01
01 Identify
Software is built to solve problems or provide a certain service. If we do not fully understand the problem we cannot properly provide a solution. When I first start a project, I make an effort to completely understand what the problem is. I pinpoint who is being affected by the problem and why they are affected. Then I identify pain points or frustrations that users are experiencing.
02
02 Research
After Understanding the problem, I start researching to see what has been done previously to resolve the issue. I look at similar software to see what it does well and what it doesn't do well. I talk to people. I ask people what they know about the subject matter. I ask people whether or not they have encountered the specific problem. I will often create a survey and ask people how they feel or what they know about the issue I am researching. I do all of this to further understand the issue, and to start formulating possible solutions.
03
03 Ideate
The ideation phase is where all of the research, data, and ideas begin to take form. I begin brainstorming viable solutions through creating information architecture charts and doodling how certain features will work. As my solution begins to form I create wireframes. I iterate through how different pages will work and look. I begin to think about the user and how they will navigate through my app. By the end of the ideation phase I understand what the structure of my piece of software will look like.
04
04 Prototype
Prototyping is a very insightful part of my UX process. I take my wireframe and I make some sort of prototype. This may be of paper prototype or some sort of digital prototype such as Invision. I take the thoughts I had while ideating and turn them into a tangible working prototype. This phase is where my ideas and thought start to come to life. After I have created my prototype, I reevaluate my information structure and get a feel for the overall navigation.
05
05 User Test
After I have created the prototype, I start sharing it with others. This phase is the most insightful for me. As I show others the prototype I observe to see where they seem lost or confused. I will give them a task and see how easily it is to achieve that task. After they are done using the prototype, I ask them their thoughts and feelings on their experiences and note what they say. It is here that my eyes are opened to pain points I may have missed. I realize what makes sense to me might not always make sense to others. The user testing stage is often humbling and I find myself reiterating through my ideation and prototyping.
06
06 Design
After I have a prototype, I can begin making the final designs. It is in this stage I solidify everything I have learned and mold it into a beautiful design. I love working in Sketch, it is where I spend the majority of my time when designing. In the design portion of my process I pay close attention to my alignments, color palette, typography, and use or images and icons. During the design phase, my work, ideas and research all come together into a satisfying work of art.
07
07 Iterate
Iteration happens at every step of my UX process. When I am happy with my designs, I will step back and look at how everything turned out. I will again show my product to others and get feedback and what I can do better. Something I have learned about the UX process is I am never finished with a product, there is always something that can be improved. Being a UX Designer means constantly improving the users experience. It means continual empathizing and continual research.
