Elaine Wherry Co-Founder, Meebo.com @elainewherry

1. HOW TO
TALK PRODUCT &
GET $*** DONE
Founders Weekend 2015

2. ELAINE WHERRY
@ELAINEWHERRY

4. 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.

5. TODAY
1. Design
2. Content
3. Space
4. Color
5. Brand

6. “Even I could have done this better…”

7. 1DESIGN

8. 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”

9. PRODUCT TEAM

10. DESIGN
=
CONSISTENCY

13. “It’s too busy.”

14. 2CONTENT

15. CALL TO ACTION
1. 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)

16. GAME!

22. HICK’S LAW

23. “It just doesn’t feel tight.”

24. SPACE
3

29. GAME!

31. 1x
2x
4x

33. B-b-b-but why?

37. “It’s okay but it doesn’t WOW me.”

38. COLOR
4

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

45. GAME!

49. “We’ve done a bazillion iterations and are
behind schedule but now the team really
knows what it wants!”

50. BRAND

51. 1.Who you are
2.What you do
3.How you do it
3 WORDS

52. 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

53. GAME!

54. APPLE

55. HARLEY DAVIDSON

56. HONEST
HONEST

57. 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.”

58. WRAPPING
IT UP…

59. 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

60. THANK
YOU!
@elainewherry
http://www.ewherry.com/
elaine.wherry@gmail.com