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Amy Vest designs products and information that help an audience feel successful as they make healthy changes. She can also help you track usage data and customer engagement to continually iterate and refine the product and your connection with the audience.
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What To Listen For
- You need to have a plan and a structure for something creative.
- Readability: how difficult something is to read on a scale of 1 to 5. Often this shows up as a grade level. If a readability checker scores something as grade 12, that means someone in high school could read it if they put in a lot of effort.
- A myth is that you are talking down to people if you make something simple.
- You need to bring your work down to grade level 5 so that it appeals to more people.
- If this is used on a website, you can track the “bounce rate.” A high bounce rate means that “I came, I saw, I went.” A low bounce rate means that you found content and read it. Another way to look at it is, did what I clicked on match what I got?
- If you are going to be an Information Designer, you need to make content that is easy to read and engaging to stay.
- Use simple headlines and words that you use with your mother.
- Remember that only 2% of people can read at grade level 11.
- TLDR means “Too Long; Didn’t Read.” Instead, get to the point by asking “what is the main takeaway?”
- Look for the action steps. What is necessary? Will this get the job done?
- Can someone who doesn’t speak English be able to easily translate something?
- Simplicity is respectful and kind. This is because it reduces the cognitive load (brain processing).
- Bob Weis – Walt Disney Imagineering. Where is the most tense moment of the ride? Can you anticipate it? The joy is in connecting with the person you are with. Disney uses “Emotional Design.”
- Drama triangle.
- An important part of Information Design is giving instructions when something works and when something doesn’t. For example, when you go to the doctor, the office stay should tell you when it is best to call the doctor again. Then, what are the signs that you are getting better so you don’t have to call the doctor?
- Amy uses an example of “green, yellow, red.” These signal let you know what to do next?
- “More people have been saved from checklists than from instinct.” – The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right Audible Audiobook by Atul Gawande
- What is a framework for buy-in? If you are thinking of hiring someone, get others involved. Let them know that you are thinking about hiring someone to do X. Are there any considerations. How are you feeling about it? Red flags here?
- If someone feels negatively about the hire, open up the dialog. Reframe what a person says by saying “I am hearing that _____? You are more instrumental at this point. What are you the expert in? Do you want the full responsibility in that? You have been here longer. What would be a relief and support for you if we were to hire someone?”
- If you are designing something that requires an instruction manual, you are doing it wrong. The intent should be clear.
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