Summary of "How to Improve as a UX Designer? ft. Don Norman"

This video features Don Norman, a pioneering figure in UX design, discussing how designers can improve their craft, the evolution needed in design education, and the broader role of designers in society and business. The conversation covers methodologies, mindset shifts, practical advice, and the future impact of AI on design.

Main Ideas and Concepts

Human-Centered Design vs. Humanity-Centered Design
- Traditional Human-Centered Design (HCD) focuses on usability and user needs but often ignores the broader environmental and societal impacts.
- Don Norman advocates for Humanity-Centered Design (H+CD), which integrates concerns about environmental sustainability, resource consumption, and social impact.
- Designers must consider the full lifecycle of products, including mining, manufacturing pollution, and waste.
Design Education Needs Reform
- Current design education is too specialized and isolated, making it boring and ineffective for many students.
- Education should be project-based, interdisciplinary, and contextual rather than teaching isolated subjects.
- Collaboration across disciplines (engineering, business, psychology, literature) is essential.
- Encouragement of teamwork and sharing knowledge should replace the traditional individualistic and “cheating”-averse academic culture.
Designers’ Role in Business and Society
- Designers rarely become CEOs or hold major executive roles because they often lack business and political skills.
- To gain respect and influence, designers must understand business language, economics, and strategy.
- Solutions must align with business profitability, not just environmental or social good.
- The concept of a Circular Economy (zero waste, reuse) is crucial but challenging to implement without business incentives.
- Moving from selling products to selling services (e.g., transportation instead of cars, communication instead of phones) can help align sustainability with business goals.
Practical Skills for Designers
- Learn business fundamentals: finance, accounting, marketing, and how to create spreadsheets and data-backed proposals.
- Use numbers and projections to convince executives of the value of design ideas.
- Build multi-perspective views by befriending colleagues from other departments and disciplines.
- Seek and embrace negative feedback as a tool for growth.
- Test ideas early and often, even if it means starting with imperfect prototypes.
Career Growth and Lifelong Learning
- Don Norman’s own career was shaped by curiosity, interdisciplinary learning, and persistence despite early challenges (e.g., poor writing skills).
- Continuous self-education, collaboration, and openness to feedback are key.
- Writing clearly and telling stories help communicate ideas effectively.
- Designers should develop complementary skills beyond pure design.
Impact of AI on Design
- AI will be a powerful tool but will not replace designers; it will augment their capabilities.
- Designers will need to learn how to “prompt” AI effectively to get useful results.
- AI can help with brainstorming, prototyping, and even business modeling.
- The evolution of design work with AI parallels how CAD and compilers changed engineering and programming.
Design Methodology Insights
- The Double Diamond model (divergent and convergent phases) is a useful teaching tool but not always how designers work in practice.
- Experienced designers often start with a tentative solution and iterate based on user feedback.
- Implicit knowledge gained through practice is critical and not fully captured in books or lectures.
Recommendations for Design Students and Educators
- Engage in interdisciplinary projects from day one.
- Learn to work collaboratively and seek expertise outside design.
- Understand the societal and environmental impact of design decisions.
- Develop business acumen alongside design skills.
- Use storytelling and clear communication to advocate for design ideas.

Detailed Methodology / Instructions for Designers

Adopt Humanity-Centered Design (H+CD):
- Consider environmental and social impact in all design decisions.
- Analyze the full lifecycle of products, including resource extraction and waste.
- Collaborate with governments and experts for large-scale social problems.
Improve Design Education and Learning Approach:
- Learn by doing projects, not isolated topics.
- Work in interdisciplinary teams (designers, engineers, business).
- Encourage knowledge sharing and collaboration; don’t stigmatize “cheating” when it means sharing and crediting sources.
Gain Business and Political Skills:
- Learn to speak the language of business: finance, marketing, strategy.
- Prepare business cases with data, projections, and financial impact.
- Understand the political landscape to influence decisions and policy.
Pitching Ideas Effectively:
- Present solutions, not just problems.
- Use spreadsheets and data to show increased sales, profits, or cost savings.
- Make sensible assumptions and be transparent about them.
Seek and Use Feedback:
- Test ideas