Macadamian - Critical Path Newsletter

A technical manager’s guide to hiring a UX designer

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:20:17 -0400

Many of our customers are starting to build a user experience design team. The challenge is - if this is your first hire, and no one on the hiring team has a user experience design background, how do you make the right hire?

How to stop an endless debate about a UI design

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:01:38 -0400

We’ve all been there – what starts as a UI review meeting becomes an endless argument about where a button should be positioned, or whether the text should be two sizes larger or smaller. Everyone has an opinion, based on past experience, a book they’ve read, or simply personal preference.

How do you get past the arguing, make a decision, and get on with the project? We find that the following three simple rules will help you get past 90% of the design review roadblocks and get back to work.

But I AM the User!

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 23:45:50 -0400

One of the truisms of user experience design is that if you want to design something usable, you need to know how the user thinks and behaves.

So, let’s say you’re creating a very technical product, like a network management system or an IDE, where the user is very technical, just like you. Or let’s say you are the product manager for a healthcare product, and it so happens you are a doctor by trade, so the user is just like you. You should have a pretty good idea of how to design the product, right? In fact, it should be a piece of cake to design a usable product.

Wrong.

Are great project managers born or raised?

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:21:42 -0400

"Are there "natural" project managers and if so, what skills do they have which differentiate them from the average project manager? What makes for a gifted project manager?" This is a question we were asked by a journalist recently. It was a timely question, as we were in the midst of reorganizing the structure of our project management team, realigning the roles and responsibilities of our project managers, and bringing new people into the Project Management team (more on that in a future Critical Path).

User Research Traps

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:13:10 -0400

When we first start chatting with customers about helping with the design and research for a new product, and we start talking about user research, we’re often interrupted. "We're already doing that - we understand exactly what our customers are looking for".

Managers who use LSD get innovative results

Wed, 27 May 2009 21:39:35 -0400

From Sigmund Freud to Jimi Hendrix to Stephen King, some of the greatest minds have resorted to extreme measures to unleash their creativity and push the limits of innovation.

Now think of your company's management team - do you feel that same commitment to ground-breaking innovation?

The last time I interviewed project managers, I asked them the typical questions about scheduling, budgeting, difficult employees, etc. and they gave me the typical answers. But when I asked the question "How do you promote innovation?" - I got a lot of blank stares.

I Know My Role, I Know My Project, But What’s My Motivation?

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:11:56 -0400

Phil Spector is trying to complete the Let It Be album, but the lads from Liverpool are on the outs. He gathers them together in the studio and says:

Listen fellas, I know you got problems, but think of the music! You guys are the Beatles, for chrissakes! Four distinct personalities combining to make the perfect pop group!

Why Is Design-thinking Failing To Penetrate Software Companies?

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:37:43 -0500

As Chief Software Architect for Macadamian, my role is very technical, though I've long had an interest in design and the user experience. Since Macadamian merged with a design firm, I’ve been trying to teach myself about design and study how design-thining is adopted in the software field. Over the past couple of years, I reached the opinion that properly designed software is the exception, not the norm. Why is that?

Three Questions that Separate a Good PM from a Great One

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:41:19 -0500

I just finished a round of interviews for a project manager position. I asked the classic questions about planning budgets and releases, dealing with underperforming team members, etc. and got back the classic responses. But I asked three questions I found separated the PMs who coasted through their careers from the ones who were in the trenches with their teams:

How do you identify the warning signs of project failure?
How do you identify risks?
How often do you talk to your team?

The Principles of Great UI Design

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:07:10 -0400

If there were simple rules you could follow and create a great interface every time, then there would be no bad interfaces. Users would find the features they’re looking for without hunting for them. Everything would always be intuitive. The people who write online help would have to hit the unemployment lines.

Fortunately for technical writers, but unfortunately for the rest of us, it’s not that easy. Solid rules you can follow to come up with great output every time just don’t exist.

Development nightmares: Steps for effective behavior change

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:13:57 -0400

I’ve discovered a new favorite TV show, Kitchen Nightmares. In it, real-life chef Gordon Ramsay, one of the most successful restaurateurs in the world, goes to struggling restaurants and troubleshoots their problems.

Can your candidate spot missing requirements?

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:17:14 -0400

There may be software project managers in the world who can define every last technical requirement of the tasks he assigns, quickly and on the fly. I’m not one of them. With time pressure and daily distractions, there will always be missing requirements in the tasks I assign.