarely see organizations do this for the process of profit generation. It's a system like any other. Why is this overlooked? It's challenging. A profit generation architecture spans multiple company silos. from R&D to Sales and Support. It involves the entire company. Who designs it? Who owns it? The closest thing I’ve seen to this is funnel mapping. Another exercise that comes close is business model ideation in Startups. Both fall short. No overt design. And because there is no blueprint, there is no baseline for continuous improvement. Focus is given piecemeal to the different functional silos. Experiments are run at a local level. Even when an experiment is successful, the impact on profit is minimal. The organization's profit generation system is a holistic entity. And it needs to be optimized for maximum output. I didn't make this up; it's the basis for the Theory of Constraints– the brainchild of Eli Goldratt. Sometimes Design > Discovery (experimenting) Do you have a visual map of your company's growth system? If not, what is your baseline for improvement?

Creating a user-friendly design is crucial for startup success. Simplifying complex designs improves the user experience and engagement. 📝 Here are 5 tips to help you streamline your designs and achieve your business goals: 1. Embrace minimalism 2. Make navigation clear 3. Prioritize content 4. Use visual consistency 5. Test your designs with users Startups must simplify complex designs to deliver an exceptional user experience. To do this, embrace minimalism, implement clear navigation, prioritize content hierarchy, utilize visual consistency, and conduct user testing. 👉 At Iversoft, we specialize in helping startups develop scalable and flexible software solutions that enhance user engagement and streamline operations. Let's transform your complex designs into user-friendly experiences! Tell us about your project. #UserExperience #UXDesign #TechSolutions

Prototyping to shik-shak-shok your investors? 👁 👁 pt.1 <Figma link included> Recently, I've been talking to lots of new entrepreneurs at the ideation stage, so I wanted to highlight what a 🎩 nicely crafted prototype 🛠 can do to make a product stand out among others. 🌎 A software prototype serves as a tangible representation of your idea, providing a sneak peek into the functionality and user experience of your eventual product. Here's how it can be a game-changer for budding entrepreneurs: 🔹 Clarifies Vision: Before diving headfirst into development, a prototype allows you to visualize your concept in action. It helps in refining your vision, identifying potential pitfalls, and making necessary adjustments early on. 🔹 Validates Ideas: One of the biggest risks for startups is building something nobody wants. 🔹 Saves Time and Money: By creating a visual blueprint, you have higher chance of sticking to your roadmap at the initial stages of development as you have a clear end goal for the 1st round of development that you're following. 🔹 Attracts Investors and Partners: A well-executed prototype demonstrates your commitment and vision to investors and potential partners. 🔹 Fosters Collaboration: Building a prototype often involves collaboration between designers, developers, and domain experts, which can freshen things up for you and give you lots of new ideas. 🔹 Mitigates Technical Risks: Technical feasibility is a crucial aspect of any software project. A prototype helps in identifying and addressing technical challenges early in the development cycle, reducing the risk of encountering major roadblocks later on. That said, discover the powerful UX/UI ATS, CRM and ERP prototype components crafted by Axon. Right in Figma, where you can click through it! DM me if you'd like to know what it takes to start creating your own. 🏁 🏁 https://lnkd.in/eimQ2pWS

A common myth in the design industry: You should do everything by the book. 1. Do your own UX research... 2. Create user personas... 3. First, make sketches... 4. Then make wireframes... 5. Then mockup a visual design... 6. Build a design language... Yada, yada, yada… What if I told you that in certain cases this can be avoided? Introducing: taking the leap into prototyping! Venture into prototyping, bypass the lengthy planning process. This will lead to quicker insights and improved adaptability of the startup as a whole. If you trust the instincts of experienced professionals - they're as valuable as data-driven research. What are the cases this can be achieved? ✓ You are working with seasoned professionals. ✓ They have completed similar projects. ✓ They have 10 years of experience. Here's a streamlined approach: 1. Grasp the project needs. 2. Talk to stakeholders and developers. 3. Build initial wire flows or wireframes. 4. Iterate with stakeholders. 5. Design in Figma (or any other tool). 6. Iterate as needed. 7. Handoff to developers Jumping right into prototyping without much pre-planning might seem reckless, but it will: → Minimize design iterations. → Ignite team-wide creativity. → Speed up product development. → Allow you to fail fast, so that you can get up even faster. Take the risk - reap the reward! Remember, prioritizing problem-solving for your clients is the main goal of any startup. Launch new features and measure results. This is the best way to go fast! ––– Follow me for more design and startup tips www.marklevi.com/links

If you don’t know how to say no, you can never really focus as a creative. Here is the exact process I use to stay focused in our innovation lab (while wearing multiple hats): Frameworks are the secret weapon of great designers. Frameworks allow you to: • Make informed decisions • Get buy in on your ideas • Move slow to go fast A good framework reduces the brain clutter, allowing you to think clearer. My 4 stage decision framework: Stage 1: Define what a good idea is for YOU For our lab, this includes: • Alignment to our values (as a team) • Ability to be leveraged (since we’re lean) • Alignment to our individual incentives (bc why not) If it doesn’t pass all 3, it probably isn’t worth investigating further… Stage 2: Spend time investigating what passes your idea stage Your idea stage can take a day, or even a conversation. But investigating takes time to find what’s worth pursuing. At our lab, we investigate: • What the wider opportunity is (beyond just the idea) • What allows us to build brand authority (strategic pillar this year) • How aligned is this towards future goals for us (not just a dead end idea) Stage 3: Invest only in what you can prove You can investigate many ideas, but only invest in the ones you can prove. (P.s. “invest” can mean with money, time, resources, etc.) For us, this means only investing in things that: • We can actually deliver on (feasibility) • We have found clear market fit for (desirability) • We can build into a sustainable business (viability) Stage 4: Operationalize investments that are worth growing Operationalizing can mean different things to different teams. If you have the luxury of resources and partners you have more options. For us, this can look like: • Building out and maintaining - harder to do with a lean team • Define and graduate - makes sense for our delivery partners My personal decision making also falls into this framework. Same stages, different variables. • Idea • Investigate • Invest • Operationalize Very few ideas make it to the end. But the ones that do will give you superpowers. We’re finding our way there, little by little each day. In this week’s newsletter I’ll break down specific examples of ideas that have gone through this framework and show you exactly what we’re experimenting with at the Design Factory. Join here: https://lnkd.in/eS8M_rc4 — Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Jake Carroll for more.