UX design is a design that solves problems for individuals, organizations, and society. It becomes a product when people are willing to use the solution, and the product becomes a success when they are willing to pay for it.
How do we go through the process to ensure users are moved to buy a product? How do we solve their problems in a way they can relate to? It starts with the design, and it continues with the design. Design is a continuous factor in ensuring success!
Defining a product that meets and exceeds customer expectations requires a deep understanding of the market, which many designers see as a thorn in their flesh. Nihal, a season product manager, is ready to drill us with practical knowledge of designing for the users with market success in mind.
Nihal Pimpale:
Nihal was the captain who set the sail of the conversation but handed it over to us by allowing our designers to choose what they wanted to learn. The conversation will do little if the context of his expertise is not explicitly explained. There is more to what we see!
Nihal has a background in communication design, which means his foundation as a designer was pretty solid. It’s not out of sheer luck or an “I was going with the flow” journey. As he became a pro in design, the need to learn beyond just designing came in naturally, so he learned about design leadership for business growth at Parsons School of Design.
His degree in communication design led to his first job as a designer at Onio Design Pvt. Ltd. He worked mainly on visual and brand designs. He moved on to Internia as a senior communication designer and left as a creative director. He must have left his signatory impact there.
He then joined Moon Raft, where he currently works. He started with a small team of 15 people and grew it to over 120 designers and managers. He worked on various projects for renowned companies like Walmart, Experian, T-Mobile, IDFC Bank, Taj Hotels, Starbucks, Mindtree, and Axis Bank.
He moved from creative directing to UX Design and became the director of the innovation lab at Moonraft. UST acquired Moonraft, and he was still instrumental in its expansion. He is now the director of product design, where he brings business and design together to create a middle ground for the business and its customers.
On the less technical side, Nihal is interested in reading historical books and poems. You can never go wrong with poems! Poems are a great source of inspiration and creativity, evident in the quality of work he did at Moonraft and what he taught our designers.
Design Thinking and Framework for Solving Problems
The session started on a quite interactive note. Nihal used a game to break the ice and get everyone acquainted with him, and it worked. A few games before starting your task won’t hurt.
How do you solve a problem when designing?
This is a big question for designers. Many designers just follow the flow until a solution arrives, and some have a standard framework. Nihal was ready with two frameworks he has used, which have helped him so far. The framework was built from the various projects he had worked on, and he mentioned the case of trying to help people with early stages of mental illness during emergencies.
He gave an example of a Golf Project that stemmed from the need to create a touch point for users to be informed about their schedule for a golf event. The problem seemed too simple for an application, but using his framework, he was able to expand that simple problem to become a 12-point intervention and comprehensive solution in making Golf an accessible sport in India.
Framework for Dynamic Products
Dynamic Products change with time and trends. So, when designing these kinds of projects, you have to keep in mind that you are designing for the present and the future. For example, the intrusion of AI and how many products have had to introduce AI in their apps without starting from the beginning again.
So, the first step in this framework is simply Archaeology!
It means revisiting a previous project or asking the client about a previous process that has been used. This is to determine what went wrong and how it can improved.
Nihal explained a paradox that simply iterates the need to know about or define a problem before contacting the users to get information. As a designer, you have to solve problems with context. The context could be understanding the users and the stakeholders, and knowing how their needs intersect.
Going further, identify the themes and phases that revolve around the solution you are trying to offer. Nihal gave an extra tip while using frameworks: if the framework restricts your ability to create, then you should not even use that kind of framework.
Frameworks are supposed to guide and facilitate the solution process. They should not confine you.
Finally, Implementation, transformation, and Integration are concerned with the aftereffects of the product that has gone through the framework. They help you assess whether the product is up to the task for which it was created.
The session ended with a game, followed by an interactive session
Question and Answer
Priya: Can you suggest some activities we can do to encourage designers to come up with new ideas and innovative solutions?
Nihal: I believe you guys are doing fantastic! Congratulations on the recent awards you guys have received. So I’d say to draw yourself out of the usual routine activities and do something different. Try to stay away from design books, podcasts, etc., during leisure time to give you a different perspective.
I’ve been dabbling in history, which has improved my storytelling skills. So, I’d say try to explore other hobbies that are not design-related, like science, geography, etc. However, try to draw a line between your hobbies and your day-to-day activities.
Speaking about activities, Figma has many plugins that can be used as games. So just explore and see what kind of games you’d like. I have appointed people to do this work routinely for three to five years, which has worked well for my team.
Neha: How can design leaders use storytelling to solve complex Problems?
Nihal: Sadly, I do not have a short answer for that. Storytelling is profound because it started with the survival instincts of hunters and gatherers. Communication was done to preserve survival tips and to maintain a sense of identity.
Storytelling also has a neurological angle; it stimulates the neurons in the system to produce various kinds of emotions. So, in order to tell a good story, you need to understand the science of how stories work with people.
Empathizing with people requires putting them at the centre of the situation. A story becomes a good story if the character stands out perfectly. Of course, for this to work out, you have to create a safe environment for both the user and the designers.
The art of persuasion is based on Aristotle’s framework, which includes ethos, logos, and pathos, all intertwined with storytelling. I’d have loved to explain it deeper, but the time constraint will not allow it, so I’ll just share a couple of resources.
Bhasha: Can you share some insight about creating a framework and the thought process behind it?
Nihal: Okay, I see a design process as something that opens the door to solutions or the objectives you are trying to achieve. The door is a constant, and what comes from the door is a variable, so rather than fixating on the constant, your energy should be geared towards the variable— What comes from the door.
In essence, there is no clear path to creating a process; what determines the design process is the objectives or outcome of the design. It is just an anchor point that guides you to achieving the goals.
Designing for Solutions Now and Beyond!
The session ended on an interesting note for both our designers and Nihal. He gave us some book recommendations that will help us better understand design systems and solve complex problems. He recommended The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and West Point Way of Leadership by Larry Donnithorne.
