Summary
Designing "at scale" assumes conceptual consensus on what the particular levels of that 'scale' actually are. In the last few years, UX professionals have specialized into UX researchers, product designers, service designers design strategists, etc. Nowadays, we're also witnessing the debut of a new term: "system designers". But do we really understand how these job titles and subthemes of UX fit within that scale of complexity in design? In this presentation, we'll introduce the basic levels of a scale of design, articulate how common UX job titles fit on the scale, and map how the work we commonly tackle in both research and design should also be informed by the scale of the problem we're addressing. We're also going to critique the (somewhat misguided) ways the current world of UX is handling the widespread growth in the complexity of our work.
Key Insights
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Design complexity can be framed as a layered scale from foundational micro-interactions to global systemic impact.
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Aaron Draplin’s work exemplifies successful design focused exclusively on simple artifact layers.
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Product design is disciplinary and designer-led with a focus on polished, precise visual deliverables.
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Service design is multidisciplinary, facilitative, and embraces flexibility and imprecision to tackle complex problems.
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Lower design layers require less or more focused research, while higher systemic layers suffer from spotty, insufficient research methods.
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Holistic, systemic research methods from fields like market research can improve design at ecosystem and societal levels.
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Experienced designers often migrate toward strategic roles addressing higher layers of design scale.
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There is a risk of commoditizing design by overly focusing on methodical, repeatable processes like design systems and sprints.
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Ethical design requires designers to adopt system thinking and consider unintended systemic impacts.
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Organizing teams for multi-level design requires awareness of systemic perspectives and often involves long-term, transformational projects.
Notable Quotes
"If you see a system, you cannot unsee it – Alberta Saranso."
"Design at the product level is owned by designers, but at service level design is a shared, multidisciplinary effort."
"Most of today’s design craft happens in the lower half of the design scale, leaving gaps at higher levels."
"We commoditize design when we scale only simplistic, repeatable cookie cutter processes and deliverables."
"At lower design levels, little research is needed; in contrast, at system levels the research coverage is spotty and less reliable."
"In service design we focus on asking the right questions, not just answering questions."
"Good service design projects can last two to three years and require collaboration across many stakeholders."
"Most mature organizations have roles dedicated to ecosystem-level design, such as VPs or senior managers of ecosystem."
"Designers need to check their ego at the door and recognize they’re one perspective among many in complex projects."
"To avoid harm, ask not only who benefits from design but also who might be harmed, including secondary users and communities."
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