DPL Reading List – June 30, 2017

Here are some of the articles we’ve been reading around this office this week.

Creating Magic: A Conversation with Original iPhone Engineers & Software Team Lead Scott Forstall – “Much of the criticism missed the big picture, said Scott Herz, one of the original software designers. “You can get spun up over those kind of problems and not notice that the overall picture is much, much better,” he said.”

The 4 Types of Innovation and the Problems They Solve – “There is no one “true” path to innovation. Yet all too often, organizations act as if there is. They lock themselves into one type of strategy and say, “This is how we innovate.” It works for a while, but eventually it catches up with them. They find themselves locked into a set of solutions that don’t fit the problems they need to solve. Essentially, they become square-peg companies in a round-hole world and lose relevance.”

Don’t Relegate Creativity to a Select Few – “We can’t relegate creativity to a few key people or a department. We must elevate the value of creation and cultivate the conditions for new ideas to come forward throughout our organizations.”

All Thumbs, Why Reach Navigation Should Replace the Navbar in iOS Design – “As devices change, our visual language changes with them. It’s time to move away from the navbar in favor of navigation within thumb-reach. For the purposes of this article, we’ll call that Reach Navigation.”

Your Ability to Focus Has Probably Peaked: Here’s How to Stay Sharp – “Having a hard time focusing lately? You’re not alone. Research shows interruptions occur about every twelve minutes in the workplace, and every three minutes in university settings. In an age of constant digital interruptions, it is no wonder you’re having trouble ignoring distractions.”

The 1,000 Floor Elevator: Why Most Designers Fail Google’s Infamous Interview Design Challenge – “When given a scenario, we have a tendency to conclude outcomes that seem reasonable to us. It is precisely this cognitive reflex that we as designers have to fight against, and the very first line of defense is questioning, as experienced designers always have more questions than answers.”

5 Questions Leaders Should Be Asking All the Time – “The best teachers all have at least one thing in common: they ask great questions. They ask questions that force students to move beyond simple answers, that test their reasoning, that spark curiosity, and that generate new insights. They ask questions that inspire students to think, and to think deeply.”