Being a designer in a technology start-up can be stressful. When a new venture starts with a brilliant idea, it's up to you to guide them through a design process that turns a plan into a much loved product. You need to communicate with stakeholders, collaborate with developers, and solve problems, usually many times a day, just to turn that brilliant idea into something useful people actually need. This talk will share some practical ideas and processes I've developed and battle-tested with clients to make the design process as stress-free as possible.

1. Be a designer
in a startup world.
Emanuela Damiani
20 november 2015, Codemotion Milan
EXTENDED VERSION

2. NICE TO MEET YOU!
I’m Emanuela Damiani, an Italian designer who lives in Berlin&loves cats.
I’m @brassy on twitter, github, instagram etc. etc.

5. WHAT WE DO A
HITFOX
ad-tech
big data
fin-tech

6. WHAT WE DO A
HITFOX
build
product
& team

7. ME
THE FOX
A casual day at
HitFox

8. Be a designer
in a startup world.

9. The talk
• In a startup the designer is
alone.

10. The talk
• In a startup the designer is
alone.
• In a startup things are moving
fast.

11. The talk
• In a startup the designer is alone.
• In a startup things are moving
fast.
• In a startup design talent is not
enough.

12. In a startup
the designer is alone.

13. No mentor in a
startup.

14. Juniors.

15. Juniors.They don’t pretend as much money as a
senior.

16. Worst
scenario.

17. the marketing team

18. the dev team

19. As a weird
other type.

20. Real life story

23. just
make it pretty.

24. Just
make it pretty.

25. “Where is the
Sketch file?”

28. –Dieter Rams
“We designers, we don’t work in a vacuum.
We need business people. We are not the
fine artists we are often confused with.”

29. Be
a Design Educator.

30. Teach design
to non-design people.

31. Scenary,
getscenary.com

32. Build a
collaborative
relationship.

33. Interactions
are opportunities.

34. In a startup
things are moving
fast.

37. You've Got Mail.
You’re going to work late tonight!

38. Meet
the new founder.

39. Real life story

42. “The best you can do is direct it from side to
side, but you’re going to have to be zen
about everything else.”

43. Flow with
the river

44. Be
flexible.

45. Do
compromise.

46. Iterate,
iterate, iterate.

47. Welcome back,
2007

48. Julie Zhuo’s graph of the design process for experienced
designers.
WHAT NON-DESIGNERS
THINGS IS DESIGN WORK
THE IMPORTANT
(AND HARDEST) PA

49. In a startup
talent is not enough.

50. Design
is essential.

51. “Our new product is
out!”
THE USER

52. Good designers
are not enough.

53. Real life story

55. “You want designers speaking to the whole
company about why design is important,
what design is working on, and how to work
with the design org. This can go a long way
to making you a much more effective part of
the company.”
–Matt MacQueen, Director of Design and Research at coursera.org

56. Design
helps the business.

57. Don’t be
a stereotype.

58. Be
inclusive.

59. Chocolate for
feedback!

60. Shape
the company culture.

61. Be a designer
in a startup world.

62. Conclusion
• In a startup the designer is alone.
• In a startup things are moving
fast.
• In a startup design is not just the
designer’s responsibility.

63. Conclusion
In a startup
the designer is alone.

64. Conclusion
Be
a Design Educator.

65. Conclusion
In a startup
things are moving
fast.

66. Conclusion
Embrace
the change.
Everything is going to be ok.

67. Conclusion
In a startup
talent is not enough.

68. Conclusion
Build
a design culture.

69. Communicate
and be stress free.

70. Thank you!
Emanuela Damiani
@brassy on twitter (and most of the social)

71. Leave your feedback on
Joind.in!
m.joind.in/event/
Emanuela Damiani
@brassy on twitter (and everywhere)