I believe a human centered design approach allows us to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology and the requirements for business success.
I have found that good design is intentional, ethical, clear, consistent, useful and measurable all while aesthetically pleasing. In order to have great design I strive for frequent communication, explore ways to connect with others, surface product problems, take accountability and always stay open to learning from others.
Design Process – Focus Area Two
Understanding the User and Their Problem
I like to conduct research to develop a deeper understanding of users. I have done this with myself and another team member but also had the privilege of working with a team of researchers. This really helps us understand the Why behind our decisions going forward. I like to ask the following questions to make sure we are moving in the right direction.
- What primary problem are we trying to solve?
- What is our motivation behind solving this problem with the proposed solution?
- Who are our primary and secondary users/audience?
- What other solutions in the market solve similar problems?
Design Process – Focus Area Three
Determining Scope and Priority
After understanding the problem, environment and users I like to refine project goals and share those with the team to make sure we are aligned.
- What is our current starting point (landing page, sign up experience)?
- Is the purpose of the website or app clearly identified?
- How does Information Architecture help users accomplish desired tasks?
- How does button placement add value to a user’s experience?
- How are user goals currently accomplished?
Once we have our goal defined I like to use common design activities to help move us forward.
- Persona Mapping – Deep dive into the customer base by identifying each user persona and role for the product or service.
- Journey Mapping – Map out how each of these personas interact with the business while using the product or service.
- Feature Mapping & Prioritization Feature Mapping – Determine each feature and use case, prioritize each with the goal of establishing the overall scope, requirements and creating a roadmap for the future.
Design Process – Focus Area Four
Understand Interactions
Interactions can breathe life into a website, delighting users and increasing engagement. Here are the questions I ask to make sure the design is right.
- Which principles does a feature in the app establish for its users?
- What animations are they using and how do they make you feel?
- What are the gestures required to interact with the website/app?
- Does the website/app suffer any interaction problems?
- How do you feel while interacting with the app?
- Does the website/app follow accessibility guidelines?
Design Process – Focus Area Five
Ideate Interfaces
User experience is the overall experience for the end user engaging with the website/ app. UX includes all elements, as well as the usability of that interface. User interface or UI, on the other hand, refers to the visual components or design within the UX, like color and typography. Once we have a roadmap I like to spend time ideating this can include lighting demos, quick sketches and finally moving into prototyping.
- How is the website/app maintaining design consistency?
- How does the typeface of the app compliment visuals, illustrations and other interface components?
- Do the colors used in the aim to provoke specific emotion?
Design Process – Focus Area Six
Validate Assumptions & Test Efforts
After we have a clear prototype and goal the work is shared with users to make sure we are on the right track. Once we have gathered feedback we jump into long term action, plan and divide our work.
