London Technology Week: 12 tips for producing a new experience

Speaking at Flux London yesterday (17 June) as part of London Technology Week, Jerry Lieveld, CEO at design studio Dare to Difr, shared 12 tips for designing a new experience, installation or app.

Dare to Difr's Jerry Lieveld spoke at Flux London yesterday (17 June) (@jerrylieveld)
Dare to Difr's Jerry Lieveld spoke at Flux London yesterday (17 June) (@jerrylieveld)

Lieveld explained that it is important to consider the user experience every step of the way. "Technology isn’t a barrier anymore, the user experience is. Try to make the most complex things simple for the user.

"We design for humans not systems. We try to be as screen agnostic as we can, and we have the needs of the user at heart," he said.

Tips for producing an experience, installation or app

Ask Why – Lieveld touched on ‘The five strings of why’, a concept that encourages creatives to question everything they do. "Ask why something is how it is, and then ask again," he said.

Prepare to fail – "Do early testing," Lieveld advised.

Embrace pivots – He encouraged creatives to potentially change their product.

First time use, make it awesome – Lieveld stressed that the first contact point of a new experience, installation or application is crucial.

Don’t talk to your friends – He explained friends don’t provide real feedback, because they are going to like what you’re doing either way. "Learn from others and test often," he added.

Design your product ‘naked’ – Lieveld encouraged the audience to consider: "What is the core thing you want users to do with your experience, installation or application?"

Track everything – he advised creatives to measure everything, and in real time.

Be transparent – "Try to be as open in your communication as possible," said Lieveld.

Don’t over design – start off simple: "Let people love... [your experience or product] and then you can start building up."

Design for friction – design for the friction that might be in your experience, installation or app, he advised. 

Design for fixed reality – "For us, it is about the user experience and how we can interact with the user."

Be personal – make the experience or product as human and personal as possible," added Lieveld. 

Dare to Difr has studios in London and Amsterdam. The company's latest technologies and work .

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