UX Process
My design process is a user-centric, agile method with extensive research and testing to better understand the user’s goals while incorporating business objectives. As a UX/UI designer, it is my goal to design an experience that empathizes with the user, aligns with the business goal, and adheres to product requirements.
Below is a deeper dive into my process and real examples of tools and skills I have utilized when designing.
Define & Understand
It is important for me to define the parameters and goals of the problem relating to the user and the product I am working with. I ask as many questions as possible to assure that I have covered enough ground to design the optimal solution.
While my design process is nonlinear, it is important to start with an understanding of the problem in order to have a strategy and direction to the desired solution.
Ideate & Prototype
Once thorough research has been made, I begin sketching ideas. I prefer starting on paper before going digital when forming ideas since the early stages of design are subject to changes when collaborating with other designers and teams.
Once ideas are further solidified, I go digital to create higher-fidelity wireframes to visually communicate how the product should function when users interact with it.
Test & Evaluate
It is crucial to test, measure, and evaluate the success of any design I create. This gives me an in-depth understanding of what ideas will bring value to the user and the product as well as what ideas need to be revised or removed altogether.
The goal when testing and evaluating is to enlighten what needs improvement so that any experience created is worthwhile and contributes to the success of the user’s goal.
Iterate
Designs in the UX world are constantly evolving to fit an experience that benefits the user and company, which is why I believe it is important to iterate when necessary.
In the iteration process, I often go back to the problem statement and the goal of the user to make sure I avoid any unnecessary tangents. Further research or design can be done in this stage to create an improvement plan that will ultimately lead to a successful experience.
Rapid Prototype
Before any major commitment to an idea is made, brainstorming and sketching prototypes are essential to my problem-solving process. This gives me an opportunity to prune the bad ideas out from the good ones and it eliminates investing too quickly into high-fidelity wireframes saving time and resources.
Wireframe & Prototyping
Wireframes
Creating mid to high-fidelity wireframes is important to visually communicate both the user experience and the interface of a product to the team. Wireframes help me discover any design errors in the process. It is also important for me to annotate specific interactions and information of the product to improve efficiency and communication within the team working on the project so everyone is on the same page.
Prototypes
High-fidelity prototypes are essential for simulating and communicating real and future products to stakeholders and engineers. It is important for me to create prototypes so the design can be tested and corrected as needed, then approved for production.
Flow Charts
Creating flow charts helps me visualize the steps a user may take to complete a task and achieve their goal. It is useful in identifying how users will navigate the site or app as well as potential pain points users may encounter, which helps me address the issues and create design solutions that meet their needs more efficiently.
Personas
Personas are a useful way to create an archetypical user whose goals and characteristics are representative of the needs of a larger group of potential users. Utilizing this tool gives me a picture of potential behavior patterns, goals, attitudes, and background information of users, which help me as the designer to design creative solutions for an optimal experience.
“You cannot understand good design if you do not understand people; design is made for people.”