Embracing the human process
Lessons learned from Dan Mall and Design System University
TLDR: I took the Make a Design System in 90 days course led by Dan Mall at the Design System University, and it changed how I see my work.
Some context first:
I took a fractional design contract to help a client build a light data design system (and now, support their overall web design system effort). Earlier in the process, I struggled to find a way to build on what had already been created:
Pre-established processes that felt laborious
Systematization of data elements that I’d have approached very differently but were now already in the system
Difficulty tracking roles & responsibilities
…all this created by one of the kindest, most inclusive and hard-working teams I’ve ever worked with.
I was desperately seeking guidance on how to proceed without bringing the whole thing crashing down.
Out of the course, I got more than a roadmap. I learned a new way of looking at cooperation and inter-team communications, decision-making, and even the meaning of a "launch".
Asking rather than telling
One of the best exercises that Dan recommended was to interview everyone involved in the design system. Every single person from designers and engineers to higher-up stakeholders.
I’ve done similar interviews before. We usually include user interviews as part of the creation of data visualization guidelines. But, it rarely includes questions like:
Fast forward a year from now, everyone is thrilled with the design system. How did this happen?
Some interviews lasted 20 minutes. Some required hours of conversations.
Then, instead of creating an outcome report where we - external contractors - propose the solutions that we think are best. We created a report that summarized the issues and solutions they highlighted. We then asked them to vote on the solution they’d like to prioritize and decide who would be the owner(s) of each.
They had the answers all along.
Challenging all assumptions
Each week during our class, Dan Mall would share his informed and nuanced insights, tailored to our specific situations. He would rarely give us one answer. Instead, like a therapist does, he’d challenge our thinking:
Why would designers not have access to the GitHub repository?
Why is voting the right way to make a decision or not?
This approach confirmed a long-held suspicion:
Good design isn't about the work itself or the design skills.
Good design is about the process and the delicate web of human relationships that hold it together.
As a consultant, this realization is both eye-opening and daunting. I'm not typically evaluated on my ability to enhance the overall internal creative process *although I do tend to get involved*, only on the quality of the deliverable.
What’s next? How do I integrate this approach into client work? Into my collaborative efforts with other creatives that I regularly hire? How do I measure its success or failure? How do I promote the benefits of it?
Who knows. One thing is for sure: if you’ve found yourself struggling to grow a digital product, I highly recommend taking the course.
PS: if you’d like to learn about which components to develop first in your design system, and such, this is also the course for you.
Gabby, sent from the South of France
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