Menu

Close

Menu

Close

Menu

Close

Design-Doing Manifesto

Design-Doing Manifesto

Design-Doing Manifesto

The point of any design process is not to be good at it but to deliver working solutions. We believe in action and speed, so deliberate design practice is a crucial element of problem-solving, called 'design-doing.'

Design-doing Manifesto

01

dscr

Serving people

over satisfying the designer’s ego

  • Amaze your client, not yourself.

  • Use standards from the developers' perspective if possible.

  • Use established patterns from the users' perspective if possible.

  • To outdo yourself is a blessing, not a default.

  • Prioritize what benefits the user, not what looks best in a portfolio.

01

Serving people

over satisfying the designer’s ego

  • Amaze your client, not yourself.

  • Use standards from the developers' perspective if possible.

  • Use established patterns from the users' perspective if possible.

  • To outdo yourself is a blessing, not a default.

  • Prioritize what benefits the user, not what looks best in a portfolio.

01

Serving people

over satisfying the designer’s ego

  • Amaze your client, not yourself.

  • Use standards from the developers' perspective if possible.

  • Use established patterns from the users' perspective if possible.

  • To outdo yourself is a blessing, not a default.

  • Prioritize what benefits the user, not what looks best in a portfolio.

02

dscr

Delivered design

over delivered process

  • The point of any design process is not to be good at it but to deliver working solutions.

  • Design-doing doesn't strive to describe itself as an oversimplified, step-by-step process.

  • The best documentation is a self-defining interface design.

  • Design Thinking is excellent, but product design needs something more aligned with everyday practice.

  • Scale the process to the complexity of a problem. Not all problems are "wicked problems" or have already been solved.

  • Avoid heavy processes that detach from the users and the business we're designing for; create value directly impacting people, emphasizing a functional and joyful experience.

02

Delivered design

over delivered process

  • The point of any design process is not to be good at it but to deliver working solutions.

  • Design-doing doesn't strive to describe itself as an oversimplified, step-by-step process.

  • The best documentation is a self-defining interface design.

  • Design Thinking is excellent, but product design needs something more aligned with everyday practice.

  • Scale the process to the complexity of a problem. Not all problems are "wicked problems" or have already been solved.

  • Avoid heavy processes that detach from the users and the business we're designing for; create value directly impacting people, emphasizing a functional and joyful experience.

02

Delivered design

over delivered process

  • The point of any design process is not to be good at it but to deliver working solutions.

  • Design-doing doesn't strive to describe itself as an oversimplified, step-by-step process.

  • The best documentation is a self-defining interface design.

  • Design Thinking is excellent, but product design needs something more aligned with everyday practice.

  • Scale the process to the complexity of a problem. Not all problems are "wicked problems" or have already been solved.

  • Avoid heavy processes that detach from the users and the business we're designing for; create value directly impacting people, emphasizing a functional and joyful experience.

03

dscr

Hands-on design practice

over theoretical solutions

  • Design-Doing requires deep engagement, reflection, and direct interaction with design problems.

  • A several-hour workshop is a great starting point, but true capability comes from continuous practice, real-world application, and years of experience.

  • Reconnect design and technology practices early in the process.

03

Hands-on design practice

over theoretical solutions

  • Design-Doing requires deep engagement, reflection, and direct interaction with design problems.

  • A several-hour workshop is a great starting point, but true capability comes from continuous practice, real-world application, and years of experience.

  • Reconnect design and technology practices early in the process.

03

Hands-on design practice

over theoretical solutions

  • Design-Doing requires deep engagement, reflection, and direct interaction with design problems.

  • A several-hour workshop is a great starting point, but true capability comes from continuous practice, real-world application, and years of experience.

  • Reconnect design and technology practices early in the process.

04

dscr

Individual responsibility

over micromanagement

  • Design-doing values the contributions of individual and responsible design talents.

  • There exist many reasonable design solutions. It's a designer's conscious decision to choose one.

  • Feel accountable for your choices. Be consistent and maintain internal consistency, and know when to step back.

  • Micromanagement undermines individual accountability and leads to unclear responsibilities.

04

Individual responsibility

over micromanagement

  • Design-doing values the contributions of individual and responsible design talents.

  • There exist many reasonable design solutions. It's a designer's conscious decision to choose one.

  • Feel accountable for your choices. Be consistent and maintain internal consistency, and know when to step back.

  • Micromanagement undermines individual accountability and leads to unclear responsibilities.

04

Individual responsibility

over micromanagement

  • Design-doing values the contributions of individual and responsible design talents.

  • There exist many reasonable design solutions. It's a designer's conscious decision to choose one.

  • Feel accountable for your choices. Be consistent and maintain internal consistency, and know when to step back.

  • Micromanagement undermines individual accountability and leads to unclear responsibilities.

05

dscr

Simplicity

over unnecessary innovation

  • Promote collaborative design tools at work

  • Implement a handshake approach for design handoff

  • Share knowledge to inspire and be inspired by others

  • Balance creative vision with technical feasibility

  • Adopt a rule of thumb: design first, flawless implementation next

  • Drive progress despite uncertainty by embracing change and evolution

05

Simplicity

over unnecessary innovation

  • Promote collaborative design tools at work

  • Implement a handshake approach for design handoff

  • Share knowledge to inspire and be inspired by others

  • Balance creative vision with technical feasibility

  • Adopt a rule of thumb: design first, flawless implementation next

  • Drive progress despite uncertainty by embracing change and evolution

05

Simplicity

over unnecessary innovation

  • Promote collaborative design tools at work

  • Implement a handshake approach for design handoff

  • Share knowledge to inspire and be inspired by others

  • Balance creative vision with technical feasibility

  • Adopt a rule of thumb: design first, flawless implementation next

  • Drive progress despite uncertainty by embracing change and evolution

06

dscr

Efficiency

over reinventing the wheel

  • Seek speed, move forward, start small, and iterate.

  • Don't reinvent the wheel; emulate successful designs to save time and resources.

  • Design-doing brings scalable solutions without overkill.

  • Done is better than perfect.

  • Not every design needs testing or validation—especially for well-established patterns.

  • Don’t over-research simple functionalities

  • One step at a time

06

Efficiency

over reinventing the wheel

  • Seek speed, move forward, start small, and iterate.

  • Don't reinvent the wheel; emulate successful designs to save time and resources.

  • Design-doing brings scalable solutions without overkill.

  • Done is better than perfect.

  • Not every design needs testing or validation—especially for well-established patterns.

  • Don’t over-research simple functionalities

  • One step at a time

06

Efficiency

over reinventing the wheel

  • Seek speed, move forward, start small, and iterate.

  • Don't reinvent the wheel; emulate successful designs to save time and resources.

  • Design-doing brings scalable solutions without overkill.

  • Done is better than perfect.

  • Not every design needs testing or validation—especially for well-established patterns.

  • Don’t over-research simple functionalities

  • One step at a time

07

dscr

Seasoned intuition

over weak evidence

  • Design-Doing values the seasoned intuition of experts, enabling quick decisions and adaptations in chaotic environments.

  • Weak evidence or shallow research should not override years of experience.

  • Optimal outcomes are achieved when intuition is balanced with analytical thinking.

07

Seasoned intuition

over weak evidence

  • Design-Doing values the seasoned intuition of experts, enabling quick decisions and adaptations in chaotic environments.

  • Weak evidence or shallow research should not override years of experience.

  • Optimal outcomes are achieved when intuition is balanced with analytical thinking.

07

Seasoned intuition

over weak evidence

  • Design-Doing values the seasoned intuition of experts, enabling quick decisions and adaptations in chaotic environments.

  • Weak evidence or shallow research should not override years of experience.

  • Optimal outcomes are achieved when intuition is balanced with analytical thinking.

08

dscr

Craft and mastery

over trends and unfounded confidence

  • Design-doing is about speed, so we champion craftsmanship.

  • Technical skills are built through practice, not just born talent.

  • Resist the allure of the shiny object syndrome by critically assessing the long-term value and relevance of new trends or rapid changes.

  • Tame chaos by changing perspectives—looking at the bigger picture or details.

  • Acknowledge chaos as part of the creative onset and embrace it.

08

Craft and mastery

over trends and unfounded confidence

  • Design-doing is about speed, so we champion craftsmanship.

  • Technical skills are built through practice, not just born talent.

  • Resist the allure of the shiny object syndrome by critically assessing the long-term value and relevance of new trends or rapid changes.

  • Tame chaos by changing perspectives—looking at the bigger picture or details.

  • Acknowledge chaos as part of the creative onset and embrace it.

08

Craft and mastery

over trends and unfounded confidence

  • Design-doing is about speed, so we champion craftsmanship.

  • Technical skills are built through practice, not just born talent.

  • Resist the allure of the shiny object syndrome by critically assessing the long-term value and relevance of new trends or rapid changes.

  • Tame chaos by changing perspectives—looking at the bigger picture or details.

  • Acknowledge chaos as part of the creative onset and embrace it.

09

dscr

Learning from mistakes

over fearing failure and fixating on perfection

  • Learning stems from deliberate practice and hands-on action.

  • Mistakes are part of change and evolution toward optimal outcomes.

  • Only those who do nothing make no mistakes.

  • Acknowledge errors, analyze them, and extract insights to refine decisions.

  • Are you feeling stuck? Take baby steps.

09

Learning from mistakes

over fearing failure and fixating on perfection

  • Learning stems from deliberate practice and hands-on action.

  • Mistakes are part of change and evolution toward optimal outcomes.

  • Only those who do nothing make no mistakes.

  • Acknowledge errors, analyze them, and extract insights to refine decisions.

  • Are you feeling stuck? Take baby steps.

09

Learning from mistakes

over fearing failure and fixating on perfection

  • Learning stems from deliberate practice and hands-on action.

  • Mistakes are part of change and evolution toward optimal outcomes.

  • Only those who do nothing make no mistakes.

  • Acknowledge errors, analyze them, and extract insights to refine decisions.

  • Are you feeling stuck? Take baby steps.

10

dscr

Change and evolution

over setting things in stone

  • Drive progress despite uncertainty.

  • Be decisive without fear of needing future adjustments.

  • Prioritize deliberate changes over quick fixes provided without full consideration.

  • Implement feedback loops to refine a product continuously.

10

Change and evolution

over setting things in stone

  • Drive progress despite uncertainty.

  • Be decisive without fear of needing future adjustments.

  • Prioritize deliberate changes over quick fixes provided without full consideration.

  • Implement feedback loops to refine a product continuously.

10

Change and evolution

over setting things in stone

  • Drive progress despite uncertainty.

  • Be decisive without fear of needing future adjustments.

  • Prioritize deliberate changes over quick fixes provided without full consideration.

  • Implement feedback loops to refine a product continuously.

11

dscr

Collaboration

over the silo mentality

  • Promote collaborative design tools at work.

  • Implement a handshake approach for design handoff.

  • Share knowledge to inspire and be inspired by others.

  • Balance creative vision with technical feasibility

  • Adopt a rule of thumb: design first, flawless implementation next.

11

Collaboration

over the silo mentality

  • Promote collaborative design tools at work.

  • Implement a handshake approach for design handoff.

  • Share knowledge to inspire and be inspired by others.

  • Balance creative vision with technical feasibility

  • Adopt a rule of thumb: design first, flawless implementation next.

11

Collaboration

over the silo mentality

  • Promote collaborative design tools at work.

  • Implement a handshake approach for design handoff.

  • Share knowledge to inspire and be inspired by others.

  • Balance creative vision with technical feasibility

  • Adopt a rule of thumb: design first, flawless implementation next.