To My Favorite Web App: I just wanted to take a moment to sincerely let you know how much I appreciate you always trying to please me (and I know I’m not always easy) and to also share with you some areas where we might need some help.

Business as usual is slowing changing with the help of three methodologies: Design Thinking, Customer Development and Lean Startup. They are practices that provide a road map to building successful companies and products on purpose rather than by chance. These three methods have so much in common with each other that upon learning about them for the first time, you can’t stop to wonder — “Aren’t they all talking about the same thing?”

Almost as complicated as finding the right design solution, is the process of finding the right kind of designer for the job. An in-house design team may be knowledgeable but lacks out-of-the-box thinking. An agency may have an army of resources but is over-the-top expensive. A freelancer may be agile but not always available.

Learn how to minimize risk and begin building a successful product from day one.

Our lives are filled with the “clutter” from technology and social media and there seems to be no end.

We need to recognize that good design is often lead by individuals who have mastered their craft and because of this, are able to present their design with confidence and conviction.

Design thinking is an innovation process that uses the designer’s sensibility to find unmet needs and opportunities in order to create new solutions that matter to people.

The “discovery phase” is one of the most misconstrued areas of product development and of the designer-client relationship.

A request from a client for a re-skin of their web site or application should send up a red flag telling the designer to dig deeper and examine other hidden issues.

I recently finished reading a book by Marty Cagan titled Inspired – How to Create Products Customer’s Love. For all of you who don’t like to read, this is only 225 pages with pithy chapters of only 3-4 pages in length. In short, the book is a gem and has loads of advice from an [...]