HOW TOTALK PRODUCT &

GET $*** DONEFounders Weekend 2015

ELAINE WHERRY@ELAINEWHERRY

TODAY

• You’re a founder because you pitched an idea and raised money (not because you can crush Illustrator).

• Your team is teeny. There’s no way you have all your product bases covered.

• Even with your team’s combined killer design instincts, you’re going to have holes.

• Let’s get beyond knee-jerk reactions.

TODAY1. Design

2. Content

3. Space

4. Color

5. Brand

“Even I could have done this better…”

1DESIGN

EVERYONE’S A DESIGNER

“I can’t design but I know what looks good”

“I only use Apple products”

“I watched Helvetica”

“I like asking users what they want”

“My girlfriend says I have good taste”

“I can copy competing products”

PRODUCT TEAM

DESIGN =

CONSISTENCY

“It’s too busy.”

2CONTENT

CALL TO ACTION1. Download (mobile)2. Search (Google)3. Navigate to… (Wikipedia)4. Register (social site)5. Sign-in (existing user)6. Input (flight finder)7. Purchase (shopping)8. Recommend (viral)

GAME!

HICK’S LAW

“It just doesn’t feel tight.”

SPACE3

GAME!

1x

2x

4x

B-b-b-but why?

“It’s okay but it doesn’t WOW me.”

COLOR4

VISUAL INTEREST

1. Value (black and white) — 95%2. Saturated & unsaturated (black-gray & neon)3. Warm and cool4. Light effects (luminosity, shadows)

GAME!

“We’ve done a bazillion iterations and are behind schedule but now the team really

knows what it wants!”

BRAND

1.Who you are

2.What you do

3.How you do it

3 WORDS

3 WORDS• stylish

• innovative

• cool

• slick

• rebel

• jester

• champion

• sage

• playful

• dynamic

• surprising

• casual

• personal

• serious

• sensible

• irreverent

• inventive

• genuine

• cheerful

• maverick

• spirited

• responsible

• glamorous

• tough

• strong

• rugged

• efficient

• domestic

• imaginative

• wholesome

• grounded

• charming

• authentic

• unassuming

• personable

• democratic

• friendly

• authentic

• honest

• risky

GAME!

APPLE

HARLEY DAVIDSON

HONEST

HONEST

DEAR DESIGNER…

“Our team is impressed with your work, especially your nature-based textures, earth tones, and clean Swiss typography. We think your style would be a great fit.”

WRAPPING IT UP…

RESOURCES• Adobe skills: Startup employees can take *FREE* weekend Adobe classes at the BAVC (I take them;

they’re awesome). Bavc.org

• Brand: Preserving Awesomeness — ewherry.com/2012/10/preserving-awesomeness-whymetricsarentenough/

• Color: Color and Light Guide to Painting by James Gurney

• Contrast: Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis

• Forms: Web Form Design by Luke Wroblewski

• Grid Systems: http://960.gs/

• Layout ideas: Graphic Design Cookbook by Leonard Koren

• Process & team building: How to Create Products Users Love by Marty Cagan

• Team Dynamics: Creative Basadur Test on basadurprofile.com

• User Experience: 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School by Frederick

• Vocabulary: Universal Principles of Design by Lidwell & Holden

THANKYOU!

@elainewherryhttp://www.ewherry.com/

elaine.wherry@gmail.com