As a product designer my aim is to help clients to build great solutions for the people that need them. This means combining user-centred design with business needs to discover the real problem, define the solution, iterative, test, and refine the solution.
Over the years I have been strongly influenced by the ‘Double Diamond’ framework, the ‘Lean’ methodology, and many other design thinking processes to form my own framework for project success. The process is anything but linear, starting out uncertain and messy, gently becoming more refined and focused as time goes on.
Design with users first, constantly iterate and learn, build with systems. Everything I do should meet my values.
- Discover: the who, the what, and why of the problem. Eliminate assumptions.
- Define: understand the problem, decide what success looks like, and lay a foundation to build upon.
- Iterate & Test: rapidly prototype and test skeletal ideas with the people that have the problem. Repeat to improve.
- Refine & Build: give life to the skeletons. Build in systems, and progressively enhance using data.
- Ship & Measure: send your creation out into the world, let the dust settle. How did we do? Let’s find out.
Discover
A project starts out as a collection of assumptions, assumptions can be dangerous. Rushing ahead before truly understanding the problem wastes a lot of valuable time, and often invents the wrong solution. A good first-step validates (or invalidates) assumptions and answers the following questions:
- Who are the people who have the problem?
- Why or how did the problem start?
- What do they need to solve it?
- Who has had success solving a similar problem?
- Who could do better? Why?
Define
With bad assumptions squashed, and research done we need to make a plan, and lay the foundations of a good product. We should:
- Write down the problem.
- Make a map of the journey people will take.
- Start scaffolding the architecture of the things people will see.
- Decide how to measure success.
- Decide what is important to test next.
Iterate & Test
When we have worked out a what we need to do, we need to start generating and testing our ideas. What we learn will become the solution to the problem. We will:
- Build ideas as skeletons, as quickly as we can.
- Test the ideas with the people who will use them.
- Repeat: Adapt, combine and evolve the best bits.
- Make a start defining a visual tone.
Refine & Build
We’ve got everything we need to build the solution to our problem. We need to work together to:
- Give our skeletons, muscles, organs, skin; life.
- Let our visual seeds bloom.
- Document the experience as a system.
- Ask people what they think.
Ship & Measure
When we’re ready to, launch the solution. We should:
- Do our final checks, is what we’re about to launch ready, and represent high quality?
- Send our little creation out into the world, for all to see.
- Track the success or failure of what we just launched.
- Measure and discuss the results.
- Tailor the next iteration, or move on.