23- Tulio Jarocki @Blinkist - Can design process be distilled into a checklist?
Mar 26, 2019
auto_awesome
Tulio Jarocki, a product designer at Blinkist, talks about the checklist design process at Blinkist, the use of data in their design process, and the differences in design maturity between the USA and Europe.
Designers at Blinkist prioritize data-driven decision-making, using dashboards and other data sources to inform their design choices and validate their solutions through A/B tests.
Designers at Blinkist work in cross-functional teams, collaborating closely with other team members to validate hypotheses through wireframes, prototypes, surveys, and A/B testing, ensuring decisions are made based on a deep understanding of user needs and business objectives.
Deep dives
The Design Process at Blinkist
At Blinkist, the design process is highly structured and process-driven. Designers start by identifying the motivation and user problem for each project, ensuring that they have a clear understanding of what they are trying to solve. They conduct thorough research, including competitive analysis and user feedback, to gather insights and validate their hypotheses. Throughout the process, designers prioritize data-driven decision-making, using dashboards and other data sources to inform their design choices. They also emphasize the importance of running A/B tests to validate their solutions before implementing them. This structured approach helps the design team at Blinkist stay focused, align with business objectives, and create solutions that are backed by both qualitative and quantitative data.
Collaboration and Cross-Functional Teams
Designers at Blinkist work in cross-functional teams, referred to as mission teams, which are fully staffed with designers, engineers, product managers, and other relevant team members. These teams have a shared mission and work together to achieve user-focused goals. Designers collaborate closely with other team members, leveraging their expertise and working together to validate or invalidate hypotheses through wireframes, prototypes, surveys, and A/B testing. This collaborative approach allows for diverse perspectives and ensures that decisions are made based on a deep understanding of user needs and business objectives.
The Importance of Data in Design
Data plays a critical role in the design process at Blinkist. Designers use data to inform their understanding of user problems and to validate their hypotheses. They have access to various data sources, including dashboards and competitive research, which they use to gain insights into user behavior and to make informed design choices. The design team works closely with the business intelligence team to ensure that they have the necessary data to guide their decision-making. Quantitative data is used for A/B testing and measuring the impact of design changes, while qualitative data helps to provide a deeper understanding of user motivations and preferences. By combining both types of data, designers at Blinkist are able to create thoughtful and effective solutions for their users.
Designing with Empathy and Storytelling
A key focus at Blinkist is to maintain empathy and humanize the design process, even when working with data. Designers are encouraged to tell stories with the data they are analyzing, to understand the context behind the numbers, and to avoid dehumanizing the user experience. By building narratives around the data, designers can contextualize their decisions and better understand the needs and motivations of their users. They also recognize the importance of combining data-driven insights with qualitative research and user feedback to create a holistic and empathetic design approach.
Tulio Jarocki is a product designer at Blinkist, a subscription service that summarizes non-fiction books so they can be consumed in just 15 minutes. The company has over 2500 books in its database, more than 6 million customers, and it has raised over $35 million.
In the episode, we spoke about:
the checklist design process that product designers use at Blinkist,
how designers at Blinkist use data in their design process (and where they get it from),
and differences between USA and Europe in design maturity.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode