My Process

Intake

Problem Definition

What problem are we trying to solve with this work? How is going to benefit the business and the users?

Target Users

Who are the target users? Does this project represent a feature that will provide an improved experience for the user?

Business Requirements

What are the basic requirements of the project? What constraints are present that will limit or enhance the scope of the work? What is the ideal feature set versus what the MVP feature set needs to be?

Research

Persona Creation

Existing personas that area already defined by the business can be leveraged if possible. If the feature is such that a unique experience that new use-cases have been identified and non-existent personas need to be created to support the design effort.

User Journeys

After the correct personas have been defined for the experience, user journeys can be fleshed out. Here we want layout the journey of the user within the experience and also how that experience fits into the overall user journey on the website or application. How did they get here? Where should they land afterwards? What defines a successful user journey?

Competitor Analysis

Understanding the landscape for how the feature is presented both within the market and outside of the market. Analysis of immediate competitors is always useful, but I always find it useful to see how a feature is perceived in completely different markets as well.

Generative Research

Users can encounter and identify usability issues during interactions, such as confusing navigation, unclear buttons, or unexpected behavior. This allows for targeted feedback on specific aspects of the user experience. Evaluating users walking through an experience is invaluable in flagging any hurdles for the user. The data gathered during these sessions will typically provide the foundation for the design direction.

Content Audit

Whether an experience is an abbreviated experience or a sprawling web application, understanding the information architecture enables me to leverage the strengths of the existing design and to identify any gaps or opportunities for improvement.

Define

Anticipated Outcomes

Ideally, these should be identified going into the intake phase, but often times this component of the process is still being ironed out between business owners.

Tech Requirements

Tech requirements in this process refer to specifications and considerations related to the technology stack and implementation aspects of a product or system. These requirements bridge the gap between design and development, ensuring that the user experience envisioned by the design team aligns with the capabilities and constraints of the chosen technology. Collaboration between myself and the development team is crucial in defining and refining these tech requirements. This collaborative approach helps ensure that my envisioned user experience aligns with the capabilities and constraints of the chosen technology stack.

Success Metrics

Success metrics in my process are key performance indicators used to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of a product or system's user experience. These metrics provide insights into how well the design meets user needs, supports business goals, and aligns with overall project objectives. Selecting the right combination of metrics depends on the nature of the product, its goals, and the specific aspects of user experience that are most critical for success. Regularly monitoring and analyzing these metrics throughout the process allows for data-driven decisions and continuous improvement.

Ideate

Lo-Fi Wireframes

Work through various solutions without much time investment. This is about making sure design and business are on the same page for the most part.

Hi-Fi Mockups

After determining which lo-fi wireframe meets all of the business requirements, it is then polished up to reflect design system elements and other branding visuals

Prototypes

Basic click-through prototype is built to walk the business and developers through the design.

Interactive Components

Identification and depiction of any interactive components and if applicable, any relevant animations.

User Feedback

Working sessions to gather user feedback. While business feedback is important, it’s critical to make sure that the users are brought along for the design journey so that they can call out any red flags that may present themselves.

Validate

Interactive Prototype

Interactive prototypes simulate user interactions, providing a more realistic experience compared to static designs. Users can navigate, click, and interact with elements as they would in the actual product.

User Feedback

Through the use of interactive prototypes, users can express their preferences and opinions on specific interactions, animations, or transitions. This helps me to understand how users perceive and respond to these elements.

Business Feedback

Interactive prototypes are valuable tools for eliciting business feedback during the design and development process. Business stakeholders can interact with the prototype to gain a clear understanding of the proposed functionality. This helps in aligning business goals with the envisioned user experience. By interacting with the prototype, business stakeholders can make informed decisions about design choices, user interactions, and feature implementations. This leads to a more collaborative and efficient decision-making process.

Accessibility Audit

Conducting an accessibility audit involves assessing various aspects like navigation, content, and design to ensure the product is usable for all, adhering to accessibility standards such as WCAG. This is crucial in creating an inclusive user experience.

Engineering Handoff

Handing off to engineering, several key deliverables help facilitate a smooth transition from the design phase to the development phase. These deliverables ensure that the development team has the necessary information and assets to implement the design accurately. Primarily this consists of a comprehensive document outlining design specifications, including detailed information on visual elements, layouts, and interactions. This document serves as a guide for developers. Along with design document, I also provide all design assets and a clickable prototype for developers to reference. I have many years of experience as a front-end developer and I take pride in making sure developers always get everything they need from design in order to complete the work.

Test

Usability Testing

Effective usability testing typically involves clear goals, a representative user sample, realistic tasks, unbiased facilitators, and a systematic analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. It's crucial to identify and address issues early in the design process to enhance the user experience prior to the wider launch.

A/B Testing

In this part of the phase, I aim to collect data that helps compare the performance of two or more variations (A and B). Key metrics typically include conversion rates, click-through rates, engagement, or any other relevant KPIs, providing insights into which variation is more effective in achieving your specific goals.

Beta Testing

In beta testing, user feedback is vital. Beta testers assess the product's usability, interface, and overall experience, providing insights that help refine design elements, identify potential issues, and enhance the user journey before the official release. This iterative process aims to ensure a positive and seamless user experience.

Launch

Release Plan

The value of a release plan lies in its ability to provide a structured and strategic approach to the development and launch of a product or project. A release plan adds value by providing structure, reducing risks, and enhancing collaboration, ensuring that resources for the launch are properly allocated, and that a plan for continuous improvement of the product is in place. The launch is just the beginning of the adventure.

Retrospective

The intention of the retrospective is to reflect on the entire user experience design process, aim to identify what went well, what could be improved, and how to enhance future projects. It's an opportunity to assess my methods, my collaboration with the business and engineering, and the outcomes of the project.

Post Launch

Surveys

Surveys are always useful at the 3-6 month mark after a launch to get a temperature check of how a new feature is being received by users.

User Feedback

It’s helpful at times to run usability tests again to see if the hypothesis of the design solution is holding true.

Business Feedback

Business feedback at this stage can come in a few different forms. Business would have likely been tracking metrics up to this point so they will already have feedback from that standpoint. If they have had a chance to walk through the experience then it’s great to gather that feedback after being removed from the initial design process.

Success Metric Tracking

Constant tracking of metrics that define success for a project is vital to ensure that not only the MVP release is providing to be successful but also to build a case for future iterations of project enhancements.