Growing Your Personal Design Heuristics • Rebecca Wirfs-Brock • YOW! 2019

Develop your personal design heuristics to make more intentional design decisions, navigate uncertainty, and foster collaboration, experimentation, and a culture of design excellence.

Key takeaways
  • Growing personal design heuristics is a key part of being a good designer.
  • Heuristics are rules of thumb that are used to make design decisions.
  • Personal heuristics are shaped by our experiences, values, and preferences.
  • Heuristics can be cultivated by reflecting on our own design practices and sharing them with others.
  • Heuristics can also be learned from others through reading, attending conferences, and networking.
  • Domain-driven design (DDD) is a framework that can help designers create better heuristics.
  • Heuristics can be applied to different contexts, such as designing software systems, meals, or even events.
  • Cultivating personal heuristics can lead to more intentional design decisions.
  • Heuristics can be used to navigate uncertainty and make decisions with limited information.
  • Heuristics can also be used to challenge assumptions and encourage experimentation.
  • Designing for value is an important consideration when creating heuristics.
  • Heuristics can be used to communicate design decisions to others.
  • Effective heuristics are those that are flexible, adaptable, and able to evolve over time.
  • Heuristics can be used to guide decision-making and prevent design debt.
  • Personal heuristics can be shared with others to foster collaboration and learning.
  • Heuristics can be used to create a culture of design excellence.
  • Growing personal design heuristics requires ongoing reflection, experimentation, and learning.
  • Heuristics can be used to create a sense of direction and purpose in design work.
  • Heuristics can be used to navigate conflicting opinions and values in design teams.
  • Heuristics can be used to create a sense of community and shared understanding in design teams.
  • Cultivating personal heuristics can lead to a sense of ownership and responsibility in design work.