[Digital Training Center] Back to Icon Contest XD

Sébastien Faure, head of the UX-Republic Digital Training Center was a coach during the Creative Jam on March 6 & 7 organized by Adobe France in Paris as part of the Icon Contest XD. He shares his experience with us.
The teams arrive throughout the morning to take part in this international UX-Design competition. Stéphane Baril & Yohan Founs, for Adobe, and myself for UX-Republic Digital Training Center, are going to accompany the six teams taking part in this one-of-a-kind Design session…

23 designers in a Loft

Comfortably installed in a loft in the 13th arrondissement, coffees, post-its and fresh juice available, the teams take possession of their workspaces and expectations. On the occasion of this challenge, three exclusive icon kits have been designed by the famous creative studios Anthony & Irene, Bureau Destruct et Lance Wyman. Entrants will need to include at least 5 icons in their prototype.
ux-republic - Jam session icons
One last break on the terrace among the bamboo and the Design Jam is officially launched.
We are going to support the creation of six application projects. The objective of our coaching: to make possible the emergence of an advanced prototype thanks to a well-conducted design methodology, this is the type of mission that we like to take on.

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Any space is conducive to creativity…
So designers from all walks of life are taking up this challenge: propose a mobile application aimed at promoting the points of interest of a city.

Methodology and emotion

Think now. Design later. 

The first phase is devoted to the development of people, user journeys and Value proposition. It is essential to frame your project by focusing on your end users.
Building user archetypes cannot be improvised.
It is therefore important to form creating personas and experience maps before embarking on interface design.
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Then, the teams embarked on the design stage.
 Many had previously worked on graphic tracks. New complexity node. How to bring in elaborate tracks before having put the users at the center?

Fail fast. Succeeded sooner. Tom Kelley

We were then able to work on the basis of our feedback, on the alignment of visions in order to unblock these situations and end up with a first low definition prototype. And above all, to test these first design ideas. For many, this first evening ended with the prospect of a long day to come to integrate the feedback from the tests and put their screens in emotion.

A tool. Two approaches

The second day got up with great creative ideas and a last straight line before the delivery of the projects.
Accustomed to the short deadlines of Agile sprints, we have developed, as part of our missions, a know-how in the collaboration between UX-Designer and Artistic Director. Thus, working on the same tool allows designers to improve productivity and leave more room for creativity.
It is also this feedback that we shared with the teams present at the Design Jam.
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Style & Originality

Another issue of this challenge is to offer each of the participants the possibility of expressing their style.
Break with standards to offer original interfaces and experiences is a demanding exercise to which each of the pairs responded brilliantly.
Rigorously pursuing a well-conducted methodology leads to the creation of original ideas that will meet the needs of end users. 

Projects

In the end, the six teams presented their project. Each was able to work on a storytelling, in a context of demonstration to a client. We were impressed by the quality of the proposals made in such a short time. Maybe we lack objectivity after spending these two days with the teams….
I leave you discover the projects designed during this Design Jam.
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If you would like to benefit from the feedback and know-how of our consultants in order to build skills on UX-Design, prototyping tools or innovation creation methods, I invite you to consult our training catalog and write to us at training@ux-republic.com.
See you soon & BisoUX!
Sébastien Faure, Learning & Development Manager @UX-Republic