Design By Committee
The video below is a great example of how many organizations tackle designing their solutions. Though this uses a corporation as an example, this very much applies to government as well. Design by committee rarely, if ever works and is almost guaranteed to lead to the project’s failure. Common problems that crop up are:
- Not considering or incorrectly identifying the audience
- Design decisions that are made because “it looks good” or “it’s interesting” without being able to explain why
- Ignoring the designers
- Overly self-important attitudes (either individually or organizationally)
- Losing sight of the core purpose
- Thinking that “more is more”
- Not recognizing other design talent in the organization
All of these can and do create products that, much like the stop sign in the video, just do not work. I see this all the time when I, someone who can visualize concepts and ideas, am pushed aside, dismissed, or shouted down by those who, by their own admission, can’t or have a hard time visualizing. I understand that in my case, there’s more at play than what I have listed above, but addressing that list can lead to more effective design efforts.
Keep your stakeholders limited to what is necessary and seek and respect expert opinions.
