#design-process

#design-process

The topic for this article is in reality a sequel to one I wrote about in 2024 (you can read that first installment here). In that article I explained the reasons as to why the Design Process can at times be perceived as a lengthy one, and what factors influence it. I also provided some color to this topic courtesy of some products and engagements I went through in the past that are revelatory of processes that can be labeled "long" and "short". This "sequel-article" is a more succinct follow up, and I'm aiming to dispel the concept of Process as something bloated. Hopefully what I'm about to write will spark some conversations/discussions/reflections, which is ultimately what I always aim to be a catalyst of.

You've seen the diagrams. They're clean, they're confident, and they're plastered on the walls of agencies, startups, and design schools around the world. A perfect, linear path: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test. Or maybe it's the elegant loops of the double diamond, diverging and converging in a beautiful, predictable dance.

Content designers often find themselves battling to justify their value beyond mere wordsmithing, leading to barriers in collaboration and influence within the design process.

Rapidly evolving generative AI continues to spark debates about the obsolescence of content designers, with voices both predicting doom and dreaming of collaborative futures.