Iterations: the secret to remarkable results

Starting to work as a designer, I couldn’t believe my luck. People would pay me to explore, experiment and try things. All I had to do was keep at it until all the pieces fit together perfectly.

What I didn’t realize back then is that this is a technique called iterating.

Iterating is a phenomenal technique. It takes next to nothing to learn and benefits from all other experience and knowledge that you gain. Everybody knows it — few use it.

You will see the impact right away. It doesn’t matter if you are starting out in the field or an experienced professional. Iterating will help you get better results — always.

In this article you will learn some essential tips for getting the most out of your iterations. You will also learn why iterating works and how it benefits your work.

Getting started with iterating

Essentially iterating means repeating a process with changed variables to create different outcomes. It means trying again and again.

You either start from scratch or use the previous outcome as the starting point. Those two approaches form the iteration matrix.

In the iteration matrix you can iterate horizontally or vertically.

Horizontal iteration

Iterating horizontally means going broad. You do this to explore different approaches or ideas, starting fresh every time. For example, when you want to pitch a couple of ideas to the team or client.

Make the iterations distinct and different from each other. Show different directions, influences, or perspectives to approach a challenge. Focus every iteration on a specific insight from your research, a JTBD or a persona.

Horizontal iterations are about the bigger picture. Don’t focus on the details.

Vertical iteration

Iterating vertically means going deep. You do this to find the best version of a specific idea. Starting from a previous iteration, you change…