Ludovic Delmas

Imagine being a first-time design founder... 🚀 You get into YC 🥇 You win product of the year 💰 You sell to Notion Not bad, right? Well... this is Raphael Schaad's journey designing Cron 👀 There's a TON we can learn from him about product strategy and what it takes to design world-class software products. Here's a little breakdown of my key takeaways (and the full interview) if you want to learn more👇 https://lnkd.in/gDYzVkrk

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UX is about understanding the environment, the system, the circumstances and making the right design decisions for everyone involved, and making it all look ‘simple’. These design decision trees can help with some of that decision-making:

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💡 One user research insight *doubled* revenue for a product line at a fast-growing startup — great anecdotes from design leaders shared at the Strange Design Fellows Kickoff yesterday. Design --> turning user insights into winning strategy. Stories like this make you wonder: why don't more companies leverage design from day one?

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Enterprise vs Startups vs FAANG vs B2B vs B2C vs B2B2C vs EVERYBODY 🤯🤯🤯 Where do you start? How do you get ahead? What looks good on a resume? I know you've been struggling with these questions. I've heard from lots of you who aren't sure what to do. But you're in luck, because 💗 Sally Carson can provide some insights. Sally and I will be hanging out LIVE next Tuesday, July 16 at 1 pm Eastern. We'll answer your questions about all of these things and more. Sally will share her tips on dealing with office politics, improving your career, and making your LinkedIn profile stand out, especially during job changes. Whether you’re dealing with tricky work situations or just want to boost your professional image, Sally’s got you covered. This is a great chance to learn from Sally’s experience and get the help you need to succeed in enterprise software. Connect with other professionals, ask your burning questions, and take your career to the next level. Submit your questions ahead of time via the handy link in the comments, and join us on July 16 at 1 PM Eastern. Don’t miss out! #UXdesign #CareerGuidance #LiveQNA

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I cannot predict the future, but I do think we're going to see more designers as founders. In 2017 I co-published a medium article with Yini Nie, Shiv Kehr, and vanessa slavich on 3 reasons why designers make great founders (https://lnkd.in/eXT_USpr). The key takeaway here is that designers can solve business and user problems through a human centered design process and actually visualize and work towards a future reality by creating prototypes. Designers can literally show you what the future will look like. Since a picture speaks a thousand words, this is an incredibly compelling leadership tool. While personally I've had lots of ideas of products that should exist and the skill set to prototype and test an idea, I lack the technical skill set to code an MVP. Since it's launch, Chat GPT has accelerated work flows for developers, making debugging and getting started so much easier, but a core developer skill set is still required. There's still a leap going from designs to html. At #config2024 I learned about several Figma to code plug ins that take your designs and creates a working prototype in code, such as the aptly named 'Figma to code' plug in, Anima, and Locofy.ai (https://www.locofy.ai/). While I'm sure developers will still be needed for the fine grain detail, tools like these are going to democratize development. I can't wait to get started with tools like this in my day to day work and side projects and I'm excited to see the next wave of designers slash founders. #LinkedInDesign #LinkedInLife #LinkedinAtConfig

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For anyone wanting to learn more about how we're working on AI as a design team here at Klaviyo, have a listen to this interview with Alexandra Holness

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It’s Thursday! Let’s talk about DESIGN DISCOVERY and how to make it PRACTICAL. Discovery is an essential part of the design process. In discovery, designers build a shared understanding of the problem and the design direction, establishing a foundation for all future design decisions. What does that foundation look like? In PRACTICAL DESIGN DISCOVERY, I describe three kinds of things to put into this foundation: → Principles: Enablers that help you make decisions → Concepts: Ideas that establish a big picture or north star → Models: Representations of the user experience When you draw a conclusion from user research, that’s a principle. When you say “our product is like a concierge for kids activities,” that’s a concept. And when you sketch out a flow chart or wireframe an important screen, that’s a model. Each of these contributes to the foundation that informs further design decisions. You’re not just creating these for yourself. The other people on your team – product managers and business stakeholders and developers – need to contribute to this foundation. These things – principles, concepts, and models – are the way you draw others into the discovery process. Sometimes managers tell designers to cut principles and concepts out of their process. I get it: Models are accessible because they are tangible representations of the final product. Even a flow chart is easier to react to than an unmoored design principle or a big idea. In discovery, however, you can’t model every aspect of a product. The point of discovery is to set the direction. Models provide enough of a view into the final product to get buy-in on that direction. But they’re not the whole picture. Principles provide guidelines for making decisions that the models do not cover. They establish constraints on the design process. Concepts align everyone around the product’s purpose or essence. They paint a picture of what the world looks like with the product in it. Both are helpful for decision-making. You don’t need to break the bank creating principles or concepts, or even models. Use a text file to capture statements as they jump out during the design process, like “never show a data visualization without context or explanation [a principle]” or “this is a mash-up between a to-do list and a calendar [a concept]”. Use models to illustrate principles and concepts. When folks provide feedback on the models, ask them about the concepts and the principles. “You said you were worried about the fields on this screen, but it aligns with our principle of ‘only ask for information when needed.’ Are there circumstances when the principle doesn’t apply?” Every part of the foundation – principles, concepts, and models – is a hook for a conversation with the entire team about the direction of your product. Looking for more ways to refine your discovery practice? Grab a copy of PRACTICAL DESIGN DISCOVERY! https://lnkd.in/dtar-e2

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"...product and design very much overlap." - Sarah Krasnik Bedell, Prefect In early companies, you might find one or two designers wearing many hats. They touch everything from marketing websites to product documentation. As companies grow, the design becomes even more integral, often woven into the fabric of growth teams. Whether it's a designer or a product manager with a design flair, the overlap between product and design is undeniable. Dive deeper into this synergy in our latest podcast episode! Don't miss out – listen now: https://lnkd.in/grUEreTj #ProductLedGrowthLeaders #Design #Growth #ProductDevelopment #Podcast

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There's three things I'm grateful for when I look at this picture that was posted to Nectar's slack a few days ago: 1. The breadth of what I get to work on as a designer at a startup. I only helped get this booth over the line towards the end of the process (credit to Mason Utley for doing 99% of the design work), but it's fulfilling have physical products I've designed out in the world. Coming from a software engineering background, I was never formally trained on print production and didn't expect to deal with it much. It's been fun and refreshing to figure out! 2. The quality of people I get to work with. Nectar has grown a lot in the two years that I’ve been here, and even as a remote employee and with limited in-person interactions, I know we’ve got a solid team. Probably because I see how often people are succeeding in their own spheres from all the shoutouts in our Nectar feed 😉. We’ve got a solid mission–help people feel more valued and appreciated at work–and core values that people fully lean into. We’re driven, and we’re fun 😄. 3. How hard everyone cheers each other on. Our slack’s been blowing up with all the hype and energy for this SHRM conference. Especially at a startup, every win is a big win, and gets celebrated accordingly. Congratulations on all the hard work and a successful conference team!

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Awesome interview with Michael Riddering & Alex Schleifer about design at Airbnb My 🔑 key takeaways... 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗳𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. They're not removed from the daily grind, but they can jump in and fix things when needed—being like a falcon flying high then swooping to the ground when in need. This builds strong, flat organizations where everyone speaks the same language. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲? A complex system where leaders answer to spreadsheets, disconnected from the real work. New hires can find this confusing. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: - Does it work? - Does it scale? - Are we proud of it? 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆'𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. Be bold, take ownership, and build with intention. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. Even if you're familiar with the product, stay curious about its complexities. 👉 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 https://lnkd.in/euP-TqyP

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Design is critical for first impressions of your brand

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The GUI of generative AI isn't chat. Think of chat as the command line interface of the PC revolution—essential, but just the start. Embedding AI within existing workflows, like how Figma does it, makes more sense. Why? 1️⃣ It’s familiar and less disruptive, leading to better adoption. 2️⃣ It opens up endless opportunities to embed AI in various ways, not just through a chat interface. This approach makes AI more versatile and deeply integrated into our everyday tools and tasks.

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I love the diagram and thanks for sharing Vitaly Friedman! The one thought I add to it is that between Reality and Problem space should be System. Too often the problem space and observed behaviours are influenced by the underlying system or systems. We should, as product designers, seek to understand those influencing systems. If we don't, we risk trying to solve system-level problems with function-level tools. Or put another way, we try to solve 3rd and fourth order design problems with 1st and second order design tools.

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You’ve launched your product and captured some attention. Now, the big question is, “How do I keep them interested?” You want users to quickly find the ‘aha’ moment and realize the core value of your product, which is crucial for adoption, retention, and long-term success. How do you make that happen? Start by revisiting and restating the core promise your marketing team made. Show users you meant every word and aim to exceed their initial expectations by understanding their unique needs. Next, use the Kano Model to identify and prioritize features based on user expectations and excitement. 1️⃣ Must-Have Features (Basic Needs): These are the essentials users expect. Without them, users will be unhappy. - Contextual Empty States: Provide helpful tips or examples instead of showing blank screens. - Progressive Permissions: Request permissions gradually to avoid overwhelming users. - Intelligent Defaults: Pre-fill fields based on common choices to save time. - Seamless Account Creation: Allow users to explore core features before setting up accounts. - Persistent Onboarding: Continue guidance after initial setup with subtle tips. - Contextual Help: Use tooltips where users need them to minimize disruptions. - Task-Oriented Interface: Organize features around user goals for easier navigation. - Gradual Feature Reveal: Introduce advanced features as users become more comfortable. 2️⃣ Performance Features: These enhance satisfaction. The better they are, the happier users will be. - Contextual Micro-Interactions: Delight users with small animations that respond to actions. - Adaptive Learning Paths: Customize onboarding based on user progress. - Predictive Input: Anticipate user actions and highlight relevant options. - Progressive Complexity: Introduce advanced features as users become proficient. - Contextual Help Bubbles: Offer behavior-based tips. - Smart Defaults: Make intelligent guesses about preferences. - Seamless Data Import: Facilitate importing data from other services. - Personalized UI Elements: Adjust the interface based on user behavior. 3️⃣ Delighters (Excitement Features): These unexpected perks can wow users. - Visual Data Insights: Provide easy-to-understand charts or graphs. - Smart Work Suggestions: Offer tips based on user history. - Easy Tool Connections: Enable smooth integration with existing tools. - User-Friendly Layout Changes: Adjust layouts based on user experience levels. - Mistake Alerts: Warn users of common mistakes before they occur. - Teamwork Recommendations: Suggest collaborators based on skills. - Free Trials of Cool Features: Allow temporary access to premium features. - Helpful Productivity Tips: Analyze time use and offer efficiency suggestions. There are also 4️⃣ Indifferent and 5️⃣ Reverse features, but I can only share those via DMs.

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Figma's new "make prototype" might be a useful tool to check if your design is "so simple an AI could use it." If the AI can't figure out how to prototype up your design, perhaps the information scent needs to be made stronger. I'd like to see how/if it can handle popovers, menus, dialogs, and other things that aren't a basic noodle from screen-to-screen.

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Throughout your professional journey, there are moments when it's healthy to reflect on your SELF. I'd like to share this great article by Tobias van Schneider, which can be perfectly adapted regardless, in my opinion, of your level of expertise. https://lnkd.in/ecjMTyux

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This is probably the biggest feature we've ever done Knapsack. We're able to take a design from Figma, understand exactly how it related to a set of coded components and patterns, and then have it build that experience in Knapsack. From there you can theme, edit, remix, experiment, save it, and share it. This is how we go from design to code in moments with an incredible degree of accuracy. Soon, this will be a multi-modal experience that will let you use a PRD, user stories, prompts, images, and Figma files to create experiences assembled from your design system components and patterns that will work at enterprise scale. Those experiences will be able to be themed and shipped across a company's entire app ecosystem. Oh yeah, it uses a lot of that trendy AI stuff too! All coming this fall...

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Seriously debating switching to $10k/m subs only. 70% of our latest clients chose the higher-priced package. Why? With the $10k subscription they get twice as many active hours and 2x faster delivery. + no-code design as a bonus. Companies want to move fast so it makes sense. Also, since a lot of leads ask for branding only, We're rolling out separate brand sprints. Starting at $6500, delivered in 2 weeks. No contracts, no monthly engagement. You can preview our first few branding samples here: https://lnkd.in/e8wBNgWp Next step will be to introduce UX audits. A UX audit helped us close one of our biggest clients. We're moving into our second month now. One audit can potentially result in an additional $100-200k ARR. I'd say it's worth a try.

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