About Dana
From Ideation to Innovation
Dana Mansouri is the Director of User Experience Design at a leading software company. With over eight years of experience, he excels in creating user-centred designs that enhance usability and accessibility.
Dana is also a UX Instructional Specialist at the University of Central Florida, mentoring aspiring designers.
His expertise includes UX research, interface design, design thinking, conversion design, user behaviour analysis, artificial intelligence, and best practices.
Dana has led projects with major financial institutions like BMO, RBC, and Scotiabank, as well as public sector engagements with the Government of Canada. His academic contributions extend to the University of Toronto, the University of California, and Yorkville University.
Dana is known for driving digital transformations and delivering results in B2B, B2C, and D2C commerce, optimizing user journeys from ideation to innovation. He is committed to elevating user experiences and providing practical solutions to real-world challenges.
Dana's Design Philosophy
1
Engage Users Early and Often
For Dana, understanding users as a team is crucial. Engaging users early and often enhances product satisfaction. Defining problems collectively fosters creativity and ownership. Group ideation brings diverse ideas quickly. Prototyping and testing with real users validate concepts early. Continuous iteration refines the approach, ensuring swift and effective reactions to new information.
2
Collectively Define and Agree on Problems
Dana emphasizes the importance of taking time to understand and clearly define the user's problems as a team. Empowering the team to identify and solve problems creatively fosters a sense of ownership and innovation, rather than simply feeding them solutions, which can be demoralizing.
3
Group Ideation
Dana encourages idea generation from all team members. Waiting for one person to come up with the best idea can be time-consuming and biased. Instead, use quick, structured exercises to rapidly generate numerous ideas, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered.
Group Ideation
Encourage idea generation from all team members. Waiting for one person to come up with the best idea can be time-consuming and biased. Utilize quick, structured exercises designed to generate numerous ideas rapidly, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered.
4
Prototype and Test with Real Users
Dana advocates for creating minimal, realistic prototypes quickly. The goal is to gather feedback on the concept, not to present a finished design. Testing with real users provides invaluable insights and validates ideas early in the process.
5
Iterate Continuously
Dana believes one pass through the design process is not enough. Continuously learn from users and the team, refining your approach with each iteration. An agile team is set up to react swiftly to new information, improving both speed and effectiveness with every cycle.