Simplifying productivity for managers and leadership
Ever heard of "Eat the Frog"? It’s a productivity concept that means tackling the most challenging or important task when you’re most productive. The frog represents the task that you might be tempted to procrastinate or avoid due to its difficulty or complexity.
In my life I have expanded this “froggy” concept to how can I simplify such “Eating the Frog" moments for my managers and leadership - means How can I offer help in some critical tasks that linger in their minds?
Whether it’s about bringing an elusive product idea to life with something beautiful that they can touch and feel ,
or whipping up a slick presentation for that upcoming keynote,
I’m like a frog whisperer, always on the lookout for those tricky yet crucial gigs.
And guess what? The reactions are like pulling a rabbit out of a hat – PURE MAGIC!
“So who’s up for a frog treat?”
Ever heard of "Eat the Frog"? It’s a productivity concept that means tackling the most challenging or important task when you’re most productive. The frog represents the task that you might be tempted to procrastinate or avoid due to its difficulty or complexity.
In my life I have expanded this “froggy” concept to how can I simplify such “Eating the Frog" moments for my managers and leadership - means How can I offer help in some critical tasks that linger in their minds?
Whether it’s about bringing an elusive product idea to life with something beautiful that they can touch and feel,
or whipping up a slick presentation for that upcoming keynote,
I’m like a frog whisperer, always on the lookout for those tricky yet crucial gigs.
And guess what? The reactions are like pulling a rabbit out of a hat – PURE MAGIC!
“So who’s up for a frog treat?”
Product visions are nice, but NOT always helpful
“We will make [insert your target customer]’s lives better through [insert your product idea here].”
Product visions like above are nice, but NOT helpful.
You need to give the audience (and senior executives) a real sense of how you will make their lives better as the chances of a written spec effectively communicating complex software is pretty close to ZERO.
The only thing I have relied upon when communicating a vision is a high-fidelity prototype or video.
Let’s INSPIRE our audience that it’s worth solving these problems!
TBT to one of zillion such concepts I have shipped in my career, both to get folks on board or to unearth limitations of the concept before investing time, money and effort:)
“We will make [insert your target customer]’s lives better through [insert your product idea here].”
Product visions like above are nice, but NOT helpful.
You need to give the audience (and senior executives) a real sense of how you will make their lives better as the chances of a written spec effectively communicating complex software is pretty close to ZERO.
The only thing I have relied upon when communicating a vision is a high-fidelity prototype or video.
Let’s INSPIRE our audience that it’s worth solving these problems!
TBT to one of zillion such concepts I have shipped in my career, both to get folks on board or to unearth limitations of the concept before investing time, money and effort:)
2024 Manifesto: Design beyond screens!
One of my resolutions for the year is to push our team to make the leap from being design maestros to true though leaders!
And here’s action plan #1
As designers, we pour our heart and soul into every pixel we craft and are most eager to share our Figma files to our audience. Unfortunately, very few amongst us (including the seasoned ones) realise that simply sending over screens without context doesn’t do any justice to our brilliance. Especially when it comes to sharing this with senior executives who do not have the luxury of deciphering the maze of screens in their busy schedules :(
So, here's the hack …
Let's start leading the design conversation! Instead of sending files without context, let's craft a narrative around our designs that unfold the story behind your work!
Why does your design exist?
Dive into the BEFORE/CURRENT states, shedding light on the problems you're tackling.
Highlight the pivotal moments of your proposed solution
Showcase the exciting roadmap for future versions.
.What does this achieve? It transforms you into a design storyteller, linking user needs to business goals seamlessly. This approach isn't just about presenting a solution; it's about articulating a vision. Sure, it takes a bit more effort, but trust me – the impact of making our designs speak louder than pixels on a screen is MONUMENTAL
One of my resolutions for the year is to push our team to make the leap from being design maestros to true though leaders!
And here’s action plan #1
As designers, we pour our heart and soul into every pixel we craft and are most eager to share our Figma files to our audience. Unfortunately, very few amongst us (including the seasoned ones) realise that simply sending over screens without context doesn’t do any justice to our brilliance. Especially when it comes to sharing this with senior executives who do not have the luxury of deciphering the maze of screens in their busy schedules :(
So, here's the hack …
Let's start leading the design conversation! Instead of sending files without context, let's craft a narrative around our designs that unfold the story behind your work!
.
.
.
Why does your design exist?
Dive into the BEFORE/CURRENT states, shedding light on the problems you're tackling.
Highlight the pivotal moments of your proposed solution
Showcase the exciting roadmap for future versions.
.
.
.
What does this achieve? It transforms you into a design storyteller, linking user needs to business goals seamlessly. This approach isn't just about presenting a solution; it's about articulating a vision. Sure, it takes a bit more effort, but trust me – the impact of making our designs speak louder than pixels on a screen is MONUMENTAL