Is it really good? Measure design quality using this framework
One of my favourite paintings is Van Gogh’s magnum opus Starry Night. He painted it while staying at an asylum to help with his depression.
The view from his bedroom window and how it made him feel served as inspiration for the countryside scene.
This beautiful painting is now worth around $100 million! The funny thing is that Van Gogh only ever sold one of his 900 paintings, and it wasn’t even Starry Night.
It’s great that he became famous after he passed away, but why wait for the afterlife to reap the rewards of high-quality designs? When it comes to designs or services that can make you money, it’s important to get feedback from potential buyers.
You know, good design isn’t just about making something look pretty. It’s also about being functional and user-friendly. So, let’s dive in and learn about the different ways we can measure design quality.
Components of design quality
Design quality is made up of different components: aesthetics, functionality, usability, accessibility, and innovation.
Aesthetics covers how things look and feel, while functionality is all about how well they work. Usability refers to ease of use, and accessibility focuses on people with disabilities. Innovation is the cherry on top!
High-quality designs have all these components.
Collecting and evaluating feedback on design quality
To gauge design quality, we first have to figure out our criteria. Are we trying to measure how good it looks or how easy it is to use?
Once we know what we’re looking for, we can gather data using:
- Surveys
- Usability testing
- Expert reviews, and
- Heuristic evaluation
Surveys help get user feedback, while usability testing shows how people interact with our designs.
Expert reviews come from trained pros, and heuristic evaluation uses guidelines to check usability.
After collecting data, we analyze it to see what needs improving. Then we make changes based on what we find!
How we do it in Deer Designer
When our clients send their design requests to their deer team, their account manager makes sure that the instructions are clear and that the designer gets it. If not, the team will ask more questions or give them options. It’s like a mini-survey.
Before sending the design for client approval, our quality analysts (who are also senior designers) review it. They make sure it meets the client’s expectations and follows our standards.
With their experience, they also do heuristic evaluations using our processes and guidelines. After passing the quality check, clients will then approve the request or give feedback so the team can make any final tweaks.
Case Studies
Let’s take a look at some case studies of successful design quality evaluation and improvement. One example is the redesign of the website for the city of Boston.
They used usability testing and surveys to get user feedback and made changes based on the data.
Over 20,000 web pages and a million words were rewritten to make the site easier to understand and navigate. Boston.gov is now optimized for any device and screen size.
Slide the images below to see the transformation.
Another example is the redesign of the Google logo. They used user feedback to make a simpler, more accessible logo while still keeping its brand identity.
Gogh for high quality
Van Gogh painted for himself and used art to express his feelings. He didn’t really care about what potential buyers thought or said. Quality for him was based on his own preferences.
It’s good to start with your own taste when designing for your company, but remember, you’re not selling a painting: you’re selling a service using design. That’s why having guidelines for measuring quality is important.
Measuring design quality is paramount to creating functional and user-friendly designs for both you and your clients.
By defining criteria, collecting data, analyzing results, and taking action, Deer Designer can help you improve your designs and create something truly innovative.
So, next time you’re working on a design project, remember to measure design quality to make it the best it can be!
