Michela Frecchiami
@mic_design
Michela Frecchiami
Availability doesn’t mean being ready
The first design management role you have might be because you’re handed the opportunity: there is a need, the manager left/got fired, or something else. Availability does not wait for you to be ready. It asks you to give a direct answer if you will say yes to the call of duty². When I took on the responsibility
... See moreConcepting is not just executing requirements
A checklist of requirements is not a design; it's a recipe for mediocrity. Design is about critical thinking. It’s about the things you decide NOT to include. Great designers know how to strategically question requirements, say no, and prioritize what really matters. The first step is to have a clear
... See moreThe most irritating people are the ones who remind you of what you don’t like about yourself.
Julie Zhuo
Articulating Design Decisions
youtu.bePeople on the outside will criticize things they have a limited view of. But if you give people the chance to be part of the solution, they will either take you up on it or they will see how their suggestion impacts everyone else.
You can only optimize what you can measure. This explains both why it’s impossible to optimize for happiness (not measurable), and why we so often optimize for things that don’t actually make us happy (money, social media likes, how much you can deadlift, etc—all easy to measure!)
Julie Zhuo
Accessibility isn’t addressed only to people who have permanent impairments. We all have impairments in certain situations, i.e. when we have sore throats virtual assistants can’t understand what we have said. Screen glare, driving, cooking, at loud bar…Accessibility helps all people, without distinctions.
While concepting, focus on… concepts
There’s a time and place for different discussions. Oftentimes, in the absence of strategic arguments, peers might raise tactical commentary when reviewing conceptual work (the classic “have you thought about the empty state” comment). But while it's tempting to address every potential scenario immediately,
... See more“One of the superpowers a designer has is to envision a world that doesn’t yet exist and lay out the steps to get there and make it a reality.
There’s a piece of that that means some designers never really settle for accepting reality as it is, and they do what they can to influence and shape reality into one that’s closer to what they like.”
Dan
... See more