Boost Your Business with These 5 Design Phase Strategies

Communications in business should be designed for maximum readability to mitigate risk and ensure understanding. In a world where miscommunication can lead to significant business issues, it’s crucial to spend some time thoughtfully designing your business communications.

If your organization hasn’t yet devoted resources to this, the following insights might inspire you to kickstart a retroactive design phase. And rest assured, these suggestions aren’t overly complex. Instead, they offer a straightforward starting point and guidance for this journey.

Embarking on a Design Phase

Firstly, acknowledge if this is a new endeavor for your organization. If no one has systematically and adeptly designed the data visualizations your company currently uses, that’s a compelling enough reason to start this conversation.

Conducting the Design Phase

Scott Berinato, in his book “Good Charts”, champions the “Talk and Listen” approach:

  1. Consultation: Discuss your ideas with a trusted colleague or mentor. If you’re uncertain about what you need to do, or you simply want to exchange ideas, set aside time for these conversations. Though they might not bring total clarity, they’ll undoubtedly steer you closer to your objectives.
  2. Clarity: Document your communication objectives: what you want to communicate, why, where, how, and to whom. This will make your discussions much more productive.
  3. Active Listening: The most insightful individuals understand they don’t know everything and that there’s always room to learn. Take note of how you describe your envisioned information. The “visual language” you use can guide your visualization strategy.
  4. Sketching: As your visual concept starts to crystalize, begin sketching it out. You might find it useful to keep a whiteboard and markers handy to facilitate this process.
  5. Paired-Prototyping: This is a crucial part of your design phase. Avoid presenting prototypes as finished products; instead, use them as tools for feedback and iteration. Engage your audience in this process to optimize the final product. Software like OnePager can be helpful here, letting you dynamically update visuals based on real-time feedback.

Given the rise of remote work, platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Slack can facilitate this process. Using project management tools like Asana or Trello could further streamline the design phase.

Your overarching goal is to ensure your audience comprehends the information as quickly and efficiently as possible. Simplicity is key. As Berinato emphasizes, “Simplicity is Courageous.”

The payoff? Your colleagues will be more informed than ever before. As your company improves how it measures actuals against estimated outcomes, you’ll receive their appreciation.

Do you have your own design phase techniques? We’d love to hear from you. Share your ideas with our community in the comments below.

Written by The MPUG Community
MPUG has a global network of over 200,000 project management professionals across 170+ countries. For over 25 years, it has served as a premier platform fostering connection, knowledge sharing, and professional development within the project management community. MPUG champions the use of technology to optimize project management processes. It offers a comprehensive suite of resources and services, including live sessions, accredited training courses, informative lessons, industry articles, and interactive discussion forums. Committed to empowering its members to "Master Projects for Unlimited Growth," MPUG equips our members with the latest industry trends and propels their career advancement. Whether you're a budding project manager or a seasoned practitioner, MPUG provides an invaluable platform to hone your skills and bolster your project management expertise.
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