Video: The Week iPad App's UX Approach
One of the reasons the development of The Week's iPad app worked really well was that the team really understood an effective design process, which stems from the way an organisation defines digital product design.
Back in the 80s and 90s people often likened design to art, that the creatives vanished behind a curtain, did something magical and produced it with a flourish. While that metaphor is dead, we need a new metaphor to describe the design process.
Harry proposes that design is like detective work, which involves ascertaining what actions certain people carried out within a given context using certain tools. Digital product design is very similar, except it tries to predict what people will do in the future – and puts the tools centre stage. What's important is that detective work rarely leads you directly to the solution, you have to chase down many leads and test many hunches first.
Watch the video to see how Harry and Clearleft applied this metaphor to The Week, and how their "failures" ultimately led them to the solution, and an award winning iPad app.
Other perspectives on The Week's iPad app
“The Week” iPad App – Lessons Learned From A Product Manager
Video: The Week iPad App's Business Case
About the author
Martin Eriksson
Martin Eriksson has 25+ years experience building world-class online products in both corporate and start-up environments for global brands such as Monster, Financial Times, Huddle, and Covestor. He is the Founder of ProductTank, the Co-Founder and Curator of Mind the Product, and a Product Partner at leading venture capital fund EQT Ventures. He is also the author of the best-seller Product Leadership, How Top Product Leaders Launch Great Products and Build Successful Teams (O'Reilly, 2017).
