The greatest barrier to getting good design out into the world is often the lack of mutual understanding — especially across disciplines.


A design project is a series of decisions. An organization is the social context in which decisions are made.


Design is an iterative process. Ideas need to run the gauntlet of critique and revision to make it into the world. And because this process involves humans — for now — some amount of ego, anxiety, and politics will get into the mix.


In the absence of real understanding and empathy, it’s natural to work from biased judgments about colleagues. It becomes easy to see one another as barriers rather than as allies.


Designers and researchers are less able to influence decisions because they fail to understand the basis on which decisions are made.


Solving complex design problems requires collaboration.


Collaboration is hard.


Humans are lazy, forgetful, creatures of habit who see the world through a wild haze of their own biases. This is true of all of us.


Working with people different from ourselves is a learned skill, not an innate ability.


Diverse perspectives make for better solutions and arguments are fundamental to collaboration, but disagreements are only productive when everyone involved feels understood.


Process


by Erika Hall · Co-founder of Mule Design
in Everyday Empathy

by Erika Hall · Co-founder of Mule Design

in Everyday Empathy

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