What is design? Design solves problems. If you aren’t solving a problem, than your design is making it pretty. Whether it is a website, an app or service, your design must do something. Pretty is not the goal of design.

How do you go from pretty to design?

• Understand your clients needs. Whether its an app, service or website, work with them to learn what they want.
• Know who the audience you are designing for. Who are they? What problem to they need solved? Why would they use your solution?
• Define the problem. What is the problem that you want to solve?
• Solve the problem. Develop the solution to your problem.

In order to do this, you need to develop a process that help you get from idea to solution. Chris Ford at WordCamp Orange County 2016, talks about Designing Your Process.

You can also find the presentation slides on Slide Deck.

By developing a design process, you can see where you are going, choose the right tools and deal with unexpected surprises and failures when they occur. What have you included in your design process?