String Installation

When Devmynd expanded its physical space by taking over another floor, a few DevMynd employees decided to create an art installation for the new space. We wanted to create a visual representation in the reception area that would project the look and feel of Devmynd for visitors, clients, and employees alike. As a company that focuses on human-centered design, we wanted the installation to express our group’s values: to ship quality work, to rise to the challenge and to continuously improve. We also wanted the installation to reflect our mission, which is to help solve meaningful challenges through technology. For me, as a designer, this was an exciting opportunity to go beyond digital and expand into a new medium.

We started the art installation project as we do every digital design project, with a step by step process that includes, team collaboration, research and multiple iterations to produce a user accessible result.  As we started brainstorming, we considered a few questions: “As a new visitor coming the office, how will he feel seeing this?” As an employee, “Will the installation remind her of our values and the mission of the organization?”  To create this installation, we would need to represent not only the mission and values but to also resonate with visitors about what we strive to do as a company and individually. It was important to collaborate with the team to understand how to visually communicate this. I realized that creating is a give and take between the makers, the installation, and the environment.

We did our research by examining other 3D installations to find ideas and inspiration. I looked at patterns created with triangles, paper sculptures, geometric wooden shapes, and yarn creations. We decided that the material used to create the installation should not be synthetic and should give the room an airiness, open and welcoming feeling. String fit the bill as it would allow us to create a pattern from DevMynd’s branding and to have some flexibility with the arrangement and pattern. String could also translate the representation of our visual brand’s use of right angled triangles and brand color palette in order to create a visual installation that would project Devmynd’s look and feel.

We divided the project into three steps beginning with dyeing string, then building and mounting the frame, and finally attaching the string to the frame. First, we had to determine how much string we’d need by doing some simple calculations based on mockups. Just as when making wireframes for a digital product, it was important to be accurate with use of size and scale. We tested different color dyes to match our branding colors. Next, we figured out how to mount the installation to the wall. We explored different types of nails and knot types that would be able to keep the string taut and wouldn’t impose on the design. We decided to build a wooden frame that would allow us drill holes to pull the strings through and to easily adjust the strings as needed to keep taut. The drilling became complicated quickly and we hired a carpenter to help us drill holes as they needed to be the exact distance from one another to create a 90 degree angle. The strings were then tied to the top of the frame and mounted to the wall where we could pull the string through to its corresponding side. Upon completion, we had individually cut and tied over 400 pieces of strings. The 90 degree angle lines overlap each other to create new colors that are woven together.

The completed large scale design in our reception area welcomes visitors and employees to our workspace by recreating the look and feel of DevMynd’s visual brand. The artwork emphasizes our commitment to work together and to make people feel unified and part of a team. While this was not a digital project, we still incorporated our team’s mission to solve meaningful challenges by performing multiple iterations and methodologies until we reached the right result. The installation also reflects DevMynd’s values. It represents our commitment to producing quality work as when we meticulously spaced each thread in the design in order to get an accurate representation of our visual brand. Our small team rose to the challenge of physically creating this installation from its first notion and the installation was a constant work in progress as we continuously improved and perfected its production. We think the art installation welcomes all and exemplifies not only DevMynd’s mission, values and visual brand, but also the spirit of its employees. 

Why The Design Research Process Matters

When I worked in a photo studio, I assisted a team of people who took photographs for food ads, cookbooks, and packaging.  We’d spend the day perfecting anything from fast food ads to cookbooks for world renowned chefs. Either way, the outcome was always the same -  a mouthwatering, curated image that looked effortless and natural. Although the photograph looked simple and elegant, it took weeks of planning before execution. When I started working in product design, I realized there is a similar approach. Research is an essential part of the process. We spend weeks doing research to fully understand the product and what and for whom it is we are designing before even beginning to think about execution.

“User-centered design means understanding what your users need, how they think, and how they behave – and incorporating that understanding into every aspect of your process” - Jesse James Garrett, Information Architect.

The research process is the foundation of understanding why we are building a product. It helps us uncover what problems we are trying to solve. During this time we analyze, interview, synthesize, and create insights that will help identify how to improve the product.  We must understand who the product serves, how the product should work, and what problem it is solving.

I have worked with clients who didn’t understand why the research process was needed. For example, a client had done their own user interviews and felt they had enough research. So we shortened our research process and designed a product based on what the client thought the user would want. We made a prototype and shared it with several employees from the client’s company. Employee feedback proved that the product wasn’t meeting all the user needs. We learned from the employees that they preferred a specific information architecture. As a result, we needed to take a step back and start again with our own research process, which inevitably cost the client more time and money.

For another client project we didn’t spend any time doing our research process. Instead, we went straight into building wireframes, which the client used for user-testing. User feedback indicated that the information in the wireframes was unclear. At this point, the client wanted to continue to use this same information and reorder it in the wireframes. So, we went ahead and restructured it only to realize it still was confusing. The client realized that no matter where the information was displayed, the message/information was still ambiguous. Our team needed to pivot back to our research process to best understand the audience and how to help them navigate the information. This generated insights that helped us provide clear information for users.

The research process continuously proves to be a valuable part in the design process. New questions arise and that might take us down a path that needs to be explored. Without this process, there will be a missed opportunity to examine all creative ways to solve a problem.

Embracing the research process as an essential component to our work, will always lead to an intelligent and efficient product.

Too Late To The Game?  

I’m too old...and I’m only in my 30s.  That doubt lay in the back of my mind when I decided to pursue design and coding as Gen-Y. Objectively, I knew I could succeed with hard work and my motivation to learn, and my background in photography likely would be an added feature as a designer. But the rumors about tech companies preferring to hire millennials put just enough doubt to delay the leap. It wasn’t until a friend pushed me to project where I’d be in a year. If I did take classes, I’d be a year closer to where I’d want to be and if I didn’t it would be another year of wishing I had taken the leap. So I enrolled in the most direct path forward I could identify, The Starter League.

I loved my classes at the tech bootcamp, The Starter League. I spent nights in classes and weekends at hackathons. I was all in and having fun. Regardless of where I started, I was easily keeping up with the classes, if not more so.  As I was finishing my classes at The Starter League, one of my classmates and a DevMynd developer, Eryan, mentioned to me that DevMynd was opening up a design apprenticeship.  So I applied. Through meetups and my time at Starter League I had a sense of DevMynd’s excellent reputation and diverse team of talented designers and developers.

As an apprentice I worked on client projects, explored personal projects and learned new design tools. When I started working with clients, there were times when I was the only designer in meetings. I learned quickly how to effectively communicate the client’s vision, in combination with DevMynd’s design possibilities for the final product/app. I learned to understand the client’s design needs, in collaboration with the developers’ capacities, in order to create optimal product.

Now, less than a year later, I continue to cultivate my craft at DevMynd. It hasn’t always been easy, but I’m enjoying the challenge and have had help.  Erick, one of the lead designers, has been there whenever I’ve had a question and helped shape the way I apply design thinking to UX projects. Gigg, another product designer, is always up on the latest design trends and patterns, and keeps me updated on articles to read. I’ve had the opportunity to expand to other skills as well. Currently, I’m learning Framer.js, a prototyping tool and Craft CMS, a content management system.

More importantly, even when someone doesn’t have the answer, there’s always someone with the passion to pursue the same question. That sense of team has made my transition from apprentice to design consultant seamless.  It’s what I appreciate most about DevMynd, a positive attitude and with our diverse backgrounds and skill sets, we can figure anything out.

And it’s acknowledging that when you’re in new space, there’s sometimes no right or wrong answer, just constant iteration. In UX, we’ll try out every concept or idea we have and put it through the ropes (background research, user flows, wireframes, prototyping, user testing) and repeat until we’ve realized the full potential for a design.  

I wasn’t exactly sure how a career change would work out for me but I knew that if I didn’t try to make a change, I would regret it. Despite my initial concerns of whether I’d be good enough, young enough, it’s all noise.  Just start somewhere, and iterate.