Design processes can look starkly different from one company to another.
So, since we’re opening several positions on our own design team this year, we thought we’d break the ice by answering some frequently asked questions (in hopes of enticing you to join us!).
Rodney joined GoodNotes 4 years ago as our first product designer, and spearheaded our app redesign (introducing the blue toolbar we’re known for!) in conjunction with solidifying our now iconic visual brand. While he started out in graphic and web design, he transitioned to UX/UI and product design after working with several startups, notably Hong Kong’s first unicorn startup Gogovan (now GOGOX).
Leo joined our team last year, from startups like OneDegree and HelloToby. With his intersectional experience in machine learning and data, he brings a systematic angle to how we approach and improve our processes. He’s leading the implementation of our shiny new design system and also started a Feedback Group with our users.
Check out our Q&A below to get to know Rodney and Leo, our two product designers!
What are some of the core design principles we stand by?
Rodney: The user comes first. Solve the problems users are facing with simplicity and clarity so that people can get it right away. We don’t want to get sidetracked because of our own beliefs and design on incorrect assumptions, so it’s important to always think like the user.
Leo: I found a few other design principles are unique to GoodNotes: one is that we try to make every feature very flexible. Our users use GoodNotes as a productivity app, which means they come in from different directions, with different intentions, and different user scenarios. We need to cater for different expectations so sometimes we design for a slight redundancy. There might be 3 ways to accomplish the same goal.
As a part of building our design system, we’re also in the process of ranking our design principles as a team, to put this all into words and have a shared gold standard of what makes good product design.
How do you connect with users and keep them top of mind?
Rodney: We used to have sessions face to face with users. We don’t have that opportunity right now [due to the pandemic] but especially in the early days when we designed, we tried to reach out to users and meet them face to face. We actually had the opportunity to go to Thailand (where we have a large user base) two years ago, where we talked with 15 or 16 of our power users. We also noticed a lot of students studying with GoodNotes in groups at cafes.
Besides existing users, we also conducted user testing with people that didn’t know GoodNotes, because we always want to be aware of our own potential biases. For example, we reached out to communities within different universities locally and observed how people interacted with our prototypes.
Leo: Currently, we’re maintaining a feedback group (aka. research panel of users) and regularly do remote interviews and surveys with them. We’re very lucky that we have a huge community of users recording the way they use GoodNotes and sharing their experiences on YouTube and social media too.
Tell us about the relationship between Product & Design at GoodNotes
Leo: I’ve been here for 7 months and I’ve found that everyone operates on the same theme of our design principles. We’re very fortunate that developers here really think from the user’s perspective and have a very strong respect for Apple’s design guidelines. We’re pretty much aligned on top priorities.
Rodney: In some ways, you can think of Steven [our founder] and Gabriel [our product manager] as being a part of the design team. Steven has a designer’s eye; it’s very rare for an engineer and developer to have that. He has a strong belief on giving a frictionless experience, and he’s very articulate when talking about a feature. Gabriel plays a big part in discovering user painpoints and synthesizing them into insights too.
Leo: Our main role is like an architect, meaning we’re not just pixel pushers. We’ve got that 2021 roadmap — Steven and Gabriel set that strategy. Between that and the feature, we are free to explore how to bring that to life. With architects aside, we’re also like scientists. We make assumptions, test them out with users, and iterate on options a, b and c.
Can you tell us a bit about the hiring process for designers?
Rodney: There is the initial phone screen with a recruiter, and if all goes well then we ask candidates to record a quick video to present one project they’ve done, which has replaced the take-home challenge from before.
Critical thinking is one of the most important things we look for. We also observe how they structure their work, how they present and communicate, etc. Can they talk about the problem that they’re solving, et cetera.
It also helps establish a shared understanding of a designer’s work, and allows us to ask more informed questions during the interview process.
Then there’s another phone call and then a (virtual) onsite interview.
We recently introduced a survey and card-sorting exercise as a part of the hiring process for designers, where candidates can share what they’re looking for in their next role and what unique skills they can bring to the table. Can you explain a little more about why this was important?
Leo: There’s a Japanese term that comes to mind: ichi-go ichi-e, which means “one encounter, one chance”.
So I used to have frequent burnouts. I would have to ask myself what I was doing here. I had to come up with a lot of ways to mentor myself, because in a lot of startups, most designers are learning by doing. It’s very difficult to get mentorship.
I find that it’s better to align your needs and goals at the moment you find a job, as opposed to a few months in when you’re getting burnt out.
Two of the main expectations that should be aligned from the beginning are:
- What the company can offer to the designer and if that’s what the designer is looking for
- What the designer can offer to the company and if that’s what the company is looking for
We want designers with a growth mindset and a hybrid mix of skills. So with that assumption in mind, the skillset card-sorting exercise is a chance to let them share their expectations by asking them, hey what skills are you the most confident and passionate about? Where do you want to grow the most? We want to see how they perceive themselves as a mixed-breed designer (I like to use the term mixed-breed designer, because mixed-breeds are the healthiest breeds).
We gel better by understanding each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and passions. This can scale when we have more designers.
People come and go, the best outcome should be they come into the company happy and they go happy. We treasure every opportunity of meeting each other and working with each other: ichi-go ichi-e.
Why should a designer join GoodNotes?
Rodney: I’d consider it a luxury to have so many compassionate users who want to talk to us, when you need opinions. At a lot of startups, when you want to talk to users, it’s hard to reach them or you might not have that many yet.
Or the time when you build something for a startup. You might have a month or two to build something, so how often do you get to experiment with different approaches or methodology when you try to design something? Here we have more flexibility to test different things that we want to try — we’ve been doing remote moderated usability tests, multi-variate A/B tests, first click tests, and card sorting exercises recently. We’re also planning on conducting some diary studies, contextual inquiries, tree testing, and participatory design workshops too.
Leo: We get to debate and discuss design based on reason and bullet points, not just pure intuition. As product designers at GoodNotes, we spend as much time typing as much as we do pushing pixels. We have a say in setting our own briefs and are empowered to make our own product discussions, instead of just visualizing other’s requirements. That’s one thing I like a lot here.
Also, this is more of a personal career preference:
A product can only be as human-centric as its business model. You have different trade-offs in different industries: for example, in eCommerce, do you optimize the design for sales or UX? For ride sharing platforms, do you optimize the design for the driver or the passenger? I like the type of trade off at GoodNotes. The business model is this: users pay once in the app store, and that’s it. The way our product grows is word of mouth.
So our goal as designers is dead simple: provide the best UX possible so that people spread the word about GoodNotes.
Can you see yourself working with Rodney and Leo?
Now that you know a little more about our team, we’d love to get to know you too.
We’re hiring designers that can bring something different to our mix! Check out our openings here, and apply today.
