The business aware design process refers to a design approach that takes into account the business goals, objectives, and context when creating a product or service. It goes beyond focusing solely on user needs to ensure that the final design aligns with the overall business strategy. The purpose of the business aware design process is to create solutions that not only meet user needs and expectations but also contribute to the success of the business. By considering the business context, designers can make informed decisions that prioritize both user experience and business outcomes.

Definition and purpose of the business aware design

<ol><li>Understanding the business context, </li><li>Gathering user and business requirements,</li><li>Conducting a business analysis, </li><li>Ideation and concept development, </li><li>Design validation and user testing, </li><li>Iterative design and refinement, </li><li>Collaboration and communication, </li><li>Implementation and deployment, </li><li>Evaluation and measurement, and </li><li>Continuous improvement. </li></ol> These steps ensure that the design process takes into account the business goals, aligns with user needs, and continuously evolves to meet changing market conditions and business objectives.

Key steps involved in the business aware design process

Conduct market research to gain insights into the industry landscape, competition, and customer behaviors. Understanding the business goals and objectives is crucial, so collaborate with stakeholders like business owners, executives, and project managers. Analyzing the target audience helps in designing solutions that meet their needs and anticipating market demands. Consider business constraints, such as budget limitations or regulatory requirements. Collaboration with stakeholders and effective communication channels ensure a shared understanding of the business context.

Identifying the business context in the design process

Identifying key stakeholders and conducting interviews with them helps in understanding their needs, goals, and expectations. User research techniques, such as surveys, interviews, and usability testing, help in gathering insights into user preferences and pain points. Analyze existing documentation like business plans and user feedback. Prioritization of requirements can be done based on their impact and alignment with business goals, using techniques like MoSCoW or weighted scoring systems. Validate requirements with stakeholders and document them for a clear understanding and alignment.

Gather and prioritize business requirements

Have a clear understanding of the business goals and overall strategy. Involve stakeholders early on and conduct user research to understand their needs and expectations. Use a data-driven approach, gather and analyze relevant data, and define measurable objectives to ensure that design decisions are informed and aligned with business goals. Collaborate with stakeholders and team members throughout the design process to manage expectations and achieve consensus. Test and iterate based on user feedback and business metrics to ensure that design decisions align with the desired outcomes.

Best practices for aligning business goals with design decisions

If the design meets user needs, preferences, and provides a positive experience, it is likely successful. Key performance indicators (KPIs) related to the design process, such as conversion rates, user engagement, or customer retention, can be tracked and evaluated. The financial impact of the design, considering return on investment, cost savings, or increased revenue, is another measure of success. Finally, considering the overall impact on the business, such as improved operational efficiency or market share, helps assess the success of the design process.

Evaluate the success of the business aware design process

<ul><li>Lack of clarity of business context, goals</li><li>Balancing user-centric design with business requirements</li><li>Managing stakeholder expectations</li><li>Limited resources, time constraints</li><li>Resistance to change</li><li>Lack of continuous feedback</li><li>Integration with existing systems and processes</li></ul> To overcome these challenges:<ul><li>Actively engage with stakeholders</li><li>Conduct thorough business analysis</li><li>Prioritize requirements</li><li>Foster collaboration, open communication</li><li>Validate design decisions</li><li>Manage resources effectively</li><li>Communicate the benefits of the new approach</li><li>Gather relevant data and insights</li><li>Involve relevant stakeholders in the design process</li></ul>

Common challenges faced during the business aware design process

Business-aware design refers to the practice of incorporating business knowledge and understanding into the design process. It involves designers having a deep understanding of business principles, strategies, and goals, and using that knowledge to inform their design decisions

education

Learning & Education

business

Business

creativity

Creativity

computerscience

Computer Science

product

Product & Design

Business Aware Design 

Procrastination is not simply a lack of motivation but rather a conflict between the brain's approach system and avoidance system. This conflict causes us to experience both positive and negative aspects of a task, leading to a struggle in starting and completing it.

1. Understanding Procrastination as Approach-Avoidance Conflict

The flow cycle consists of four phases: struggle, release, flow, and recovery. Engaging in the struggle phase is key to entering the flow state where effortless attention and peak performance occur. Understanding and mastering the flow cycle can help overcome procrastination.

2. The Flow Cycle for Overcoming Procrastination

Having clear goals activates the brain's executive network and motivates us through dopamine surges. By breaking down tasks into specific, manageable goals, we can reduce the brain's resistance to starting and engage in the flow cycle more easily.

3. Clear Goals as a Flow Trigger

Finding the right balance between the perceived challenge of a task and our perceived skill level is crucial. If the challenge is too high, it leads to anxiety and overwhelm, while if it's too low, we become bored and apathetic. Adjusting the challenge or the time allocated for a task can help regulate the balance and overcome procrastination.

4. Tuning the Challenge-Skills Balance

Response inhibition is the ability to override automatic reactions and choose a go-driven behaviour. By training response inhibition, we can override the temptation to procrastinate and engage in tasks immediately, leveraging our prefrontal cortex and avoiding the approach-avoidance conflict.

5. Response Inhibition for Procrastination

The brain waves present during sleep, such as delta and theta waves, are similar to alpha and theta waves found in flow state. By immediately starting focused work upon waking, we can tap into these brain waves, enhance response inhibition, increase flow likelihood, and reduce procrastination.

6. Harnessing Brain Waves for Productivity

A well-structured schedule that minimizes interruptions and enables uninterrupted flow sessions is key to reducing procrastination. By batching meetings, booking flow blocks, and prioritizing focused work, we create an environment conducive to deep engagement and increased flow payoff.

7. Fixing the Schedule for Flow

It's important to distinguish between true procrastination and ambivalence. Procrastination stems from the desire to avoid a task, while ambivalence signals a sense of unease or intuitive knowledge that a particular action or decision might not be beneficial. Recognizing ambivalence in real-time can help avoid unnecessary actions and make more informed choices.

8. Differentiating between Procrastination and Ambivalence

Eliminating procrastination involves building skills such as setting clear goals, regulating the challenge-skills balance, enhancing response inhibition, and interpreting signals of ambivalence. By consistently practicing these techniques, we can develop the ability to engage in the flow cycle and effectively manage procrastination.

9. Building Skills to Overcome Procrastination

The flow state offers incredible rewards, both in terms of pleasure and performance. Ensuring a high likelihood of entering and sustaining flow by addressing the approach-avoidance conflict and designing tasks with a substantial flow payoff can motivate us to overcome procrastination and achieve extreme progression and accomplishment.

10. Reinforcing the Flow Payoff

Set a clear goal, lower the hurdle on the task, then push yourself through the engage phase within those 15 seconds where people mostly start to procrastinate. If you take too long to start, you'll overthink and stay stuck. Reduce the time between your thought and your action. Engage with the task in 15 seconds. That is when you slide into buttery execution much easier.

Engaging in the Struggle Phase within 15 seconds

Approach-avoidance conflict in the brain causes procrastination, where the desire to do a task conflicts with the fear or anxiety associated with it. Clear and specific goals can help overcome procrastination by activating the motivation and planning centres in the brain. Tweaking the challenge-skill balance, regulating time, and defining the scope of a task can also help overcome procrastination.

Subscribe if you want to use flow states to sharpen your focus, triple your productivity, and reach your goals in record time. New videos upload every Thursday at 9am!

ABOUT ME

Rian Doris is the Co-Founder & CEO of Flow Research Collective, the world’s leading peak performance research and training institute focused on decoding the neuroscience of flow states and helping leaders and their teams unlock flow states consistently. Clients include Accenture, Audi, Facebook, Bain & the US Airforce. 

Along with being listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 Rian's thought leadership has been featured in Fast Company, PBS and Big Think and he hosts Flow Research Collective Radio, an iTunes top 10 science podcast.

Rian is also the Executive Chairman & Owner of Consulting.com — whose mission is to make entrepreneurship learnable so that anyone can start their own business. On the side, Rian does some angel investing in health and performance companies like Levels Health, Neurohacker Collective & Myodetox. 

Rian holds a degree in Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) from Trinity College Dublin, an MSc in Neuroscience at King's College, London and an MBA. 

Rian is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Birmingham in Applied Ethics—focusing on issues in Effective Altruism, specifically longtermism and the question of what our ethical obligation is to future generations. 

Prior to co-founding Flow Research Collective with Steven Kotler, Rian worked with NYT Bestselling Author Keith Ferazzi, and 12X NYT Bestselling Author Dr. Dan Siegel, distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

productivity

Productivity

Rian Doris is the Co-Founder & CEO of Flow Research Collective, the world’s leading peak performance research and training institute focused on decoding the neuroscience of flow states and helping leaders and their teams unlock flow states consistently. Clients include Accenture, Audi, Facebook, Bain & the US Airforce.


Rian Doris

The 15-Second Rule That Makes Procrastination Impossible

To succeed in business, strategic thinking alone isn't enough. You must also effectively communicate your ideas. This can be achieved through techniques such as<ul><li>elevating the conversation,</li><li>being forward-looking,</li><li>connecting concepts,</li><li>simplifying complex issues,</li><li>using metaphors and analogies, and</li><li>seeking feedback.</li></ul>

TLDR:

Describe the broader landscape and articulate the bigger-picture narrative.“Considering our organization’s three-year vision…”“Reflecting on the trajectory of innovation in our industry…” Align stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Elevate your perspective

Assess and communicate broader potential effects of decisions.Highlight possible outcomes or unintended consequences.“This product has the potential to…”“Beyond the immediate benefits, our long-term gains include…” Show that you value thorough evaluation over immediate action.

Anticipate potent impacts

See emerging challenges and opportunities. Demonstrate that you are thinking about the future.“Projecting our growth, by 2028…” “In light of our competitors’ plans, should we be…” Demonstrate your capacity to help the organization develop long-term strategy.

Be forward-looking

Look beyond surface events to the deeper picture of systems and interconnections.“This unexpected increase in digital adoption directly influences our e-commerce strategy…”“Because of these supply chain constraints, we must revise our production timelines and product development strategy…”Show you have an integrative and holistic thought process.

Connect the dots

Break down complex situations in simple yet powerful terms. “In essence, this technology can…” “At its core, our strategy rests on three pillars…”Indicate masterful comprehension of the topic.

Simplify the complicated

“Think of our infrastructure as the backbone, supporting every function…”“Imagine our marketing approach as a net, widening to capture diverse markets…” Communicate strategic ideas in relatable ways. Translate strategic jargon into everyday language,

Use analogies and metaphors

Ask reflective questions.“If our brand were a story, what chapter are we in?” “How does this decision echo our company’s foundational values?”Create an environment where strategic thinking is collective.Prompt discussions to refine ideas.

Stimulate strategic dialogue

Keep strategic insights grounded in current realities.“Given the recent shifts in digital consumption patterns…” “The latest research on consumer behaviour suggests…” Prove you are informed about the evolving landscape.

Show you are informed

Incorporates disparate views.Listen to others closely and actively.“Building on what you’ve said…” “Your point about market saturation aligns with…” Enrich the discussion. Activate the group’s collective intelligence.

Practice strategic listening

Focus on learning by asking for feedback from others.  “Did the strategic direction resonate with everyone?” “How can we better align these discussions with our broader mission?” Demonstrate your commitment to growth and improvement.

Seek feedback

To succeed in the business world, it is crucial for leaders to possess strong skills in strategic thinking and communication. The ability to not only develop effective strategies, but also articulate them clearly, is what sets individuals apart and propels them to the highest levels of success.

To get ahead in the business world, it’s not enough to think strategically. You also have to effectively communicate those ideas. There are several ways to do this, including elevating the conversation to focus on the big picture and broader context, being forward-looking in your comments, anticipating the effects of potential decisions, connecting disparate concepts, simplifying complex issues, using metaphors and analogies, stimulating dialogue with questions, showing you are informed, actively listening, and seeking feedback.

career

Career

corporateculture

Corporate Culture

strategy

Strategy

10 Ways to Prove You’re a Strategic Thinker

...that focuses on building better products through iterative learning and continuous improvement. It extends the traditional UX role beyond design elements and considers the overall user experience and customer outcomes. Lean UX integrates with Agile development methodologies and emphasizes collaboration, quick feedback, and measurable value. Here is a breakdown of the key concepts and steps in Lean UX:

Lean UX is a team-based approach to product design

Lean UX starts with a benefit hypothesis, where teams create a hypothesis about the expected business results of a feature rather than relying on detailed requirements. The ​SAFe Feature and Benefits matrix (FAB) can be used to describe the hypothesis as it moves through the ​Continuous Exploration aspect of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP)

1. Benefit Hypothesis

Lean UX promotes collaboration and breaks down silos between designers, developers, and other stakeholders. It involves engaging a diverse group of stakeholders, including architects, customers, business owners, and agile teams, to refine the problem and create artifacts such as personas, empathy maps, and customer experience maps.

2. Collaborative Design

Teams implement the functionality as an MMF, which is the smallest amount of functionality that provides value to customers and allows the team to validate their assumptions. The implementation is done incrementally with a fast, integrated learning cycle.

3. Minimum Marketable Feature (MMF)

Once the MMF is deployed and released, teams use various methods to evaluate its outcomes and gather user feedback, such as observation, user surveys, usage analytics, and A/B testing. The goal is to gather objective data to determine if the feature fulfilled the hypothesis and iterate accordingly.

4. Evaluation and Measurement

Lean UX replaces detailed requirements with problem statements and assumptions. Assumptions are statements about what the team believes to be true and are used to create hypotheses to test those assumptions. This helps generate common understanding and allows everyone to get started quickly.

5. Assumptions and Hypotheses

Lean UX emphasizes building a minimal version of a concept, testing it, and either iterating or abandoning it based on the results. The concept of the MVP allows for experimentation and maximizes resource utilization.

6. Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

User research and testing are integral parts of Lean UX but in a quicker and more iterative manner. Research responsibilities are spread across the team, reducing bottlenecks and increasing support for UX work within the development team.

7. User Research and Testing

...that aim to deliver a better user experience through collaboration, quick feedback loops, and continuous learning. It aligns well with Agile development methodologies and helps teams deliver valuable products that meet user needs.

Overall, Lean UX is a mindset and set of practices

Lean UX concept is important for all Product UX/UI Designers

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

problemsolving

Problem Solving

startup

Startups

Lean UX

The 2 ideas routine: write down 2-10 brand new ideas every single day about anything you want. Write down 2+ new ideas for articles, books, videos, etc. — things in your creative career.Also write down 2+ things you're grateful for. Because gratitude keeps you grounded in this crazy world.

2 things every morning

Spend a dedicated amount of time (about 2 hours) each day building some sort of side business or creative project. Who couldn’t use more money?You’re about 2 years away from a full-time gig, just a few minutes or hours a day at a time.

2 hours every day

You don’t get good at meditating. The point of meditation is for you to understand how bat shit crazy your mind is.Practice meditation for 2-20 minutes, observe your thoughts in real-time, question them, and sometimes let go of them right on spot.

20 minutes every night

But I’m going to share them with you in, hopefully, a unique enough way that you’re compelled to actually adopt these habits and take them beyond the level I see most people use them. Too much of the…

Business Aware Design

The 15-Second Rule That Makes Procrastination Impossible

10 Ways to Prove You’re a Strategic Thinker

Lean UX

Small Habits You Can Use to Transform Your Life

Girish Nalawade