Rosenfeld Media announced some time ago a particularly suggestive publication: Why We Fail?, a work by Victor Lombardi that starts with a question as direct as it is uncomfortable. Why do we fail? Behind that simple formulation there are many questions and, above all, a clear opportunity to learn.

The book’s approach is especially instructive because it is based on hundreds of projects that never took off. Failed projects that, rather than being discarded or forgotten, can become a valuable source of knowledge for those of us who design experiences.

We are used to reading and writing about best practices, success stories, and products that deliver exemplary user experiences. However, we rarely take the time to analyze those projects that did not work, that fell by the wayside, or that failed to meet the expectations for which they were conceived.

A well‑known example is Orkut, the social network created in 2004 by a Google employee. Although it achieved some success in countries such as Brazil and India, it was widely ignored in other markets. It is reasonable to think that part of Google+’s later push was related to the mistakes made with Orkut and the company’s ability to learn from them. Enrique Dans wrote yesterday precisely about Orkut.

Recurring Patterns

Probably not the most representative case, but like Orkut there are many similar initiatives. Projects abandoned for not defining a clear strategy, for not fitting the real needs of users, or for failing to properly manage the expectations they created. All of us, in one way or another, keep experiences like these in our own “memory drawer”.

Following Lombardi’s central idea, it may be worth dusting off those projects and analyzing them with some perspective. Reviewing what happened, what decisions were made, and what factors influenced their failure can help us better understand our own design processes.

Along these lines, another interesting exercise is to observe what has remained constant throughout our projects. Identifying common denominators, both in processes and in final results, can reveal patterns, recurring solutions, or even errors that repeat systematically.

It would not be surprising to find a few surprises when discovering those constants. Despite technological and social evolution, some elements remain because they are part of our personal or professional style, our way of working, or even our small “hidden vices”. Recognizing them is, in many cases, the first step toward truly learning from our mistakes. For a concise reflection on error itself, read We All Make Mistakes.