Process

Process

I created this design process pdf document for Pearson Education for their PSOC Common Core app based on research from Google Innovation Labs which allow for rapid and agile design cycles. I'm passionate about user testing and have used this process with all my subsequent projects to quickly iterate product features and glean meaningful feedback before embarking on actual development.

I've outlined the basic steps and please do take a look at the pdf for more in-depth descriptions of my process.

  • 1. Understand

    GOAL

    Understand who the target audience is. Come to a common understanding with business owners and POs of the goal and business opportunity for the sprint. Agree upon what success will look like and how it will be measured.

    WHY

    Aligning the Design Team with the user’s needs from the beginning helps the team empathize with the user’s perspectives and challenges throughout the design process. Establishing a common understanding of the goals enables everyone the ability to put some skin into the game and contribute. It will empower everyone in attendance to be part of the decision making process.

  • 2. Diverge

    GOAL

    The purpose of these activities will be to generate insights and churn out many possible solutions to address the Problem Statement. The Design Team will explore as many ways of solving the problems as possible, regardless of how realistic, feasible, or viable they may or may not be.

    WHY

    This phase allows the team to get some hands on experience with ideation and envisioning through the magic of constraints. Through the use of timed mind mapping exercises, low fidelity sketching and storyboarding sessions, these tools will get everyone expressing their ideas in a rapid, visual way to explore and experiment. Setting time limits for each activity allows the team to rapidly diverge on potential solutions. It will result in throwing away bad ideas early, converging on the stronger ideas, avoiding unrelated tangents or wallowing on specific details.

  • 3. Decide

    GOAL

    Define a minimal viable product and decide what to test and prototype.

    WHY

    Not every idea is actionable or feasible. Only some will fit the situation and problem context. Narrowing down the design to the most viable solution and understanding where the team still has questions defines what to validate.

  • 4. Prototype

    GOAL

    Build a prototype to test with existing or potential users. Create a user testing script based on the tasks that needs to be tested and the questions that need to be answered.

    WHY

    Prototyping is a low cost and rapid way of gaining insights about what the product needs to be. It provides a way to work with the best ideas from the previous phases in a real and tangible way. The end results will help the team understand what is working and what is not. These insights inform the team so they can confidently invest time and effort on a more solid implementation.

  • 5. Validate and Learn

    GOAL

    Get the design in front of existing or potential users to identify what’s working as intended and what isn’t. Identify what requires deeper thought and attention.

    WHY

    Your target audience is ultimately who you want your product to be useful and valuable for. Their insights will provide the context to truly understand what is working or not. This will also identify what requires deeper thought and attention. By this point, the team should know if they are building the wrong product or one that your users will embrace.

  • Develop OR Rinse and Repeat....

    If the product is deemed viable for development, then:

    - WIREFRAMES FOR PLANNING

    - SPRINT PLANNING

    - CREATION OF ASSETS

    - CREATION OF SPECS

    - DEVELOPER IMPLEMENTATION

    - UI/UX VISUAL REVIEW

     

    If the product is deemmed not viable for development then steps 1-5 should be revisited.