

Questions I ask when reviewing a design - thibaut_barrere
http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3024-questions-i-ask-when-reviewing-a-design

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jrockway
Questions I ask when reading this blog post:

    
    
       Why is this a list of questions without any further explanation?
    

Furthermore, is it really good design to have a big wall of text composed of
similar-looking lines? Very hard to read.

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jasonfried
"Why is this a list of questions without any further explanation?" - because
that's all I said it was. I didn't promise anything beyond a list of questions
that I ask when I review a design.

I may expand on a few of these in future posts.

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edw519
These are great! A few more of my own:

    
    
      What does my reptilian brain "sense" in .5 seconds?
      What can be removed to improve it?
      What is confusing?
      What is offensive?
      What could make it simpler?
      What could make it clearer?
      Which entities are dead weight?
      What is too small to easily read?
      What is too dark/light/unfocused to easily read?
      What questions does it raise?
      How do I quickly and easily find answers to those questions?
      What about it excites me?
      What would it take to excite me more?
      What is it supposed to do?
      Does it do that?
      Who is it supposed to me for?
      Is it for them?
      How do I get out?
      How do I get back?
      On an integer scale from 0 to 10, what is it?
      On an integer scale from 0 to 1, what is it?
      How fast is it?
      What slows it down?
      What should be removed to speed it up?
      When I do something, how do I know it knows I did it?
      Is everything about it intuitive?
      What needs to be made more intuitive?
      How comfortable am I staying here for a while?
      How comfortable am I staying here all day?
      What else should it do without getting too complicated?
      What could be better about it?
      Would my boss understand it?
      Would my customers understand it?
      Would my parents understand it?
      Do I want the past 5 minutes of my life back?

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tptacek
This is like a web-app focused "Oblique Strategies". Someone should make
cards! I printed them out and taped them on my wall.

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joe8756438
I'd like to add: What the fuck?

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jonathanmoore
Great list, although it doesn't include the first thing I ask myself:

Does it have personality?

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CPlatypus
What a terrible list. One of the most important things to do in a review is to
keep it focused on improvement and not turn it into a kibitizing session.
That's why so many sources recommend avoiding "why" questions altogether. It's
nice to have "why" explained, but "what" and "how" are far more important.
This list contains no fewer than ten explicit "why" questions, and even more
implicit ones. Some others are just too vague or subjective ("How does this
make you feel?" or "Where's the idea?") to elicit any useful response. Worst
of all are the questions that embed (usually negative) assumptions. Here's a
thoroughly predictable and counterproductive example of someone using this
list.

"Why isn't that clear?" "Why do you say it isn't?"

Anybody who has ever been in a design review before should be running for the
exit at this point, afraid of being caught in the crossfire. If you want to
improve your design reviews, by all means use this list . . . as examples of
questions to _avoid_.

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michaelleland
It depends on how you use the list. If you use the list as a pointy-haired
boss trying to micromanage somebody's work, that's one thing. But every one of
those questions begins a conversation--like you mention with the reply "Why do
you say it isn't?"

It's through those conversation that ensures that the best can ideas can come
forth. This hinges on the relationship between the reviewer and the reviewee
being solid, something that should be worked on long before the design review.

~~~
jasonfried
Correct. These are all conversation starters. The goal is improvement through
a deep understanding of what you're building and why you're building it the
way you are.

