4.7 KiB
Core Framework: Warp-Speed Decisioning
The 3 Pillars
1. Scaffolding
Rules that automate recurring decisions. Pre-made defaults so you don't re-decide the same things.
Components:
- Design psychology reference (laws, principles)
- Economics fundamentals (market forces)
- Accessibility reference (WCAG/POUR)
- Default typefaces and type scale
- Icon library choice
- Design system reference
- Default design rules
2. Decisioning
Process for making new decisions when scaffolds don't apply.
Workflow:
- Inform simplicity — gather minimum viable context
- Narrow options — eliminate conflicts, prioritize alignment
- Weigh information — institutional knowledge → familiarity → research
- Arrive at decision — commit and document reasoning
3. Crafting
Checklists for executing decisions consistently.
Types:
- Checklists for new interfaces
- Checklists for improving fidelity
- Checklists for visual style
- Checklists for innovation
The Decisioning Workflow (Detail)
Step 1: What Does Institutional Knowledge Say?
Institutional knowledge = existing patterns, brand guidelines, tech stack, team capabilities, business constraints.
Questions:
- Does an existing component/pattern solve this?
- What does our design system prescribe?
- What are our technical constraints?
- What has leadership/stakeholders indicated?
Rule: Always check internal resources before external inspiration.
Step 2: What Are Users Familiar With?
User familiarity = conventions from similar products, learned behaviors, competitor patterns.
Questions:
- What do competitors do for this pattern?
- What's the platform convention (iOS/Android/Web)?
- What prior experience do users bring?
- Jakob's Law: Users spend most time on other sites
Rule: Familiarity reduces cognitive load. Novelty requires justification.
Step 3: What Does Research Say?
Research = user testing, analytics, academic studies, heuristic evaluation.
Questions:
- Do we have usability data on this pattern?
- What does instrumentation tell us?
- Are there published studies on this interaction?
- Have we tested this with users?
Rule: Research trumps opinion, but absence of research ≠ decision paralysis.
Arriving at a Decision
After weighing all three sources:
- If clear winner exists → choose it
- If conflict exists → prioritize by macro bet alignment
- If uncertainty remains → choose fastest to validate, plan to learn
Document your reasoning. Future you (and teammates) will thank you.
Staging Your Bets
Why Bets Matter
Every design decision is a bet. You're wagering time and resources on an outcome. The question is whether you're betting intentionally or accidentally.
Macro vs. Micro Bets
Macro bets = Company-level strategic bets on how to win the market Micro bets = Individual design decisions within an interface
Critical Rule: Micro bets are only valid when intentionally supporting macro bets.
The 4 Categories of Macro Bets
| Category | We win by... | Design implications |
|---|---|---|
| Velocity | Getting features to market faster | Reduce time-to-delivery, reuse components, find metaphors in other markets |
| Efficiency | Managing waste better | Design systems, reuse patterns, reduce WIP |
| Accuracy | Being right more frequently | Stronger research, measure with instrumentation, discovery sprints |
| Innovation | Discovering untapped market potential | Uncover "fog of war" with better discovery, find parallels in other markets |
How to Stage Your Bets
- Analyze your industry — Level of competition, market maturity, disruption threats
- Analyze competitors — Leading vs. lagging, their bets, their gaps
- Define customer goals — Jobs-to-be-done statements
- Name your bets — Explicit statements of what you're betting on and why
Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) Format
When [situation],
I want to [motivation],
So I can [desired outcome].
Good JTBD: "When I get emails, I want to organize them so I don't lose important information."
Bad JTBD: "Let me add tags, labels, and folders to my email so I can sort things according to my system."
The difference: Good JTBD focuses on outcome, bad focuses on feature.
Informing Simplicity
Before diving into design:
- Define 2-3 primary JTBD — What are users trying to accomplish?
- Identify your macro bets — Which category is the company prioritizing?
- Understand your constraints — Time, team, tech, budget
- Know your competition — Where are they winning/losing?
Author's Note: Do this fast or don't do it at all. Don't get stuck whiteboarding JTBD. Trust your intuition. The goal is informed speed, not perfect analysis.