The french culinary concept of ‘Mise en place’ from a design & tech lens

The mise en place principle, originating from culinary arts, refers to the practice of organizing and arranging all necessary ingredients and tools before starting to cook. In a tech or design context, this principle can be adapted to enhance productivity and creativity. Here’s how it applies:

1. Preparation and Organization

• Design: Before starting a design project, gather all necessary resources—design tools, inspiration boards, color palettes, fonts, etc. This ensures you have everything at hand when you start working, allowing you to focus on creativity rather than searching for resources.
• Tech Development: For software development, mise en place could involve setting up your development environment, gathering all the necessary libraries, frameworks, and tools, and organizing your workspace. It also includes planning your code structure and having a clear roadmap or task list.

2. Clarity and Focus

• Design: Organize your thoughts, goals, and requirements before diving into the design process. This might include creating wireframes, sketches, or mood boards. By clarifying the purpose and direction, you can focus better and work more efficiently.
• Tech Development: In development, this could mean writing pseudocode or outlining algorithms before coding. It helps in maintaining clarity, reducing errors, and ensuring that you’re addressing the problem effectively.

3. Efficiency

• Design: With everything prepped, you can work continuously without interruptions. This not only saves time but also maintains your creative flow.
• Tech Development: In coding, having a well-organized environment and a clear plan reduces context-switching and the need to backtrack, which enhances efficiency.

4. Iterative Improvement

• Design: Just like a chef refines their process, regularly reviewing and organizing your tools and methods in design helps in iterating and improving the quality of your work.
• Tech Development: Regularly updating and refining your tools, scripts, and workflows ensures that your development process evolves and improves over time.

5. Mental Preparedness

• Design: The act of organizing and preparing your tools and materials also helps in mentally preparing for the task. It allows you to enter a focused and productive mindset.
• Tech Development: Before starting a coding session, taking time to organize your thoughts, review your objectives, and set up your tools can significantly enhance your focus and problem-solving abilities.

Application Example:

Imagine you’re designing a mobile app:

1. Preparation: Collect all the user research, design inspiration, color schemes, and typography guidelines.
2. Workspace Setup: Open all necessary design tools, set up your workspace ergonomically, and organize your files and folders.
3. Task Breakdown: Outline the specific design tasks—wireframing, UI design, prototyping—and organize them into a manageable workflow.
4. Execution: Start designing with everything in place, allowing you to focus entirely on creativity and problem-solving.
5. Review: Periodically review your setup and workflow to make adjustments and improvements.

In tech, whether in design or development, applying the mise en place principle fosters a more organized, efficient, and creative working environment.