All communication is in need of design. While Parsons teaches the visual literacy required for your area of concentration, communication and web design share fundamentals that make for a good product.

Empathize

THE HEART OF DESIGN

Designers work to solve others’ problems but the most insightful and innovative design work begins with empathy. Slip on your users’ shoes and seek to gain understanding with an open mind. You’ll be surprised what deep needs and insights you can uncover.

Define

REFRAME THE PROBLEM

A single image of the earth from the moon shifted the course of environmental history. A new point of view on a design problem can shift your perspective just as much. Learning to reframe your point of view based on insights from your users can be a powerful design tool.

Ideate

BEYOND BASIC BRAINSTORMS

Ideation early in the design process helps teams get aligned and find potential solutions to investigate. While most teams use some form of ideation, design thinking can lend new structure and spark the brainstorming process.

Prototype

GET SMARTER, FASTER

The smartest design teams build prototypes throughout the design process. Rather than discover issues after the expense and time spent on building a complete product, challenge assumptions and solve disagreements through iterative prototyping.

Test

EARLY AND OFTEN

Prototyping forms a key step in solid product design, but the best design teams go a step further and test their products with real users. Observing how your end user approaches your product gives you the most important feedback of all.