MARK YOUNG
SENIOR UX DESIGNER
PROCESS
Complex problems don’t always require complex solutions.
Simple solutions often result in the best products and user experiences. How do I discover those simple solutions? Through a well-defined, repeatable, design process. As a UX Designer, I view this process as the foundation for creating exceptional user experiences.
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TL;DR
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A well-defined process creates an environment for efficiency.
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Defining and understanding the problem is the most important part of a process. (In my opinion)
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Process is great, but in the real world at real jobs solving real problems, it’s not always going to go perfectly. UX design can be a messy business.
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There’s no magic formula, as each product and product team may benefit from its own process. Adjust as needed.
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Validate decisions throughout the process and product lifecycle. Repeat as needed.
01
DEFINE
How does one create reliable user experiences without fully understanding the problem? They don’t, and if they do, there may have been some luck involved. Defining and understanding the problem creates a context for identifying the value proposition and sets the stage for designing the best user experience.
02
RESEARCH
The foundation has been defined, and so it begins: Research, Research, Research. Who will be affected by the user experience? How will this enrich the end user? Are competitors or other benchmarks available that can be researched for further context? These are just a few questions that can be answered through in-depth user research and competitive analysis.
03
ANALYZE
The research is gathered, now what? I get to know the users on a deeper level. Why do the users feel the way they do? How would they feel about the value a specific user experience would bring them? Are their expectations going to be met? This is achieved by creating user personas and journey maps. Analyzing the research also helps confirm or dispel any previous assumptions.
04
DESIGN
For myself, this is the fun part, but not so fast! Each step in the design process should be validated along the way. Before moving forward with designs, now is a great time to level-set with all the key stakeholders. They are as much a part of the design phase as the designer. From rough sketches and wireframes to high-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes, it all comes together here.
05
VALIDATE
All the previous work to this point is all for show if the proposed solution doesn’t answer the needs of the users and key stakeholders. (And that’s an expensive show) User testing sessions, focus groups, surveys, and analytics are all great tools for validating the designed solution. There’s no single “magic formula” for what testing method works best. Often, the testing method is relative to specific products, users, or user experiences, but skipping this phase can derail all the prior work.
06
ITERATE
Repeat as needed. Iteration is not so much a phase of the design process but should be treated as a constant along the way. As designers, we’d all love to think we’ll get everything right the first time, but that’s simply not the case.
