January's Top Design Picks 2022

January 2022

In this issue, we’ll see how design maturity model’s might not be helpful, Campbell’s law that shows how metric fixation is destructive, and Merholz’s updated take on designing for design orgs.

Plus, a book by John Maeda to help you define the most elegant and simple solutions in your design efforts.

The Top Three

1. Design Maturity: happy path to nowhere?
   by Marilia Moita

2. Campbell’s Law: The Dark Side of Metric Fixation
   By Page Laubheimer and Kate Moran

3. How can a Design Leader design an Org? with Peter Merholz
   by Good Morning UX

Looking for a good book?

The Laws of Simplicity
by John Maeda

In this book, Maeda lays out 10 laws that drive our design reasoning to produce elegant and simple solutions to the problems that designers try to solve. One of the core jobs of a designer is to provide simple solutions to gnarly problems. Maeda will provide you with ample food for thought in that mission. You can learn more at lawsofsimplicity.com

Grab a copy: Hardcover (128 pages) • Audiobook (2h 44m)
(These links are a part of Amazon’s affiliate program)

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Bonus: Preparing Designers for Leadership

I recently published a short article on the importance of preparing designers for the very different job of leadership. Transitioning from a producer role to a leadership role can be difficult. This article provides a quick look at a few key considerations as we raise up the next generation of design leaders.

Read now: 3 min read (on Medium)