About.
At Being Guided, as our name implies, we are focused on guiding no-code innovation. In our engagements we are always paid on deliverables, not hours. Results matter to us. It's in our DNA.
Our Founder Ian H Smith brings extensive, hands-on experience in healthcare, manufacturing and tech industries. This is with a career spanning over 50 years, starting life as a plastics product designer.
Ian founded an injection moulding company, aged 23, and funded by the UK's first venture capital firm: ICFC. Then he has spent over four decades in IT and is now delivering AI-powered tech solutions.
We turn spreadsheet and paper chaos into affordable, robust Web apps, built on Salesforce, Microsoft and Lovable.dev platforms.
It's Think, Simplify, Value, Vibe.
Think.
In complex industries, there is a compelling need to innovate. An early step we take to innovate with no-code is to Think. This is applying Design Thinking in five stages, as defined by the Stanford d.school1: Empathize; Define; Ideate; Prototype; and Test.
Empathize.
The first and most important stage in Design Thinking is Empathize. This where you are creating receptivity and rapport among a broad set of decision-makers and influencers as stakeholders. In turn, this generates the trust required to move to Define stage.
Define.
Clearly articulating the problem to be solved. After gathering insights, define the core problem in a human-centered manner. This stage is about synthesising observations and articulating the problem that guides the creation of a compelling solution.
Ideate.
Generating a range of creative ideas to solve the defined problem. This stage involves iterative brainstorming and exploring potential solutions, as out-of-the-box thinking. It's essential for real innovation - creativity in the discovery of effective outcomes.
Prototype.
Turning ideas into tangible solutions. Prototyping means a hands-on approach to the rapid transformation of Current State, generating a simpler, effective Future State with the right solution. Prototyping is crucial for visualising how a solution will work.
Test.
Gathering feedback and refining the Prototype. Testing includes feedback collection on reactions to the solution offered. This helps in understanding stakeholders experience, identifying issues, and validating the effectiveness of what has been proposed.
Simplify.
In writing the Laws of Simplicity, John Maeda2 created a timeless work, nearly twenty years ago, on how to simplify everything business, life and tech. This works well in guiding no-code innovation.
Reduce.
The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction. This law emphasises the importance of removing unnecessary elements and complexities to focus on what truly matters. In the context of Fierce Reduction, this means eliminating excess features in products or services, thereby enhancing the user experience and effectiveness.
Organise.
Organisation of complexity is crucial in maintaining simplicity. By categorising and structuring information or processes, streamlining communication and operations. Organising information helps in a Fierce Reduction strategy, making it easier for your users to navigate and understand a digital environment.
Time.
Savings in time can constitute simplicity. People are often overwhelmed by choices and information. Thus, reducing the time spent navigating complex experiences embodies Fierce Reduction. Simplicity applied to processes and tasks within digital innovation leads to significant time savings for business-to-business interactions.
Learn.
Simplicity can facilitate better learning and understanding. This means stripping away complexity, so that individuals can focus on grasping essential concepts more effectively as features within digital platforms. It is Fierce Reduction. By first removing distractions, a core feature/function becomes clearer, easier to absorb.
Differentiate.
Recognising differences can lead to innovative solutions. Fierce Reduction means focusing on unique attributes that, in turn, can lead to differentiation in the marketplace. For example, tailoring design methods and embracing an AI-powered digital innovation can express these differences.
Emote.
Simplicity is more about the experience than the object. Emotions play a critical role in how individuals perceive simplicity. Reducing complexity not only leads to better functionality but also enhances emotional engagement with new, innovative products or services. It's a key element of building and reinforcing belief in brand.
Trust.
When something is straightforward and easy to use, people are more likely to trust it. Fierce Reduction means streamlining processes can enhance customer trust in a brand or service. Remember to subtract before you add: it was the key to the simplicity of the Google search engine User Interface (UI).
Value.
When we apply Design Thinking to maximise human receptivity and rapport in guiding no-code innovation, we also include the rigour of Value Engineering. This is all about creating a robust Return On Investment (ROI) model.
Value Engineering was originally conceived by Lawrence D. Miles3, a General Electric engineer. Miles' techniques have saved design engineers, manufacturing engineers, purchasing agents and service providers millions of dollars.
To quote Miles, it was necessary to show "why so much unnecessary costs exist in everything we do and how to identify, clarify, and separate costs which bear no relationship to customers' needs or desires."
Value Engineering eliminates waste and determines value over price. This is calculating the cost of purchasing (or crucially, not purchasing) any high-value product or service in a timely manner. It is quantifying time-based value versus the cost of delay or doing nothing.
As Value Engineers, we set the scene mapping your ideal customer's needs with your offering. This is where we apply Design Thinking to enable you to build receptivity, rapport, trust and truth with buyers - early and often.
From a financial perspective, we start with a simple question for the buyer: What is the cost of NOT buying the product or service? Firstly, let's look at the Return On Investment (ROI) Model - a general formula:
ROI = (Cost of Investment / Net Profit) × 100%
We then create a custom ROI Model that looks at your Current State (As-Is) and compares to one or more Future State (To-Be) outcomes, related to a specific problem-solving solution.
Vibe.
The Compelling Case for Vibe Coding.
The term Vibe Coding was popularised by Andrej Karpathy4 to describe a conversational, high-level way of programming with AI models, where you specify the intent, style, or 'vibe' of what you want and let the model draft most of the implementation details of a Web app. No code, just words. But Vibe Coding needs a solid foundation.
A Headless Salesforce future.
We are moving toward a 'Headless Salesforce' future. Salesforce keeps the data and the 'rules of the house', whilst AI-driven Vibe Coding platforms like Lovable become the flexible, ever-changing front door that users actually enjoy walking through.
A Microsoft Power Apps alternative.
We see the inherent strengths and afforadbability of Microsoft Power Apps. As a pure Microsoft play, this allows a combination of a 'model-driven' design with Dataverse infrastructure, Office 365 and Copilot AI technologies.
A System of Engagement.
Salesforce or Microsoft Power Apps is a System of Record. It is deterministic. If you input x, you get y. This is a vault designed for data integrity, compliance, structured workflows. Lovable.dev Vibe Coding platform is probabilistic. It interprets intent rather than executing rigid logic. Because it relies on LLMs, it can be inconsistent, but with Salesforce as a System of Record, Lovable.dev can become a System of Agency. Together, they are a System of Engagement.
Meet.
Ian H Smith
MA, FRSA, MIED, M.IDSA
Meet your Design Thinker.
