Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design and How to Fix It | Jonathan Shariat

Thoughtfully designed products can promote efficacy, success, and joy – but that’s only one side of the coin. Bad design is everywhere, and poorly designed products cause more than mere discomfort; they can anger, sadden, exclude, and even kill the people who use them. From a bad interface that ended a young cancer patient’s life to product designs that exclude minority groups, Jonathan Shariat has seen his fair share of dangerous designs during his decade-long career as a senior designer – a trend he’s determined to rectify. 

Jonathan is an international speaker, former podcast host, design leader at Google, and author of Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design. He is passionate about using design as a tool to improve our world, with over a decade of experience working as a senior designer for companies like Intuit, Project Ronin, and Hightail.

In this episode, Dart and Jonathan discuss:
- The high stakes of bad design
- Incorporating accessibility and the human experience into design
- Transforming pessimism into innovation
- What types of design anger, sadden, and kill customers
- Accidental dark patterns at work and how to fix them
- How company values slowly impact design, products, and business success
- The importance of qualitative research
- And other topics…

Jonathan Shariat is an international speaker, podcast host, and senior interaction design leader at Google. Jonathan is passionate about doing right by others and using design as a tool to improve the world we live in, with over a decade of experience working in design with startups to large companies. Before Google, Jonathan worked as a senior designer for Project Ronin, Intuit, and Hightail, as well as a product director for Therapydia.

Jonathan’s insights and passion for ethical and helpful design are shared in his latest book, Tragic Design: The Impact of Bad Product Design and How to Fix It. He is also the author of a #1 most recommended article on Medium titled “How Bad UX Killed Jenny.”

Resources mentioned:
Tragic Design, by Jonathan Shariat and Cynthia Savard Saucier: https://www.amazon.com/Tragic-Design-Impact-Bad-Product/dp/149192361X

Connect with Jonathan:
www.Jonathanshariat.com

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.