frameworks Archives - Ken Pritchett

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

The Design of Everyday Things is a book written by Don Norman, a cognitive scientist, usability engineer, and design expert. In the book, Norman discusses the importance of design in everyday objects and how good design can enhance the user experience.
This book is the source for so much of how we approach User Experience Design. The book is divided into two main sections:

The Psychology of Everyday Things

The Design of Everyday Things.
In the first section, Norman explains the principles of human cognition and how people interact with and understand the world around them. He discusses how to design products and environments that are easy to use and understand, and he covers the role of affordances, signifiers, and feedback in design.
In the second section, Norman discusses how to apply these principles to the design of everyday objects and environments. He covers topics such as how to design for usability and learnability, how to create effective and intuitive user interfaces, and how to design for accessibility and diversity.
The Design of Everyday Things is a comprehensive and thought-provoking book that provides valuable insights and strategies for designers, engineers, and anyone interested in the psychology of human-centered design or designing for the web or any digital product.

Sprint by Jake Knapp.

Sprint By Jake Knapp
Sprint is a book written by Jake Knapp, a design partner at Google Ventures. In the book, Knapp provides a practical framework for solving complex problems and creating new products or services in a short amount of time.
When Google buys a company with a digital product they needed a way to identify very quickly, what if any needed improvements to that digital product should be made. This book layout a frame work for doing just that. In just Five days, you can get a working prototype that you have vetted in front of real customers before investing the time and money in a new website or application.
The framework is divided into four main phases:

Map

Sketch

Decide

Test

In the first part, Knapp discusses how to map out the problem you are trying to solve and identify the key stakeholders involved. In the second part, he covers how to sketch out potential solutions and create prototypes. In the third part, he discusses how to decide on the best solution and create a plan for implementing it. And in the final part, he covers how to test the solution with real users to gather feedback and iterate on the design.
Throughout the book, Knapp provides step-by-step guidance and practical tips for running a successful sprint, as well as examples from real companies that have used the sprint process to solve a variety of challenges.
Sprint is a useful and actionable guide for anyone looking to quickly and effectively solve complex problems and create new mostly digital products or services.

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug

In a world where attention spans are dwindling, and competition for attention is fiercer than ever, Krug arms you with the knowledge and tactics to create websites that are not only visually stunning but also effortlessly navigable. The following are what I think are the key takeaways from this indispensable guide, crafted to help you dominate the digital battlefield with web designs that are functional, intuitive, and downright irresistible to users.

Usability is king: "Don't Make Me Think, Revisited" emphasizes that user-friendly web design is critical for a website's success, making it easy for visitors to navigate and find information.

Keep it simple: Krug advocates for intuitive design, urging web developers to eliminate unnecessary complexity and create straightforward, self-explanatory interfaces that cater to users' instincts.

Test early and often: The book underscores the importance of usability testing to uncover potential issues, recommending frequent tests with real users to optimize the website's performance.

Kill the clutter: Krug champions minimalism, advising designers to eliminate distractions and redundant information, creating a clean, visually appealing layout that focuses on the essentials.

Design for scanning: Recognizing that users typically scan web pages rather than reading every word, Krug suggests employing clear headings, bulleted lists, and visual cues to facilitate quick, efficient browsing.

The Bullet Journal method, also known as "Bujo," is a customizable productivity system that was created by Ryder Carroll. It is a paper-based system that combines to-do lists, note-taking, and journaling in one place, using a system of bullet points and symbols to organize tasks and ideas.

Like a lot of people I have tried a lot of productivity systems note takings frameworks. All of them promised the world. The one common denominator of course was always me. Bullet journaling has been the only system that has helped me become more organized and improved my ability to stay focused on what is important. The other thing that has set this method apart for me is that it is the only system I have been able to stick with for over three years. With all other productivity systems lasting never lasting one year.

To start a Bullet Journal, you will need a blank notebook and a pen. You can also use stencils, stickers, and other decorative items to personalize your journal.

The core structure of a Bullet Journal consists of four main components:

The Index: This is a list of all the pages in your journal, organized by topic or project. The Index helps you quickly find what you're looking for in your journal.
The Future Log: This is a calendar where you can keep track of long-term goals and events. You can use it to plan out your month, quarter, or year.
The Monthly Log: This is a calendar that covers one month at a time. You can use it to plan out your monthly tasks and appointments.
The Daily Log: This is a page for each day, where you can record your daily tasks, appointments, and notes.

I think part of the reason I have been able to stay consistent with #BUJO is that the system is so forgiving. Even if I fail to crack open my Bullet Journal on a particular day, I can pick it up the next day and rather that have to back fill to make up for the missed day, I simply carry on as if it didn't happen. For me this has proven to be a game changer.

In addition to these core components, you can also include other pages and sections in your Bullet Journal, such as a habit tracker, a gratitude log, a brainstorming page, or a project planning page.

To use the Bullet Journal method, you start by listing out all the tasks and ideas you want to track in your journal. You then organize these tasks and ideas using bullet points and symbols. For example, a bullet point with a dot (•) indicates a task, while a bullet point with an "X" (✔) indicates a completed task. You can also use other symbols, such as a dash (-) for notes, an exclamation point (!) for important items, or a right arrow (>) for tasks that you want to migrate to a future date.

The Bullet Journal method is flexible and adaptable, and you can customize it to fit your specific needs and goals. It can help you stay organized, stay on top of your tasks and appointments, and capture your thoughts and ideas in one place.

Bullet Journal Future Log and Monthly Log

If you do a web or social media search for Bullet Journaling or #BUJO you may become very confused very fast. There are lots of flowery artistic tutorials for decorating your pages. This is not the system of bullet journaling and so can give you a misunderstanding of what the system is. This is great of course and fun, but it is not the system which has helped me organize my life.

Most often this is folks who are adding creativity to their #bulletjournal collections or habit trackers, a element within Bullet Journaling which is not at the core of its functionality. Therefore whenever I am recommending Bullet Journaling to a friend I always send them the video link above. It is all you need to get started. You do not need fancy pens, washi tape or even an official bullet journal notebook. Any notebook or even a stack of paper would work. Once you have understood the system, if you still want to washi tape your book, well... you do you.

Finally there are Collections. Collections allow for topical sections such as a larger project or goal.

Bullet Journal Site

Published by Ken in Personal Development

Tags: #bujo, bullet journal, DIY, frameworks, Life Hacks, Productivity, self-improvement

The Best Books About Building Websites

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman

Sprint by Jake Knapp.

Don't Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug

Bullet Journaling Helped