Design for Startups

Tan defines design as making things that work well and delight users, and says it belongs alongside product management, engineering, and customer support. He urges founders to understand users’ needs before choosing a solution, using empathy and clear problem statements to keep the work focused.

Tan combines product design with product management: identify the problem, the people who have it, possible solutions, and their priorities. Using Posterous as an example, he describes personas such as a less tech-savvy grandmother and features like posting by email without an account. He recommends user research, a written requirements document, and clear priorities so teams can manage scope and ship.

Tan says interaction design translates user goals into flows, wireframes, and clear instructions. He recommends direct calls to action, removing unnecessary steps such as password confirmation, and breaking complex tasks into smaller steps. Familiar patterns can help users move quickly, as long as they fit the device and context.

Tan describes visual design as showing users what matters through contrast, grouping, and hierarchy. He recommends removing decoration that adds no meaning, using grids and spacing to organize content, and applying the squint test to see where attention goes. Too many boxes or lines can obscure the next step.

Tan recommends usability testing with people who have not seen a design before, asking what they notice and what they would do next. He also treats customer support as a source of product feedback: recurring small issues can add up to a broken experience. Product work continues in repeated cycles of research, design, testing, and improvement.