Credit: from SmallBizTrends
They say that failing to plan is planning to fail. All successful UX processes aimed at producing positive user experiences require careful planning. Otherwise, poor planning will compromise the implementation and the expected product.
Developing a simple user experience design plan defines the quality of a product because it has a determining effect. Without a well-planned user experience design process, you risk wasting time boxing air during this critical phase of the project. In fact, the lack of a plan makes you a mere idealist and not a UX designer.
Although this process is vital, there is no absolute way to formulate a flexible planning process. The reason is that depending on the same method for different applications or websites can negatively affect user experience or anger project managers.
Our article sheds additional light on this subject. Keep reading to learn how to best prepare for your next UX project.
Understanding the UX design process
Let’s begin our discussion by looking at the UX design process. Here are the main components of a UX design process.
UX Research First
The planning process prioritizes UX research to understand what users want and need. Like the Eleken site, all smart, user-centered designers start here before designing or prototyping anything. They seek to understand what real users want to do and why they do it, while reconciling their requirements with the goals and needs of the business.
This approach helps design teams create relevant, not just high-tech, solutions that satisfy customers. Below are some of the benefits of getting started on this learning front:
- It provides valuable data to create successful design strategies;
- It constitutes a solid basis for making informed decisions based on concrete facts and not on prejudices, theories or hypotheses;
- You fully understand user needs and requirements because someone has spent time with them to understand them;
- Design teams can detect potential problems and resolve them before they occur;
- It exposes design opportunities;
- UX research helps you create valuable and functional assets that meet user expectations.
Start designing
Design follows UX research because you are armed with relevant information and facts. This step includes developing user flows that pave the way for creating a wireframe, prototyping, and visual design. This phase addresses the how, when and where of your users’ experience. This step allows you to interact with users and apply your empathy and creative genius to resolve potential problems that might arise during the process.
Credit: from Studyworkgrow
Use iterative testing to validate your designs
Your process requires user testing research to validate your user interface choices and user flows. Although testing is the third phase of your design process, using a more iterative process is beneficial. The reason is that product development involves complex processes with multiple steps. It is therefore necessary to validate all these phases to adjust the products to user expectations.
This interconnected nature requires moving from one step to the next as necessary, until you are sure everything is ready for execution. However, do not strictly follow the initial order of these steps, as successful design testing is non-linear and allows for greater flexibility that allows diverse groups to conduct multiple steps simultaneously.
Transform your designs into functional products
Finally, your process turns design into working products – implementation. Eventually, you can see all your efforts rewarded in the form of a product that meets the customer’s needs. Let’s move on and see how a flexible design process benefits a user experience process.
Benefits of Planning a UX Design Process
So far, you have understood what a UX design process entails. Below are the benefits of applying a flexible UX design process to your digital assets.
It sets clear expectations
Planning your design process allows you to learn the most important lesson: the expectations of your target users. Additionally, sharing your design process with clients allows you to establish realistic project deliverables and deadlines. Your customers will know what to expect from you and when. This way you eliminate communication errors and unnecessary conflicts.
It puts customers at ease
Some clients start working with design teams without knowing what it takes to turn good ideas into great products. But with clear and concise design processes, you can show exactly where their money is going during the production process, putting them at ease.
It reduces the risk of failure
Designing a product requires careful thought, and a great design process takes this into account. It is possible to create an attractive product with an appealing aesthetic. However, if usability or research does not support it, the risk of product failure increases. By planning your process to include users, designers can uncover any potential design issues and prevent them.
Better products through user participation
Engaging in a comprehensive planning process also helps users get better products. It helps ensure that everything that goes into the product meets the customer needs that you have captured during the well-planned production process.
Problems are resolved more easily
A good planning process saves a design firm time and money resolving problems. The reason is that it is easier and less expensive to resolve a potential problem during the design process than to start it.
Planning produces ideas
Proper planning of the design process allows for comprehensive analysis and research that highlights opportunities to differentiate your products. This differentiation gives your products a competitive advantage in the market. It ensures that the quality of your product is based on field-gathered evidence, not textbook theories or opinions.
Products reach the market faster
Proper planning of the design process also helps bring your products to market faster. The reason is that it uses facts to make decisions and eliminates lengthy deliberation processes. You can engage users to help make informed decisions to move the project forward if conflicting viewpoints arise and threaten to delay production.
Ease of use improves
Finally, this process gives users one of the most priceless gifts they love the most: ease of use. This element becomes one of the competitive advantages of your product because it gives users a better experience and increases their loyalty to your product.
Conclusion
Planning your UX design process is essential to achieve the desired results and excel in the market during product launch. This post has looked at some of the ways your design process can benefit from careful planning. We hope you implement these ideas to boost your design process and give users added value in terms of time, effort and money.