Design Process Pyramid
Purpose
A framework for driving more consistent and successful design from the Chief Google Doodler.
The Google Doodle remains an example of design that is not only great aesthetically, it also ships consistently. Ryan Germick, Chief Google Doodler has created a simple framework to codify the success of what is in many ways the face of Google Search itself.
As always with pyramids, build up from the base.
Mission / Soul
Understanding the soul of a project is the necessary foundation on which the design solution is built. Everything ties back to this idea, so identifying it first is the most important part of the process.
You should define a concise mission statement that elegantly answers the question "what is this for?".
If you are stuck at this stage, consider a purpose framework like the Golden Circle.
User Story
Design does not exist in isolation. A person's life will never end with your product / website / billboard / app / hardware - there is important context before, during and after the fact.
Consider the steps before they find your design, the experience using it, as well as the all important next step once they have finished up (the "what happens next?").
Also ensure you define how the experience should reinforce the soul of the design - integrating "what the user does" and "what the project does".
Look & Feel
Now you have defined the reason why you are making the design as well as how people will interact with it, you can jump right into defining what it looks like.
Answering steps 1 & 2 will help in designing something that is both fulfilling and resonates with people on a subconscious level, so this should greatly aid in the creative process.
Execution
There are many ways to implement a design. The ones that are the strongest find a way to incorporate the soul, user story, and look & feel into a cohesive whole.
Make sure that at this stage the design actually gets made, and made well.
Over the Top
Following the pyramid from its base, at this stage you have theoretically completed the design. Most people stop here, but good design becomes great if you keep on pushing one step further.
The cherry on top here is often a simple surprise and delight moment that will unexpectedly jump out at the user and put a smile on their face.
What can you do to delight the audience in an unexpected way?
For a great list of examples of Over the Top executions in digital products, check out Little Big Details.
Author's note, all frameworks are inherently flawed, so apply them wisely. The utility of a framework is always dependent on the individual problem at hand.
