“Holistic design” feels like a brand new flashy pattern that’s used right here and there with no actual which means behind it. Nevertheless, the time period was current lengthy earlier than UX design was born. Some say it was on the scene earlier than the product design grew to become a factor within the Nineteen Twenties.

These days, once we began utilizing “product design” for digital merchandise and “industrial design” for furnishings, gear, and different {hardware} issues, “holistic design” makes a comeback to UX design. Or has it by no means gone?

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We’re an company stuffed with seasoned UX designers, however “holistic design” is just not very straightforward to clarify. Let’s begin with the principle query:

What’s holistic design?

Holistic design is a design strategy that implies trying on the product from completely different angles, contemplating all of the features, stakeholders, and the surroundings.

Nevertheless, the definition of holistic design is just not sufficient to actually perceive the phenomenon. The holistic design combines the strategy,  practices, and philosophy.

Holistic design is just not one thing that occurs solely within the design division. It’s synchrony of all the corporate processes: to offer a holistic consumer expertise, a handsome UI is just not sufficient, you want a holistic mindset.

The time period “holistic design” is usually utilized in structure, urbanism, and inside design. For instance, historic Greek tractates about city planning prompt that architects ought to take into account the instructions of the winds when projecting the streets of town with the intention to create essentially the most snug air circulation.

Components influencing city planning. Picture credit score: ramboll.com

Among the issues associated to holistic design in different spheres may also help higher perceive how holistic design will be utilized within the fashionable digital world.

When projecting an inside, designers shouldn’t solely consider the shoppers’ tastes and common model consistency. Listed here are a number of the questions designers have to contemplate whereas growing a holistic design:

• Is the neighborhood noisy? Does the house want noise isolation?
• Are the supplies sustainable? If we put this classic fridge, would it not be potential to repair it if it breaks in 5 years?
• Is the furnishings resistant sufficient to the cat’s claws?

Holistic design is just not one thing that each shopper desires. It’s a lengthy course of and requires not solely the price range but additionally time and can to vary the company processes and even tradition. After all, the corporate aiming for holistic design ought to have a excessive stage of UX maturity.

When the choice to undertake a holistic strategy is properly thought, you can begin shifting to new design practices.

1. Guidelines of the holistic design strategy
2. Consider all of the stakeholders, not solely customers or prospects. It doesn’t imply that we’ve to resolve everybody’s issues with our product. But, we’ve to concentrate on all issues taking place round us.
3. Analysis strategies.Once we focus solely on customers, particular person interviews are a golden normal of UX analysis. Once we determine to take a holistic strategy, we’ve so as to add different strategies to our analysis, resembling ethnographic analysis. We’ve to exit within the subject to raised perceive the surroundings.
4. Participative practices. A step ahead from bearing in mind the entire stakeholders is to contain them within the design course of. It’s prone to be difficult and even messy, however giving such strategy a attempt doesn’t price a lot. The promoter of design considering, David Kelley, identified that involving folks of various backgrounds considerably advantages the method.Sustainability. Most fashionable corporations need to seem sustainable. They introduce the precept in varied elements: from company accountability packages to even the manufacturing course of. There may be at all times room for enchancment in sustainability, and holistic design naturally raises the corporate requirements.
5. Ecosystem, not simply design system. A design systemis an ideal software for the corporate, nevertheless it applies largely to the design sphere. It’s typically used to simplify and unify UI/UX design. Holistic design implies an ecosystem together with values, philosophy, and a focus to each element.
6. Going past digital. Even when we’re speaking a few extremely digitalized firm, within the absolute majority of circumstances holistic design options will change bodily objects, resembling workplaces, and in addition the human capital.

Actual corporations. Holistic or not?

As we are saying that holistic is an idealistic time period, it’s onerous to say that any firm in any respect is actually holistic. But, there’s some that transfer in that path. Typically these are the identical corporations that spend money on the petroleum trade (no person stated “holistic” was easy).

Let’s undergo some examples to see how far well-known corporations can get on their option to turning into “holistic”. Is there a option to keep away from mentioning Apple in an article about design? Not that we all know.

Holistic model. Apple

Apple stands fairly near the holistic design strategy. All of the merchandise have a transparent constant line, the corporate has a recognizable model and philosophy. All Apple merchandise sync naturally and collect in an ecosystem: they appear comparable, they use the identical software program and consumer interface, they really feel the identical. As soon as folks get used to the Apple ecosystem, they’ve onerous occasions abandoning it.

Nevertheless, the sustainability of Apple’s design is questionable. The corporate is consistently utilizing the precept of deliberate obsolescence and its merchandise should not very straightforward to restore. Additionally, the well-known methodology of Apple is to create customers’ wants fairly than fulfill present ones. Merchandise are sometimes designed with limitations that require customers to adapt to them fairly than adapting to customers: for instance, new iPhones don’t have any energy adapters.

Design considering utilized. Bosch

The spectrum of the holistic design strategy is giant. It is perhaps unexpectable to see this firm for instance, however there’s something we are able to study from Bosch, an organization with over 150 years historical past and fairly a conventional line of merchandise.

Aside from high quality electro domestics, Bosch is understood for its success in making use of design considering all through a big established firm. They began with launching an entire “design considering division” and it modified the processes within the firm resulting in the redesign of workplace interiors to adapt to the reshaped collaboration fashions.

Bosch is now producing a variety of merchandise aside from washing machines. They assemble good buildings that promote sustainable dwelling. It is a traditional understanding of the holistic design strategy in fashionable occasions.

One of many good practices that Bosch adopted is involving folks of varied profiles within the design course of, resembling engineers, testers, entrepreneurs, scientists. Numerous groups present the perfect floor for revolutionary options.

How holistic is Bosch’s strategy? They largely declare the design considering strategy, however being an previous German firm working with product design, they’re properly acquainted with the notion of holistic design from the primary sources. How sustainable is their product? Nicely, we’ll depart it to the environmentalists.

Holistic path of small corporations

On this article, we’ll depart aside the inside Feng Shui design corporations and can concentrate on UX.

One of many corporations that declare holistic design to be a cornerstone of their work is the Tactile design agency. They see UX as a cross-pollination of varied disciplines, from structure to advertising and marketing. No shock that half of the corporate consists of commercial designers and engineers.

Picture credit score: Tactile

Designers at Tactile dedicate numerous consideration to finding out the context of the product they’re engaged on. Additionally, they certainly transcend digital as they work loads on bodily interfaces and revolutionary applied sciences.

As a UI/UX design company, we’re removed from claiming ourselves holistically. Nevertheless, we do just like the strategy and it’s current in our work.

We at all times attempt to do a bit greater than the shopper asks us. Fixing the issue is nice, however our goal can be to simplify the implementation of the design and consider design accessibility even when it’s not within the temporary.

Check out the case examine of Handprinter, a way of life app. Because the product itself is sort of holistic, our strategy was comparable: we considered all of the stakeholders, thought not solely in regards to the principal consumer’s aim – reducing the handprint – but additionally about different features, resembling a social community of like-minded folks.

Handprinter design by Eleken

What to begin with?

If you’re extra than simply interested in a holistic strategy and need to attempt adopting it in your organization, our recommendation is to begin sluggish. Listed here are a number of steps that may get you nearer on the best way to holistic design:

1. Apply design considering (you would possibly assume it’s one other buzz phrase and also you’ve heard of it a thousand occasions already… However take a look at these design considering examplesfrom high corporations you probably have doubts).
2. Design system. It’s doubtless that you have already got one, however have a look at it nearer: is it an actual system based mostly on philosophy or extra of a visible parts library? Are the ideas of the design system used outdoors of design software program?
3. Examine in case your design is inclusive. With out being inclusive, there is no such thing as a considering of a holistic consumer expertise.
4. Present constant consumer expertise. Make it possible for your prospects are having fun with interacting with the product at each second of their journey. Each little factor is necessary for a holistic consumer expertise. Tips on how to get there? Dig deeper into UX analysis, transcend opponents’ evaluation and consumer interviews.

To sum up

Probably the most difficult factor about holistic design is that completely different folks have very completely different photos of it. The second most intricate factor is that the concept of holistic design is fairly idealistic: every aim is rarely closing, the trail is ongoing. But, following this path would convey many nice bonuses on the best way.

Let me end with a quote from Karthik Vijayakumar, Founder, and Principal, DYT Studios & Host of The Design Your Considering Podcast.

Holistic design is to see and consider the world in two broad dimensions – as interconnected and evolving methods. Holistic design is shaped by and results in interconnected methods. Evolving nature of holistic design is when the design results in the evolution of interconnected methods.