Hello again! Thanks everyone who gave feedback on the second draft — I’m excited to have a third draft revised and DESIGNED, it’s starting to come together. Early reader Erin Nolan (Product Design Lead at Coinbase) had this to say:
“I’ve never felt more confident being able to start from nothing. It totally changed my communication tactics and moved ambiguous product conversations forward. Applying the 4D structure to early product definition workshops got stakeholders aligned and inspired about what we’re building and why.”
Three announcements:
Publishing is on track for September 2023!
Just in time for back-to-school energy.Pre-orders will open in August
and you’ll get some free digital goodies if you’re kind enough to pre-order.Beta reviewers will get access in June/July.
I’m looking for about 40 people to read a PDF of the confidential pre-release copy, once it’s edited, and write honest reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. If you might be interested sign up here and I’ll send you details! (It’s not expected that you read every single section, only the ones that apply to you.)
Sneak peek inside — there are currently 244 pages, 40 exercises, and 530 illustrations!
The book’s outline:
Part I summarizes the 4D concept: User interfaces are ephemeral impressions in time, and so designers must advance from 2D to 3D to 4D thinking to do valuable digital product design strategy.
Part II outlines the 4D thinking framework. The model has four phases (threads, impressions, interactions, and memories) with three layers (2D, 3D, and 4D), splitting the complexity of digital product design into manageable yet integrated parts. The method has seven tenets that focus and speed work.
Part III, the bulk of the book, provides guidelines for practice. The four phases and three layers yield twelve focus areas spanning 2D (words, layouts, symbols, and images), 3D (inclusivity, flexibility, usability, and personalization), and 4D (relationships, patterns, paths, and moments). Each chapter includes key questions, cognitive principles, examples, exercises, and user research tips. Each phase ends with a larger design challenge and critique outline for a key deliverable (concepts, flows, screens, or links).
Part IV wraps the book with a focus on craft. Prototyping is the tangible craft, and thinking is the invisible craft, so the book provides tips on improving both.
Sound good?
Thanks!!
Erica