Each project requires an individual approach. Understanding the goals, limitations and the environment in which it is being developed. The designer is both an artist and a craftsman. On the one hand, he is looking for inspiration and wants to find something original, to mark the product with himself. On the other hand, there are standards, processes and repetitive actions. Below you will find my general process when I start the new project.
To solve a problem, you need to understand the product, its context and business expectations.
Without this knowledge you rely only on experience and assumptions, and these can often lead you to bad decisions. So you gather information like a seasoned detective and try not to understand what’s going on here.
Expected activity: Mind Maps, Moodboards, Interaction Flow, Sitemap, Competitive Analysis
The information you collect is like collecting data during an investigation. You check various sources, analyze data and try to find connections. You connect the dots and get to the point where you can “feel” the situation, the product and its problems. The important element here is to understand the users of the product and to get to as much useful, fragmented information as possible.
Expected activity: User Flows, Analytics Reports, Personas, Archetypes, User Journey Map
By understanding the context and available data, an action plan can be prepared. You can focus on well-defined problems and specific user stories. At this stage, it should be clear what should be done and why.
Expected activity: User Stories, Workshops
With a solid foundation from the previous stages, I can begin to look at the problem from different perspectives and generate solution proposals. At this stage, any technique for documenting ideas is good. The most important thing is to focus on finding solutions.
Expected activity: Mockups, List of Ideas, Visual Concepts
I always remember that people using the product have a unique context. They don’t know most of the information I’ve been able to gather and understand. They just have a goal in their mind – to do what they want to achieve. While working on specific screens, a lot of questions will appear in my head. “Will it work?” “Will they notice it, understand?” That is why for me it is also a perfect moment to prepare not only a design but also a list of questions and doubts, from which you can create a User Testing scenario.
Expected activity: Figma Designs, Research Plan, Hi-Fi Prototypes
Testing and Research are critical to the success of the product. Not only do they give us confidence that something is built correctly, but they also reduce the cost of unnecessary development. In practice, however, many companies are in a hurry to release a live product and skip tests or want to do them later. At this stage, communicating the risks and possible costs of corrections is one of the main tasks have in mind.
Expected activity: Research scenario, Usability Report, RITE Testing
