Margaret Gould Stewart: How giant websites design for you (and a billion others, too)

譯者: JiaLi Jocelyn 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

What do you think of when I say the word "design"?

提到「設計」這個詞時 你想到了什麼？

You probably think of things like this,

你可能想到這些東西

finely crafted objects that you can hold in your hand,

可以握在手、精緻製造的東西

or maybe logos and posters and maps

或是商標、海報和圖表

that visually explain things,

這類用視覺傳達事物的東西

classic icons of timeless design.

永不褪流行的經典圖示設計

But I'm not here to talk about that kind of design.

但我不是來這裡談這類設計的

I want to talk about the kind

我想要談一種

that you probably use every day

也許你每天都使用

and may not give much thought to,

卻很少想到的設計

designs that change all the time

它時常在變動

and that live inside your pocket.

也活在你的口袋裡

I'm talking about the design

我說的設計是關於

of digital experiences

數位經驗

and specifically the design of systems

具體來說系統的設計

that are so big that their scale

它們的規模巨大

can be hard to comprehend.

很難掌握

Consider the fact that Google processes

想想看 Google 每天處理

over one billion search queries every day,

超過十億的搜尋次數

that every minute, over 100 hours

每分鐘有超過一百小時的影片

of footage are uploaded to YouTube.

上傳到 Youtube

That's more in a single day

一天的播出量

than all three major U.S. networks broadcast

比美國三大電視網

in the last five years combined.

過去五年播出的總和還多

And Facebook transmitting the photos,

使用 Facebook 傳輸照片

messages and stories

照片、訊息和故事

of over 1.23 billion people.

的用戶超過 12.3 億人

That's almost half of the Internet population,

幾乎是全世界網路使用者的一半

and a sixth of humanity.

和全球總人口的六分之一

These are some of the products

這些是我工作以來 協助設計過的一些產品

that I've helped design over the course of my career,

and their scale is so massive

它們數量巨大

that they've produced unprecedented

產生了前所未有的

design challenges.

設計挑戰

But what is really hard

但大規模設計

about designing at scale is this:

真正困難的是：

It's hard in part because

它很難 一部分是因為

it requires a combination of two things,

需要兩種東西的結合：

audacity and humility —

膽量和謙卑

audacity to believe that the thing that you're making

要有膽量相信你正在做的東西

is something that the entire world wants and needs,

是全世界想要且需要的

and humility to understand that as a designer,

並且謙卑地理解到 身為一個設計師

it's not about you or your portfolio,

重點不是你或是你的作品集

it's about the people that you're designing for,

而是在於如何對待那些用戶

and how your work just might help them

以及設計的產品是否

live better lives.

能讓他們更好的生活

Now, unfortunately, there's no school

很不幸 沒有學校

that offers the course Designing for Humanity 101.

提供「人性設計入門」這門課

I and the other designers

我和其他設計這類產品的設計師

who work on these kinds of products

have had to invent it as we go along,

是在設計過程慢慢發明這項學問的

and we are teaching ourselves

我們教導自己

the emerging best practices

要在實踐中形成

of designing at scale,

最好的規模設計

and today I'd like share some of the things

今天我想要分享一些

that we've learned over the years.

我們這些年學到的東西

Now, the first thing that you need to know

首先關於設計規模的規則 你需要知道的是

about designing at scale

is that the little things really matter.

細節真的很重要

Here's a really good example of how

這裡有個很好的例子來解釋

a very tiny design element can make a big impact.

極小的設計元素如何帶來巨大的影響

The team at Facebook that manages

臉書裡負責「讚」

the Facebook "Like" button

這個按鈕的團隊

decided that it needed to be redesigned.

決定它必須被重新設計

The button had kind of gotten out of sync

這按鈕有點不太跟得上

with the evolution of our brand

我們品牌的進化

and it needed to be modernized.

因此它必須被更新

Now you might think, well, it's a tiny little button,

現在你也許會想 這就只是個小按鈕

it probably is a pretty straightforward,

它可能是一個

easy design assignment, but it wasn't.

很簡單的設計任務 但並不是

Turns out, there were all kinds of constraints

後來 我們設計這個按鈕時

for the design of this button.

有各種限制

You had to work within specific height and width parameters.

你必須在特定的長寬參數內製作

You had to be careful to make it work

你必須注意它可以在

in a bunch of different languages,

不同的語言裡使用

and be careful about using fancy gradients or borders

同時要小心使用花俏的漸層或邊界

because it has to degrade gracefully

因為它必須能優雅地降用在

in old web browsers.

舊的瀏覽器上

The truth is, designing this tiny little button

事實是 設計這個小小的按鈕

was a huge pain in the butt.

是很令人頭痛的事情

Now, this is the new version of the button,

這是這個按鈕的新版

and the designer who led this project estimates

主導這個專案的設計師估計

that he spent over 280 hours

他數個月來花了超過280 小時

redesigning this button over the course of months.

重新設計這個按鈕

Now, why would we spend so much time

我們為何會花這麼多時間

on something so small?

在這麼小的東西上？

It's because when you're designing at scale,

因為當你在做設計規模的時候

there's no such thing as a small detail.

是不存在大小之分的

This innocent little button

這個單純的小按鈕

is seen on average 22 billion times a day

每天出現 220 億次

and on over 7.5 million websites.

在超過 750 萬個網站上

It's one of the single most viewed design elements ever created.

它是有史以來被檢視最多次的設計元素

Now that's a lot of pressure for a little button

這對這個小按鈕

and the designer behind it,

和它背後的設計者來說壓力很大

but with these kinds of products,

但在這類產品

you need to get even the tiny things right.

即使細微的細節也要做對

Now, the next thing that you need to understand

另一個你需要了解的是

is how to design with data.

如何在設計中應用數據

Now, when you're working on products like this,

當你在做這類的產品的時候

you have incredible amounts of information

關於人們怎麼用你的產品

about how people are using your product

你有多得難以想像的資訊

that you can then use to influence

這可以能用來影響

your design decisions,

你的設計決策

but it's not just as simple as following the numbers.

但這不是盲從數字這麼簡單

Let me give you an example

讓我舉個例子

so that you can understand what I mean.

你就明白我的意思了

Facebook has had a tool for a long time

臉書從很久之前就有工具

that allowed people to report photos

讓人檢舉違反

that may be in violation of our community standards,

我們社群標準的照片

things like spam and abuse.

例如垃圾郵件或濫用訊息

And there were a ton of photos reported,

有成千上萬的照片被檢舉

but as it turns out,

但事實證明

only a small percentage were actually

只有很小一部分

真的違反社群標準

in violation of those community standards.

Most of them were just your typical party photo.

大部分只是一般的派對照片

Now, to give you a specific hypothetical example,

現在 我用具體一點的例子

let's say my friend Laura hypothetically

假設我朋友蘿拉

uploads a picture of me

她上傳了一張

from a drunken night of karaoke.

我在喝醉後晚上唱歌時拍的照片

This is purely hypothetical, I can assure you.

這完全是假設 我跟你保證

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, incidentally,

順帶一提

you know how some people are kind of worried

你知道有些人多擔心

that their boss or employee

他們的老闆或員工

is going to discover embarrassing photos of them

在臉書上發現

on Facebook?

他們令人尷尬的照片？

Do you know how hard that is to avoid

你知道當你真的在臉書上班

when you actually work at Facebook?

避免這種事多難？

So anyway, there are lots of these photos

總而言之 有很多這種照片

being erroneously reported as spam and abuse,

被錯誤舉報為垃圾訊息或者濫用

and one of the engineers on the team had a hunch.

負責的小組裡 有個工程師有種預感

He really thought there was something else going on

他認為其中一定有別的事發生

and he was right,

而他是對的

because when he looked through a bunch of the cases,

因為當他檢視了一些被檢舉的案件

he found that most of them

他發現大部分檢舉的人

were from people who were requesting

都是想删除自己被標記的照片

the takedown of a photo of themselves.

Now this was a scenario that the team

這是這個團隊

never even took into account before.

從來沒想過的情況

So they added a new feature

所以他們加入了一個新功能

that allowed people to message their friend

讓人們可以傳訊息給他們的朋友

to ask them to take the photo down.

請他們移除照片

But it didn't work.

但這沒有用

Only 20 percent of people

只有兩成的人

sent the message to their friend.

傳訊息給他們的朋友

So the team went back at it.

所以這小組回頭來

They consulted with experts in conflict resolution.

他們諮詢了處理衝突的專家

They even studied the universal principles

他們甚至研究了

禮貌用語的通則

of polite language,

which I didn't even actually know existed

我在這個研究開始前

until this research happened.

甚至不知道有這樣的原則存在

And they found something really interesting.

他們發現了一些有趣的事

They had to go beyond just helping people

他們必須更進一步

幫用戶請朋友移除照片還不夠

ask their friend to take the photo down.

They had to help people express to their friend

他們要幫助用戶向他們的朋友

how the photo made them feel.

表達他們看這些照片時的感覺

Here's how the experience works today.

如今的設計就是這個經歷帶來的

So I find this hypothetical photo of myself,

我看到這張假想的照片時

and it's not spam, it's not abuse,

它不是垃圾訊息 不是濫用訊息

but I really wish it weren't on the site.

但我真的希望它不出現在這個網站上

So I report it and I say,

所以 我檢舉它 並寫道：

"I'm in this photo and I don't like it,"

「我在這張照片裡 但我不喜歡它」

and then we dig deeper.

然後我們試圖更深入

Why don't you like this photo of yourself?

為什麼你不喜歡這張有你的照片？

And I select "It's embarrassing."

我選了令人尷尬

And then I'm encouraged to message my friend,

然後視窗鼓勵我 要發訊息告訴好友

but here's the critical difference.

這裡就有了很大不同

I'm provided specific suggested language

它向我提供了準確的話語

that helps me communicate to Laura

幫助我跟蘿拉交流

how the photo makes me feel.

說這張照片帶給我的感受

Now the team found that this relatively small change

我們發現這個小小的改變

had a huge impact.

有著巨大的影響

Before, only 20 percent of people

在這之前只有 20% 的人

were sending the message,

會發送訊息

and now 60 percent were,

現在達到 60%

and surveys showed that people

調查表明

on both sides of the conversation

對話的雙方

felt better as a result.

對於結果的感覺不錯

That same survey showed

這項調查還表明

that 90 percent of your friends

90% 的人都希望知道

want to know if they've done something to upset you.

自己是否做了什麼讓你不高興的事

Now I don't know who the other 10 percent are,

我不知道剩下的 10% 怎麼想的

but maybe that's where our "Unfriend" feature

這可能就是刪好友功能

can come in handy.

非常好用的時候了

So as you can see,

你可以發現

these decisions are highly nuanced.

這些決定都十分微妙

Of course we use a lot of data

我們當然使用了大量數據

to inform our decisions,

來支持我們的決定

but we also rely very heavily on iteration,

但同時我們反覆試驗

research, testing, intuition, human empathy.

研究、測試、運用直覺和人類同理心

It's both art and science.

這是藝術和科學的結合

Now, sometimes the designers who work on these products

有時 我們把這類設計者

are called "data-driven,"

叫做數據驅動者

which is a term that totally drives us bonkers.

這是個完全讓我們瘋狂的詞

The fact is, it would be irresponsible of us

事實上 沒有嚴格測試自己的設計

not to rigorously test our designs

是不負責的表現

when so many people are counting on us

尤其是那麼多人指望我們

to get it right,

做對的事時

but data analytics

但是數據分析

will never be a substitute for design intuition.

永遠不會代替設計的直覺

Data can help you make a good design great,

數據能幫你使設計更完美

but it will never made a bad design good.

但絕不會讓壞設計變好

The next thing that you need to understand as a principle

下一個你必須要理解的事是

is that when you introduce change,

當你想要改變時

you need to do it extraordinarily carefully.

需要極度小心

Now I often have joked that

我經常開玩笑說

I spend almost as much time

我花了很多時間

designing the introduction of change

設計產品改變的介紹詞

as I do the change itself,

和我實際改變產品 花的時間差不多

and I'm sure that we can all relate to that

而且我相信我們都能體會

when something that we use a lot changes

當我們常使用的東西改變時

and then we have to adjust.

我們就需要適應

The fact is, people can become

事實上 人們會因使用了

very efficient at using bad design,

不好的設計而變得十分有效率

and so even if the change is good for them in the long run,

從長遠來看 即使改變對他們是有好處的

it's still incredibly frustrating when it happens,

這還是會讓人受挫

and this is particularly true

並且這在用戶創建的

with user-generated content platforms,

內容平台更是如此

because people can rightfully claim a sense of ownership.

因為人們有權要求所有權

It is, after all, their content.

畢竟都是他們自己發佈的內容

Now, years ago, when I was working at YouTube,

幾年前 我還在 YouTube 工作時

we were looking for ways to

我們試圖鼓勵

encourage more people to rate videos,

更多的人去評價影片

and it was interesting because when we looked into the data,

這很有趣 因為當我們查看數據時

we found that almost everyone was exclusively using

發現幾乎所有人

都給了最高的五星評價

the highest five-star rating,

a handful of people were using

只有極少人

the lowest one-star,

給了最低的一星

and virtually no one

並且幾乎沒有人

was using two, three or four stars.

會給二星、三星和四星

So we decided to simplify

所以我們決定簡化成

into an up-down kind of voting binary model.

只有好壞兩種評價模式

It's going to be much easier for people to engage with.

這人更容易參與評價

But people were very attached

但是人們已經習慣了

to the five-star rating system.

五星評價體系

Video creators really loved their ratings.

影片發佈者很喜歡他們的等級

Millions and millions of people

成百上千萬的人

were accustomed to the old design.

習慣以前的模式

So in order to help people

所以為了幫助用戶

prepare themselves for change

接受改變

and acclimate to the new design more quickly,

更快地熟悉新設計

we actually published the data graph

我們在網上公佈了數據圖表

sharing with the community

跟社群的人分享

the rationale for what we were going to do,

我們這樣做的原因

and it even engaged the larger industry

在交流中話題甚至被擴大

in a conversation, which resulted in

my favorite TechCrunch headline of all time:

於是產生了我最喜歡科技部落格標題：

"YouTube Comes to a 5-Star Realization:

YouTube 終於發現五星評價：

Its Ratings Are Useless."

毫無用處

Now, it's impossible to completely avoid

改變帶來的反感是不可能完全避免的

change aversion when you're making changes

尤其在改變了

to products that so many people use.

許多人熟悉的產品時

Even though we tried to do all the right things,

即使我們試圖做正確的事

we still received our customary flood

還是會收到如洪水般的

of video protests and angry emails

抗議影片和投訴郵件

and even a package that had to be scanned by security,

甚至還有一個需要被安檢的包裹

but we have to remember

但是我們需要牢記

people care intensely about this stuff,

人們十分關注產品的改變

and it's because these products, this work,

因為這些產品

really, really matters to them.

對他們十分重要

Now, we know that we have to be careful

現在我們知道

about paying attention to the details,

要注重細節

we have to be cognizant about how we use data

要認識到如何在設計中

in our design process,

使用數據

and we have to introduce change

我們要謹慎地

very, very carefully.

介紹產品變動

Now, these things are all really useful.

這些方法十分有用

They're good best practices for designing at scale.

它們是大規模設計最好的練習

But they don't mean anything

但它們毫無意義

if you don't understand something

除非你能理解

much more fundamental.

其中最基本的道理

You have to understand who you are designing for.

你必須明白自己在為誰設計

Now, when you set a goal to design

當你設立的設計目標

for the entire human race,

是為所有人設計時

and you start to engage in that goal in earnest,

以認真的態度完成目標

at some point you run into the walls

有時候你會

of the bubble that you're living in.

迷失方向

Now, in San Francisco, we get a little miffed

在舊金山

當我們到沒網路覆蓋的區域 就會有點生氣

when we hit a dead cell zone

because we can't use our phones to navigate

因為不能用手機導航

to the new hipster coffee shop.

尋找新咖啡館

But what if you had to drive four hours

但如果你得開四個小時的車

to charge your phone

才能充手機的電

because you had no reliable source of electricity?

只因為沒有可信賴的電源？

What if you had no access to public libraries?

若是你所在地没有公共圖書館？

What if your country had no free press?

如果你的國家沒有自由媒體？

What would these products start to mean to you?

這時候 這些產品對你來說有什麼意義?

This is what Google, YouTube and Facebook

這就是 Google、YouTube 和臉書

look like to most of the world,

在世界上大多數人眼中的樣子

and it's what they'll look like

也是它們在未來 50 億人

to most of the next five billion people

to come online.

上網時看到的樣子

Designing for low-end cell phones

設計低端手機

is not glamorous design work,

並不是一個吸引人的工作

but if you want to design for the whole world,

但如果你想為全世界設計

you have to design for where people are,

你需要站在人們的角度考慮

and not where you are.

而不是你自己的角度

So how do we keep this big, big picture in mind?

那我們如何記住這個觀點呢？

We try to travel outside of our bubble to see, hear

我們試著走出自己的圈子

去看 去聽 去理解使用者

and understand the people we're designing for.

We use our products in non-English languages

我們在非英語環境使用這些產品

to make sure that they work just as well.

確保它們能正常工作

And we try to use one of these phones from time to time

我們不時就會使用這些手機

to keep in touch with their reality.

了解它們的真實情況

So what does it mean to design at a global scale?

對全球範圍的設計有什麼意義？

It means difficult and sometimes exasperating work

它意味著困難 有時甚至讓人厭煩

to try to improve and evolve products.

去試著使產品改善、進化

Finding the audacity and the humility to do right by them

以大膽和謙遜的心態來做設計

can be pretty exhausting,

是非常辛苦的

and the humility part,

謙遜對設計師來說

it's a little tough on the design ego.

是十分艱難的

Because these products are always changing,

因為這些產品經常變動

everything that I've designed in my career

我所設計過的產品

is pretty much gone,

幾乎都已經消失了

and everything that I will design will fade away.

我將來設計的產品也會最終消失

But here's what remains:

但是有些東西猶存不朽

the never-ending thrill

參與一項宏達工程帶來的

of being a part of something that is so big,

永不磨滅的激情

you can hardly get your head around it,

它在腦海中揮之不去

and the promise that it just might change the world.

還有對它能改變世界的期許

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）