How Does Your Design Team Do Great Work Without Losing It?

If you want an information architect's perspective, here's mine.

No matter your team's organizational structure, the minimum effort needed to create high-performing user interfaces at any scale includes three essential tasks.

For now, let's call these tasks A, B, and C (see the model below). Each task exhibits a unique behavior that contributes to creating outcome-oriented results and preserving your team's sanity.

To establish a sound #intent and create a coherent #solution for a user interface, teams must work together to align on the underlying #conditions and be clear on prioritized #objectives.

Additionally, your team must identify the appropriate #constraints and establish a plan for structural #durability because no design lasts without a solid structure.

While the relationship between ABC tasks appears logical, it's often less obvious when teams engage and distribute responsibilities without clear accountability or rush into survival mode to meet challenging delivery dates.

While the relationship between ABC tasks appears logical, it's often less obvious as teams engage and distribute responsibilities without clear accountability.

Overall, projects stand a better chance of eliminating project churn and promoting healthy team dynamics when your team operates with respect to ABC tasks.

A FEW PRACTICAL NOTES

? ABC tasks do not have to be integrated into your team's existing process. Simply use ABC tasks as an evaluative framework to close critical gaps.

? Determine who is accountable and responsible for each task. #Accountability suggests a facilitative role to see "the forest," while #responsibility implies contribution and execution of shaping the "trees" in the forest. It's possible for some team members to be both accountable and responsible.

? Committing to each task's intended behavior is more important than naming them.

? The relationships between A, B, and C are not linear or hierarchal. They are interdependent.

? While it's not represented in the model, research and testing are inherent aspects of A, B, and C.