A Design in the Life #12

I had the opportunity to speak at the Spectrum Tokyo Festival in 2022. My presentation topic was Refactoring Design (Without Being Noticed); I received valuable feedback and positive reviews. About a year later, I realized that I hadn’t covered that topic in a column article, so here it is.

What is Design Refactoring?

The trigger for my opportunity as a speaker was a casual post on Facebook about my recent interest in design refactoring. I compiled ideas about it, turned them into a 30-minute presentation, and delivered it on the Global stage at the festival.

The essence of my presentation was to avoid easy renewals and instead focus on gradually building high-quality improvements that value user familiarity. In the realm of digital products and services like websites and smartphone apps, professionals are often tasked not only with launching new services but also with improving and renewing existing products and services.

Renewals are driven by various reasons and backgrounds, often unrelated to the users, such as changes in marketing strategies, branding considerations, personnel changes, or corporate restructuring. 

Despite encountering complex and user-unfriendly UIs or subpar user experiences, many users adapt and become accustomed to them. The power of familiarity is such that users can unconsciously navigate through button placements, operational procedures, and unnecessary considerations. Once users establish a memory of an action that leads to the outcome, they tend to prefer the familiar, even if there might be better methods or procedures available.

During the presentation, I highlighted examples such as the giant e-commerce site Amazon, auction site eBay, and video streaming platform YouTube. These services have not undergone large-scale renewals since their launch in 1995 (Amazon and eBay) and 2005 (YouTube). Instead, they have evolved gradually, almost imperceptibly to users, while observing user reactions and transitioning to modernized sites.

I brought up the concept of refactoring as a mindset of continuously making small changes and improvements. Refactoring is a common improvement technique in the programming world, where the behavior of a program remains unchanged externally while the internal structure is refined, optimized, and rewritten to enhance maintainability.

I proposed that this refactoring mindset could be applied in the design world and introduced three approaches:

• Speed (Moving swiftly and creating a sense of speed)
• Communication (Emphasizing UX writing and effective communication)
• Microinteractions (Appropriate responses and eliminate friction)

Download presentation slides

Speakers and attendees collaborate to create a learning environment

Now, let’s share my experience as a speaker at the Spectrum Design Fest.

I am usually comfortable with presentations and can deliver them without much nervousness. However, this time was different. I was unusually nervous, so I prepared meticulously, rehearsed alone multiple times, timed my speech, and made last-minute adjustments to my presentation materials. This event is not your typical event where you listen to speakers; it includes a 30-minute presentation followed by an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session where attendees can ask questions and engage in discussions with the speaker. I was worried about whether participants would join the AMA session, but it turned out to be a valuable time beyond the presentation itself.

The beauty of the AMA session lies in the fact that questions and answers are not confined between the speaker and the questioner but are shared with all participants, gathering new questions, insights, and challenges. This led to meaningful exchanges beyond a simple Q&A session, where diverse ideas, hints, and shared challenges emerged, making us realize that many people share similar concerns and feelings. It was a wonderful experience that fostered a sense of unity transcending company affiliations and job roles.

Reflecting on the presentation, I am satisfied to deem it a great success. However, there is a reason why I prepared so meticulously this time. When I went to a concert, the band said something surprising during the break between songs: “We’re only giving about 20% of our ability.” At first, it seemed like they were slacking off. But what they meant was quite deep and greatly influenced my thinking afterward. In sports, giving your all during the game is admirable, for musicians, if a song requires giving your all to perform, it’s inadequate. The aim is to play smoothly using only 20% effort and entertain with the remaining 80%. Handle any issues that arise, add something special, and perform so smoothly that the audience doesn’t even notice their mistakes.

Since hearing this story, although I am not a musician, I have started to always prepare thoroughly, conduct research beforehand, practice diligently, and consider risk mitigation strategies for potential issues. I don’t believe I can perform at 20% of my ability yet, but I feel a bit more at ease. Whenever I hear the songs from that live performance on the music streaming service Spotify, I am reminded that I still have a long way to go.

The Spectrum Tokyo Festival

What I learned at the Spectrum Tokyo Fest 2022 is that there is a certain demand for any topic. Instead of advocating lofty ideals or academically correct notions, many practical matters cannot be overlooked in the field. It was good to be able to present my real-life experiences and insights without exaggeration or trying to appear larger than life. The venue design and event flow were excellent, and despite being someone who is not very comfortable initiating conversations with others, I was able to relax and enjoy the event, leading to numerous new encounters that brought me great joy.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have become accustomed to online events. However, engaging in face-to-face conversations, sharing laughter-filled spaces with strangers, and listening to talks in person are truly valuable experiences. In the pre-COVID era, what might have seemed like ordinary scenes are now incredibly important opportunities for us. Sessions that align with your work or interests, as well as those that may seem unrelated to you now, are likely to contribute in some way to your career development and skills.

 Spectrum Tokyo Festival 2023

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In “A Design In The Life” series, we will provide hints on improving the resolution of the design experience from the perspectives of both designs in daily life and design in digital space. If you have a topic you would like us to cover, please let us know.