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Process & Philosophy

For the last 12 years I've tried many UX methods and processes. The following is based upon years of theory, application, and working with amazing individuals and teams.

1. Know your user

Who they are, what they do, what/how they think, motivations, behavior, research, etc.

2. Know your product

Know the technology, tools, business, product/market fit (PMK), ecosystem, process, etc.

3. Communicate, collaborate & create

This is the big "go make awesome" in partnership with the other 2. Go forth and create with a team or multiple teams.

Photo by Nick Hillier on Unsplash

The best design is iterative

Rarely do ideas or designs come out perfect the first time. Maintain the attitude that something can always be improved and pair with constant user validation. This results in a whole, relevant, valuable, and integral product.

Polish your process to ensure maximum efficiency within time constraints. Iterate in low-fidelity and move selectively onto need-to-see high-fidelity deliverables. Maximize your time and talent.

Never start with the pictures. Start with the big picture.

It is a mistake to presume to know the user, business need, and product based upon a single specification sheet. Diving headlong into creating beautiful visuals without validating assumptions will be a waste of design resources and time for the entire team.

  1. Take the time to fully understand the problem that the team is trying to solve.
  2. Dive deep into understanding the product end-to-end, which oftentimes involves countless whiteboarding sessions with Program Managers and Software Engineers.
  3. Picture time! Translate that knowledge into low-fidelity wireframes. Iterate only in low-fidelity.
  4. Only a few high-fidelity visuals are necessary to communicate the final visual intention. Depending upon the platform, it may be necessary to visualize every unique element (like Sketch symbols). Creating high-fidelity copies of the low-fidelity visuals is often a waste of time and resources.
Photo by pine watt on Unsplash
Photograph by Qunio Al on Unsplash.com

Improve your process continuously

It is rare when a project is identical to a previous one. Anchor your work to your process. Within the ever-changing technical field, find a process that works with your flow.

  • Build upon every past experience.
  • Observe what went well and what didn't. Actually or mentally perform a postmortem on every project; specifically highlight your process and the outcomes. Tool accordingly.
  • Constantly improve your process even midway through a project if necessary.
  • Grow your toolset.
  • Experiment and optimize!

Want to read more?

Check out my LinkedIn for more of my articles on UX and Design.

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