Jekyll2022-05-12T19:50:56+07:00https://buditanrim.co/feed.xmlBudi TanrimBudi Tanrim's blog on human-centered design, mindset, and frameworksMove to Substack, temporarily2022-03-05T06:10:00+07:002022-03-05T06:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/moving-to-substack<p>Temporarily, I’ve decided to stop writing on my blog and move to <a href="https://buditanrim.substack.com/">Substack</a>.</p>
<p>In the future, I want to be a fulltime writer. Substack enable subscribers to support me through a subscription model.</p>
<p>You will still get the newsletter from me, but I will post it on my Substack page. You can access my Substack at <a href="https://buditanrim.substack.com/">https://buditanrim.substack.com/</a></p>
<p>I’ll still sharing tips and thoughts on <a href="https://twitter.com/buditanrim/">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/buditanrim/">LinkedIn</a></p>Budi TanrimTemporarily, I’ve decided to stop writing on my blog and move to Substack.Locks and keys2022-02-28T06:10:00+07:002022-02-28T06:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/lock-and-key<p>“You’re not running around grabbing every conceivable lock to try out your key. Instead, you’re finding people (the lock), and since you are curious about their dreams and desires, you will create a key just for them, one they’ll happily trade attention for.” — Seth Godin</p>
<p>I like this statement. A lot of product builders get this simple thing wrong. They start with a solution, then find customers the solution they have. Instead, they should find solutions for the customers.</p>Budi Tanrim“You’re not running around grabbing every conceivable lock to try out your key. Instead, you’re finding people (the lock), and since you are curious about their dreams and desires, you will create a key just for them, one they’ll happily trade attention for.” — Seth GodinLearn from the bad design alternatives2022-02-27T06:10:00+07:002022-02-27T06:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/reflect-on-your-design-alternatives<p>Product designers know they have to explore a lot of options.</p>
<p>The problem is designers often kill a design alternative prematurely before examine it further.</p>
<p>When your exploration produces a “bad” alternative, don’t throw it too quickly. Reflect and learn from it, ask yourself:</p>
<ul>
<li>What is the purpose of this design?</li>
<li>What works?</li>
<li>What doesn’t work?</li>
</ul>
<p>List them down.</p>
<p>Then, when you try to come up with a new alternative, maintain what works, reduce what doesn’t work, that still aims the purpose of the design.</p>Budi TanrimProduct designers know they have to explore a lot of options.Tying shoelaces while running2022-02-23T06:10:00+07:002022-02-23T06:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/tying-shoelaces<p>Learning is hard. It requires unlearning.</p>
<p>Learning while doing the job we have is even harder.</p>
<p>When we don’t know something in our job, we can’t stop. We need to keep running.</p>
<p>When we are unsure how to solve the problem, we still have to solve it.</p>
<p>When we are unsure how to achieve the objective, we still have to do the work.</p>
<p>At some point, though, you will stop. Maybe a pause during your holiday or day off. Appreciate these pauses and take that opportunity to reflect. More importantly, to learn and improve on the thing that bothers you.</p>
<p>If you want to plan for your self-development, consider to use two parameters: <a href="https://buditanrim.substack.com/p/avoid-instant-culture?utm_source=url">what important for your teams and what excites you</a></p>Budi TanrimLearning is hard. It requires unlearning.Problems are pathways2022-02-17T07:10:00+07:002022-02-17T07:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/problems-are-part-of-growth<p>You may believe “problems” are roadblocks to achieving what you want, but they are actually pathways. Facing a problem pushes you to take action to resolve it, and it will eventually lead you to think differently, behave differently, and choose differently. It becomes a part of your growth. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, that’s all.</p>Budi TanrimYou may believe “problems” are roadblocks to achieving what you want, but they are actually pathways. Facing a problem pushes you to take action to resolve it, and it will eventually lead you to think differently, behave differently, and choose differently. It becomes a part of your growth. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, that’s all.Persistence2022-02-10T09:10:00+07:002022-02-10T09:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/persistence<p>Persistence is not repeating the same tactic over and over. That’s simply stubborn.</p>
<p>Persistence is about having a similar goal
over and over.</p>
<p>When arguing which approach is better, remind yourself what the goal you’re trying to achieve. Then, be flexible on how to achieve it. What matters is to achieve that goal.</p>Budi TanrimPersistence is not repeating the same tactic over and over. That’s simply stubborn.Who’s responsible?2022-02-09T09:10:00+07:002022-02-09T09:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/who-is-reponsible<p>Our decisions always have consequences.</p>
<p>The question is: Who will be brave enough to make one?</p>
<p>Here are three things to look at when making a decision: One, look at the situation. Two, look at the dilemma. Three, frame the question.</p>
<p>Then, of course, make the decision.</p>Budi TanrimOur decisions always have consequences.Users vs. customers2022-02-07T09:10:00+07:002022-02-07T09:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/users-vs-customers<p>Imagine a company that is making a cat toy.</p>
<p>The cat owner, who will make a decision, is the customer.</p>
<p>The cat, who will use the toy, is the user.</p>
<p>This distinction matters, especially in the B2B industry, because you should consider both the customers and the users. You should help the customer make the buying decision by incorporating a clear value proposition in your communication strategy. At the same time, you should consider reducing the pain for the users better than what they have now.</p>Budi TanrimImagine a company that is making a cat toy.How to design a listing page?2022-02-06T09:10:00+07:002022-02-06T09:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/designing-a-listing-page<p>What to consider when designing a listing page?</p>
<p>A listing page like the social media feed or your contact list can appear to be simple. Moreover, it’s not a sexy page to focus on, so designers tend to put less attention on it.</p>
<p>On the list page, people have a micro-goal. They want to decide on what to choose or what to read. Basically, the users’ scan, and then they make the decision.</p>
<p>So, here’s the question for you the next time you design a listing page:</p>
<ul>
<li>What decision would the users make here?</li>
<li>What should they scan so they can make the decision?</li>
<li>How can you help users scan optimally?</li>
</ul>
<p>Sometimes, it’s about looking at the problem closer and asking the appropriate questions.</p>Budi TanrimWhat to consider when designing a listing page?Fixated on the solution too soon2022-02-02T09:10:00+07:002022-02-02T09:10:00+07:00https://buditanrim.co/2022/fixated-on-solution<p>It’s problematic when the leadership is obsessed with a specific solution.</p>
<p>The team then can do so little. Perhaps the team seeks to set an experiment to validate the solution. If the experiment disproved the hypothesis, the team might say, “This doesn’t work.” The leader might ask, “What should we do then?”</p>
<p>With the time ticking and the pressure, the leader might as well keep pushing, “Let’s just try to build this on production and see what happens.” The argument might be because the experiment was not projecting reality.</p>
<p>Then, the team has no choice.</p>
<p>The alternative? When the leader wants your team to build a specific solution, ask for context. Ask them what problem is this solution trying to solve. This problem should be your anchor. Yes, you can go out and validate the answer, but your priority should focus on whether we’re solving the right problem.</p>
<p>Suppose the leader can’t articulate the problem. Ask for the objective, “If this solution is successful, what is the outcome?” For example, the leader might explain how we need to double the active users. Then, if the experiment disproved the hypothesis, now you can explore other opportunities to target the objective.</p>
<p>When the experiment disproved the hypothesis, the leader asked, “What should we do then?” You should have a better answer, “Turned out, the real problem for the users are…” or you can say, “Yes, this solution doesn’t work, but we might have another idea to achieve objective X.”</p>Budi TanrimIt’s problematic when the leadership is obsessed with a specific solution.