The Design Squiggle, From Chaos to Clarity
The Design Squiggle, From Chaos to Clarity
Created to visualize the project management & development experience, starting with confused chaos and gradually becoming clear about the right path over time, reflecting the essence of various experiences.
By Wicar Akhtar
Many years ago, during a design project, I came across a straightforward illustration called “The Process of Design Squiggle” by Daniel Newman. He utilizes this illustration as a tool to help his clients understand the intricacies of the design process.
The Design Squiggle takes the form of a meandering, squiggly line, commencing on the left and traversing through numerous twists and turns before settling on the right side. Within this squiggle, each point represents a distinct stage of the design process, while the shape of the line itself serves as a symbolic representation of the myriad ups and downs, twists, and turns that designers inevitably encounter throughout their creative journey.
What appeals to me about it is…
The Design Squiggle is among the images I enjoy sharing with people who are new to the design mindset because it visually communicates the emotional journey they are likely to experience.
The Squiggle proves to be a valuable visual aid for designers in any UX process, enabling them to track their progress throughout the design journey. At the outset, the left side of the Squiggle portrays the common starting point for most projects, where uncertainty and a touch of chaos prevail. However, as designers move forward along the Squiggle, the line progressively becomes smoother towards the right, symbolizing the ultimate goal of attaining clarity and focus in their design endeavors.
Gradually, the chaos starts to take shape, leading to the formation of a concept and a prototype. Over time, this concept is honed and refined until it evolves into the final design.
Visualization and Communication Tool
The Design Squiggle can serve as a potent visualization and communication tool for both designers and clients. Let’s explore how it plays a vital role in explaining and defining the design process:
Explaining the Design Process
The Design Squiggle finds its application in various design processes as it effectively illustrates the different stages or methods involved. It begins with an initial state of chaos and uncertainty and then gradually advances toward clarity and focus. By doing so, it effectively communicates that design, like any other discipline, relies on iterative exploration and refinement.
Client Presentations:
When presenting design or UX concepts to clients, the Design Squiggle proves invaluable in showcasing the evolution of ideas and concepts. It helps clients comprehend that the initial stages of design may appear messy, but as the process unfolds, the proposed solutions or ideas become more refined and well-defined.
Visualizing Complexity
The design process can be intricate and multifaceted, encompassing various interconnected components. The squiggly, winding path of the Design Squiggle effectively symbolizes this complexity, representing the numerous twists and turns that projects may encounter and the interconnectedness of different design elements.
Engaging Stakeholders
The Design Squiggle can be an engaging and relatable way to involve stakeholders in the AI design process. It humanizes the design journey and helps stakeholders understand the challenges and creative explorations undertaken by designers.
It serves a crucial purpose in discovering the right idea and concept to pursue. Attempting to skip directly to the design phase would likely result in overlooking critical aspects. Hence, a period of research, uncertainty, and exploration is necessary to ensure that the chosen concept is indeed the best fit.
Interestingly, this design process seems to mirror the journey we undergo in our own lives.
The Design Squiggle, From Chaos to Clarity
Created to visualize the project management & development experience, starting with confused chaos and gradually becoming clear about the right path over time, reflecting the essence of various experiences.
By Wicar Akhtar
Many years ago, during a design project, I came across a straightforward illustration called “The Process of Design Squiggle” by Daniel Newman. He utilizes this illustration as a tool to help his clients understand the intricacies of the design process.
The Design Squiggle takes the form of a meandering, squiggly line, commencing on the left and traversing through numerous twists and turns before settling on the right side. Within this squiggle, each point represents a distinct stage of the design process, while the shape of the line itself serves as a symbolic representation of the myriad ups and downs, twists, and turns that designers inevitably encounter throughout their creative journey.
What appeals to me about it is…
The Design Squiggle is among the images I enjoy sharing with people who are new to the design mindset because it visually communicates the emotional journey they are likely to experience.
The Squiggle proves to be a valuable visual aid for designers in any UX process, enabling them to track their progress throughout the design journey. At the outset, the left side of the Squiggle portrays the common starting point for most projects, where uncertainty and a touch of chaos prevail. However, as designers move forward along the Squiggle, the line progressively becomes smoother towards the right, symbolizing the ultimate goal of attaining clarity and focus in their design endeavors.
Gradually, the chaos starts to take shape, leading to the formation of a concept and a prototype. Over time, this concept is honed and refined until it evolves into the final design.
Visualization and Communication Tool
The Design Squiggle can serve as a potent visualization and communication tool for both designers and clients. Let’s explore how it plays a vital role in explaining and defining the design process:
Explaining the Design Process
The Design Squiggle finds its application in various design processes as it effectively illustrates the different stages or methods involved. It begins with an initial state of chaos and uncertainty and then gradually advances toward clarity and focus. By doing so, it effectively communicates that design, like any other discipline, relies on iterative exploration and refinement.
Client Presentations:
When presenting design or UX concepts to clients, the Design Squiggle proves invaluable in showcasing the evolution of ideas and concepts. It helps clients comprehend that the initial stages of design may appear messy, but as the process unfolds, the proposed solutions or ideas become more refined and well-defined.
Visualizing Complexity
The design process can be intricate and multifaceted, encompassing various interconnected components. The squiggly, winding path of the Design Squiggle effectively symbolizes this complexity, representing the numerous twists and turns that projects may encounter and the interconnectedness of different design elements.
Engaging Stakeholders
The Design Squiggle can be an engaging and relatable way to involve stakeholders in the AI design process. It humanizes the design journey and helps stakeholders understand the challenges and creative explorations undertaken by designers.
It serves a crucial purpose in discovering the right idea and concept to pursue. Attempting to skip directly to the design phase would likely result in overlooking critical aspects. Hence, a period of research, uncertainty, and exploration is necessary to ensure that the chosen concept is indeed the best fit.
Interestingly, this design process seems to mirror the journey we undergo in our own lives.