Name: Design voices
Brand: FlowMapp
Availability: OnlineOnly

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I have had the opportunity to work in both B2C and B2B sectors. No matter the customer base, a universal goal is to offer "intuitive navigation." We achieve this goal through the craft of Information Architecture (IA). &nbsp;Teams are often eager to jump right into the "look and feel" of the navigation. It's not uncommon to explore UI visual design options early on. However, it's crucial to determine the hierarchical structure and wording of navigation as soon as possible. The maxim of "Form follows function" is very appropriate when it comes to IA. &nbsp;I found that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flowmapp.com/features/sitemap">Sitemap</a> is a powerful tool for articulating the IA of a website or app. It offers a neutral framework for communicating the IA to both stakeholders and customers. Reviewers of the IA can be encouraged to evaluate a Sitemap with an emphasis on wayfinding. They can focus on whether the hierarchy of information and terminology in use aligns with customer expectations. Lastly, I discovered that a well-run Tree Testing program can provide quantitative data regarding findability and task completion. Such data helps stakeholders feel more confident about delivering the ease of use that customers expect. &nbsp;So the next time someone asks you what navigation style to use, reply: "Good question, let's look at the Sitemap first."

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James is a Design Leader based near Boston, MA. He has been working as a creative problem solver in the technology sector for close to 30 years. He aims to inspire innovation, where business goals align with desired customer outcomes.

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Design voice – James Young

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James Young

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Behance

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I was dreaming about a mentor while studying design at school. I truly believed that there was a man ready to teach me everything. I think I had this illusion after watching “Whiplash” — a film about a young drummer and his tyrant mentor (the film is highly recommended). It seemed to me that only through this difficult and painful relationship I could achieve something. &nbsp;After graduation, I wanted to create the “best work in my life,” but I lacked knowledge, so I asked for help from an art director I had known for a while. He wasn’t a tyrant and gave pretty useful advice, but a few harsh words were enough to put my work off and forget about it for some time. A mentor from a different project made me remember this unfinished project. He asked me to show my work. He almost forced me to finish it and post it on my Behance. That work won a reward.&nbsp;What is this story about? Doubts and mentors that help you get rid of them. A mentor can not only give you conceptual edits but also take a different look at your work and maybe give it a new life. But for this to happen, you must feel that it is “your person” that his words reach you, give you energy and strengthen faith in yourself. If you feel better and see the real changes, then you are on the right path.

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Aleksandr is a UI/UX designer here in FlowMapp who believes in the power of typography and the importance of details

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Design voice – Aleksandr Mikhedov

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Aleksandr Mikhedov

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Starting in my career, I always focused on my role and my field, aka design. As I got more experienced, I realized that learning about other aspects of business processes like sales, marketing and development can help me become better at my job in different ways:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Understanding the overall technology behind what's been built and going to be built helps me think of ideas that fit the technology I’m working with. Also, cultivating relationships with the tech department shows empathy and genuine interest in a product, making people more receptive to my ideas.&nbsp;</li><li>Learning about the sales and marketing side is also important because people from these departments work directly with customers and can provide a new perspective on the old solutions. Building these relationships helps in the long run because it makes user research more insightful and correlating with the overall business goals.</li></ul>&nbsp;It’s crucial to build an effective communication system between departments. You can be the trailblazer. Take the initiative! It will be well worth your time.

Appy Vohra  is currently working at Weld North Education as a Senior Product Designer and has over 8 years of experience in UX/UI

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Design voice – Appy Vohra

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Appy Vohra

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When I would first start in a junior role, I feel like I was constantly second-guessing myself and would sort of break the surface with what I could offer. When I started getting more experience under my belt, I felt so much more confident in what I had to offer and what I learned.&nbsp;Being able to walk or zoom into a meeting with high-level executives and speak on my expertise and owning the confidence behind that was the epiphany for me. That's something only time and experience in the field can give you.

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Sarah is a Senior Visual Designer working for Rightpoint in Chicago. Outside of design, she is a yoga instructor, endurance athlete, advocate for all in the health and wellness space, and dog mom

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Design Voice – Sarah Foote

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Sarah Foote

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One of the most grateful moments I've had in my college years, which had a long-lasting effect in my subsequent career, was when I was introduced to "Typographie" by Emil Ruder and "Grid System" by Josef Müller-Brockmann. I was instantly obsessed with these two books and have learned so much from them.&nbsp;If you are a recent graduate or someone that's just starting in graphic design, having a keen eye for typography and the grid system will give you a tremendous advantage in this industry.

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Jin is a seasoned creative who has built and advanced internationally recognized brands and local businesses. He is currently working as a senior designer at Mosaic North America

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Design voices – Jin Yan

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Jin Yan

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As designers, we have the unique talent of visualizing ideas that don't yet exist – if you can dream it, you can design it. While it is easy to design something unseen, it is much harder to turn it into reality. Sometimes it feels like it is too big a leap to be accepted as people tend to prefer things that are familiar to them and are afraid to break routines.&nbsp;I like to use Raymond Loewy’s “Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable” method, which says that you should make surprising things seem familiar and vice versa. To realize your dream design, nudge people believing it is something familiar by introducing it in small steps that are closer to the current status quo.

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Jonathan is responsible for the product and brand design. In his work, he is combining design with behavior change principles to positively influence and sustainably change people's behavior

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Design voices – Jonathan Heuser

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Jonathan Heuser

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At first, I couldn’t live with the fact that I had to change my works that I think are “perfect” to something I didn’t enjoy looking at based on clients’ requests.&nbsp;After a few months, I realized no design is a good design if it does not please its client. It is not such a bad thing to try to work from a client’s perspective and realize that sometimes things are not just about typography, balance, unity, rule of thirds, color and form. There is a business operating behind your works, be proud of it even if you might not like it as much as you wish you would.

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Chuofan is an experienced designer who develops visual communications, web designs, UI/UX and digital illustrations, and translates creative concepts into a visual and interactive form

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Design Voices – Chuofan Zheng

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Chuofan Zheng

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Many designers think they have to do it all, especially when starting in the industry. Based on what I’ve discovered, it’s significantly better to narrow your focus down to what you love and excel at. Specialize in one area, then specialize in that area even more. For example, if your passion is to illustrate cats, then only focus on that and stop worrying about broadening your scope.&nbsp;Specialization is the key to being truly indispensable as you develop real expertise in your domain. Next time a company or individual needs cat illustrations, you as the expert will be an invaluable hire that can command a much higher premium for that skillset.

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Arthur is a New York based designer. He believes that his calling is to solve complex problems by combining design and strategy to drive experiences that matter

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Design voices – Arthur Badalian

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Arthur Badalian

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I’m a big believer in the importance of the process. In fact I talk about this side of design every day at work.&nbsp;Process can be as simple as sticky notes on a wall or as extensive as a fully-fledged Agile project structure and backlog that’s groomed in a tool like Jira or Asana.&nbsp;Create a process that works for you, rather than blindly following guidelines set by others in different situations and industries.

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Luis is a designer, writer and meme generator. He has been creating side projects since university days, and for the past few years has focused on his newsletter, podcast and Medium publication

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Design voices – Luis Ouriach

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Luis Ouriach

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It’s necessary to look at your work with a fresh set of eyes and break it down into manageable chunks. At times, a project or a task can seem overwhelming, so we forget the main idea and stall out. So it’s good to take some time and step back.

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Aarya is a Product/Graphic Designer based in Toronto. Her design thinking is rooted in simplicity, which she achieves with user-centered techniques, web standards and best practices

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Design voices – Aarya Nair

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Aarya Nair

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Know the limits of your role and push back if you need to. Define what balance looks like to you and stick to it. It’s taken me a few years, and it’s still easier said than done, but when you leave work (or close your laptop) try to ‘check that at the door’ instead of letting it consume your free time

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Ken Seeno is a multidisciplinary designer, who currently works at Headspace, as a Product Design Manager. In his free time, he is an avid jazz guitarist and guitar collector

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Design Voices – Ken Seeno

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Ken Seeno

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Building a product is a complex challenge with multitudes of variables at play. The pace of a growing company with the product teams expanding and the numbers of stakeholders growing rapidly can be overwhelming. Therefore, it is imperative that we get and give feedback early and often. This tactic instills transparency, complements the agile approach, and makes it easier for cross-functional partners (Product, Engineering, Design, Research, IX, and others) to collaborate and align on the work and the process. Going too far without feedback can be pretty expensive. Therefore, It doesn't matter if you only have scrappy sketches or a loosely organized document. Sharing it early will aid directional alignment and course correction along the way as you navigate your way to building a product solution.

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Archit is a Product Designer on DocuSign's CLM team based out of Chicago

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Design voices – Archit Jha

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Archit Jha

Space for design professionals to share their insights

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Design voices

Design Voices

Share your Voice

How Information Architecture Drives Usability

Doubts And Mentor’s Role In Them

Cross-department Communication is Key

Confidence Comes With Experience

Know your Fundamentals

Nudge People to Take the Big Leap

Making Clients Happy is a Part of a Job

Find Your Niche and Triple Down

Calibrate Processes for Yourself

Step Backs Are a Part of Trampoline

Leave Your Work at Work

Get Feedback Early and Often