Manifestos/Principles
Design Archaeology
Design principles aren't invented; they're discovered by examining what works. Design Archaeology systematically deconstructs existing designs to extract implicit principles. This exercise transforms 'we like this' into 'here's why it works,' building a principle library grounded in evidence. Best used when teams need design direction, debate approaches, or build shared understanding of quality. The magic happens when extracted principles challenge current approaches. You'll need access to high-quality examples and a willingness to analyze deeply. Expect intense focus during analysis and energizing synthesis.
Duration
2.5 hours
Group Size
12-20
Category
Manifestos/Principles
Difficulty
Easy
Select 8-12 exemplar designs representing quality standards, ensuring diversity. Deconstruct each systematically to identify underlying principles and patterns. Extract 15-20 reusable principles clear enough to guide new decisions. Organize principles into a framework showing relationships and application.
- Historical context for current design patterns.
- Understanding of why things are the way they are.
- Informed decisions about what to preserve or change.
Before the session, curate excellent, diverse exemplars. Avoid only trendy examples. During facilitation, push past 'I like this' to 'why it works.' Demand specificity and prevent endless wordsmithing. Warning signs: Principles that describe surface features, principles all from one exemplar, vague principles, or more debating than analyzing. Success indicators: 15-20 specific, actionable principles, evidence-grounded, challenging current approaches, organized framework, and team excitement. After the session, document with exemplar evidence. Create a visual guide. Use it to evaluate work. Schedule periodic archaeological sessions.
Pre-Session Briefing
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