My UX design process for 2020
The basics still hold true today.
Step 1: understanding
Starting any project, you need to understand the basics:
- your users
- your brand
and most importantly, what problems are they experiencing?
Some ways you can use to find out:
- interviews with users
- interviews with stakeholders
- online surveys
Step 2: research
Once you know what problems you’re trying to solve and what questions you’re trying to answer, it’s time for research.
Research is the life of the project. What is discovered during this step will lay the foundation for how the entire project will turn out. Sloppy research leads to a sloppy product.
Step 3: analyse
Analyse and distill the most important elements from the previous steps. Use the results of the research to align business goals and user needs. It is never a clear match so compromise is key. Assign priority weightings to each goal/need if necessary.
Some ways you can analyse your research:
- User journey maps
- Experience maps
- Affinity diagrams
Step 4: design
Now it’s time to actually build something. That means using the research and analysis to create things like:
- Information architecture
- User flows
- Mockups/wireframes
Keep in mind any branding restrictions that may impact your designs, and keep things accessible to all.
Step 5: testing and launch
Transform your designs into prototypes and test, test, test.
After each round of user testing, iterate on your designs using what you learnt from the previous round of testing. During this step you will receive valuable feedback on where your designs still have issues and how it can be fine tuned.
When you’re confident that you have solved the higher priority goals/needs from Step 3, launch.
Remember to pay particular attention to:
- onboarding experience
- language used
- contrast of calls to action
Step 6: post-launch
Use post-launch feedback to analyse the product and the process. Neither will be perfect and user adoption and satisfaction will tell you how good a job your users think you have done.
