The software product design process consists of many phases, but the key to success is to be flexible and pick the right method at the right time.
Identify the Business Objectives
First and foremost, it is essential to understand the stakeholders’ business objectives, their vision, direction and overall approach for the product. Both, stakeholders and product teams should get onboard and be on the same page with the business goal and expectations. This foundation helps with determining what type of user research activities can be planned, timeframe, deliverable expectations and getting a sense for high-level user base. Some level of pain points from business perspective can be also uncovered, as well as user frustrations (if already known). This is the step of the process where I work very closely with stakeholders and Business Analysts. All questions and topics raised in this step of the process help me understand what does the business need to accomplish.
Discovery (User Research)
User experience design starts with user research.
Who are the users, what do they need and why do they take certain actions? How can we make their work easier, quicker and more intuitive? Why is the current product not as successful as initially planned? Why are the users calling Help Desk so often? Why is the data integrity not intact?
These are some of the questions that require in – depth analysis and close communication with the actual product users. This is where a proper user research is absolutely needed to collect data that will aid generating business requirements and design decisions. I have worked with many skilled researchers, and have taken over research activities on my own, and it’s proven that this is a step that should not be overlooked, or ignored. By applying various user research methodologies, we gather solid foundation and understanding who are the users, how do they use the system, what do they need improved, is our recommendation actually a solution to their problem, does Business addresses all of their needs, and many more.
Every project is unique in its nature and expectations, which is why it is essential to chose the right research methodologies at the right time and clearly communicate their purpose and effectiveness prior to conducting them. There are several activities that can be performed in this phase with great outcomes:
User interviews
Persona development
Task analysis (observe users conducting their tasks)
Journey mapping
Current state process and task flow diagramming
Information architecture analysis & diagramming
Heuristic evaluations
User testing
Surveys
Design Brainstorming (Solution Conceptualization)
This is the step to take a holistic view of the big picture and start putting the puzzle together – all pieces of business objectives, user research data, usability principles, interaction design fundamentals, process flows, technical feasibility, etc. As a User Experience Designer I always advocate for the users, their needs and what we know about them. All design recommendations I provide are based on usability and interaction design principles, but aligned with specific user needs. Ideation sessions, conceptualization, sketches, prototyping are great activities to convey the design intent and discover answers to questions that haven’t been addressed initially.
Process diagrams
Sketches
Low-fi wireframes
Rapid low-fi prototypes
Paper prototypes
Prototyping (Design Refinement)
In this stage, I take the designs to the next level, creating life-like artifacts that represent the final intent. This helps stakeholders and users see and interact with the product before the engineering process begins, identify areas for improvements and communicate it to engineering teams. This is the step where interaction design, visual and accessibility meet all together. The final product must be usable for everyone, with normal and impaired vision, allowing smooth and uninterrupted workflow.
Hi-fi mockups
Interactive prototypes
Technical specifications
Design system integration
Test the Design (Validate Designs With Users)
The only way to measure the success of the design direction, is to test it with actual users. Test early, fail early, rectify early. This essential step eliminates assumptions, reduces engineering time and is the only source of truth. I typically conduct scripted “Think Aloud” protocol testing that allows observing users conducting real-life tasks. Oftentimes, I invite other team members (Developers, Business Analysts QA members) as observers, which helps with reducing the assumptions and bringing more first-hand insight of the proposed solutions. This step of the process is absolutely beneficial, and a must-have research technique, as it’s a direct evidence of what rectifications are needed and if we the team is building the right solution.
Document & Share the Findings
In this step of the process, I synthesize the user testing data and create concise usability report outlining user responses, success and failure, areas of improvements. This report is shared with stakeholders and internal teams and based on the data and outcome, revisions on the designs are made.
Speak the Tech Language (Collaborate, Don’t Just Pass the Information)
Sometimes I get asked “can you code front-end?”. My answer is “I can break your code for sure”… I do have huge respect to the skilled engineers who bring all designs to life! But, I am not a UI developer. This is a very serious stand-alone position that should be in the hands of the capable folks who can do anything on any screen. My approach to the successful design/development transition is not handoff, it’s collaboration. I have worked with many developers and over the years got to know the tech language, limitations and feasibility. At the end of the day, all efforts from user research, design brainstorming, conceptualization and prototyping has to be transformed into a functional code. Ideally (depending on time constrains), I like to work with engineers from early stages of the brainstorming process, conceptualization, user testing, implementation specifications, working in the browser and validate the implementation together. Of course, there are situations where all this may not be feasible, which is why creating clear technical documentations and frequent (as needed) sync up meetings can be also successful.
The successful transition from design to implementation
is symbiotic relationship between designers and developers,
not just artifact handoff!