As I've discussed above, patterns are often mis-applied, and used as rote answers to problems. Or, they are specifically rejected because they are perceived as having to work like this, so stifle creativity.

While neither of these are true, the next problem with best practices is more insidious.

Avoiding the Heuristic Solution

Good, well-intentioned practitioners of interactive design like you apply well-established principles, procedures and processes in an attempt to seek the right solution.

We all perform heuristic evaluations, apply patterns, copy best practices (or at least "common practices"), and whenever possible perform user research to confirm the design is good. Without inspiration or luck, all too often the end design is what could be called the "heuristic solution." The rote, safe answer is the default result.

And very often this is fine, strictly speaking. There are no serious errors, satisfaction is within norms. But have you ever found the design to be boring? Or that it only solves that specific issue, so you end up redesigning it for the next version?

A lot of demands are (and should be) placed on interactive designers to meet the brand, to find and meet the users' greater goals, and to differentiate from an ocean of interactive products competing for attention. Mobile, especially, is very competitive and has strong drivers for differentiation of your products in the market.

To develop interfaces that delight like this -- or must entice users to revisit or share -- requires using patterns and best practices as just one input into the design process. The product must be understood holistically, and design options developed tangentially in order to discover the multiple ways to approach the solution.

While there is no single method or movement to achieve better results, here are a few concepts which lead that direction and are worth considering for your design process:

User-Centric Execution

The other key problem with interactive design is actually getting it built. To me, this is the new, more critical "gulf of execution," and the most important problem across the practices of user experience and interactive design.

What is needed are principles of what we can call user-centric execution. This is not yet a process, or series of fixed procedures. It is possible it may never be. But like the principles, heuristics and patterns of design, the idea should be followed and there are best practices. First, to principles.

To encourage successfully execution or implementation, UX teams should:

You should not find any of these processes to be burdensome. They should instead make for a much more efficient method in which to develop, and assure that everyone on the team works hand in hand, at every level.

It is also important to keep this all in mind even if you are a developer as well. Make sure you do not fall into developer traps, and keep yourself true to the design principles.

Patterns are a reference, and a starting point for design. Use them carefully to avoid being overly constrained, and use their principles of modular design to efficiently communicate and build the end product.


Next: Principles of Mobile Design


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