Story: Process of user experience design
©UX Mastery
User experience design is the process of enhancing user satisfaction with a product by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction with the product. – Wikipedia: User Experience Design
I wrote the blog, What Is User Experience Design?, in February 2019. I organized general information about what UX is.
I learned UX at Brainstation in 2018. I am applying the study for my work. I like the UX process. I can ask questions clearly and efficiently. Client involves design process more. I improve the design utilized the client’s constructive opinion.
In this blog, I would like to dive into deeper in each steps.
Process of UX
UX process (customized general process):
1. Define target audience, problem/challenge and goals
2. Research (client/industry/competitor) – 5 hours
3. Brand attributes (send pdf to a client)
4. Persona – 3 hous/1 person
5. Move board – 5 hours
6. Site/contents map (AI: Information Architecture) – 3 hours
7. Wireframe (Sketch APP) – 3 hours
8. Prototype (Sketch APP) – 3 hours
9. UI (User Interface) – 1 day
10. Development (WordPress/Webflow) – 5 days
*Included modification.
This is my basic process. Each UX designer has a different process. Please learn from others. Then, try and error.
1. How to define problem & goal?
Before you can go into problem-solving mode, however, there is one very crucial step that you need to complete—one that will shape your entire design project from start to finish. In the Design Thinking process, this step is what’s known as the “define” phase. – Career Foundry
Our goal is solving a user problem. What user problem will you be trying to solve? In other words, what is your design challenge?
*I realized that if it’s a new product to the market, I need different thinking.
How do we define it?
– Learn about client, business and industry.
– Who the audience is?
– What objection/pain-point they have.
– How we solve it.
Tips:
– A problem statement identifies the gap between the current problem and the desired goal.
– A good problem statement is human-centered and user-focused.
– A good problem statement leaves room for innovation and creative freedom.
– At the same time, your problem statement should guide you and provide direction.
Without a defined problem statement, our work will lack focus, and the final design will suffer. Not only that: in the absence of a clear problem statement, it’s extremely difficult to explain to stakeholders and team members exactly what you are trying to achieve.
Reference:
IDF – Define the Problem and Interpret the Results
UX Planet – Designer’s indispensable skill: the ability to write and present a solid problem statement
2-3. How to research/define user flow?
User flow is the path taken by a prototypical user on a website or app to complete a task. The user flow takes them from their entry point through a set of steps towards a successful outcome and final action, such as purchasing a product.
To do this, you need to know two things:
– Business objectives. The action(s) you want visitors to take on the site.
– User objectives. The desires or needs users want to satisfy.
Typical entry points for users:
– Organic search.
– Paid advertising.
– Social media.
– Email.
– Press or news item.
– Direct link.
Start by answering these questions:
– What needs or desires do your visitors have?
– What problem do they want to solve?
– Why do they need it?
– Which qualities(about your product or service) are most important to them?
– What questions do they have about the product?
– What are their doubts or hesitations?
– What information do they need to take action?
– What’s their emotional trigger to propel them to taking action?
Questions for client:
– Tell me about your typical/ideal customer. Who are they? Why do they buy? Where are they going to use it?
– How do they compare different products?
– What matters the most?
– What happens after they buy? Describe the process in detail from the moment they place an order to when it is all set up for use.
– What do your customers say about your products?
– How is your product better or different from the competition?
– What kind of praise have you heard?
Questions for customer:
– Why did you want to buy it?
– What were the main questions you had when you were looking for one?
– What was most important to you? Which parameters did you compare?
– What kind of doubts or hesitations did you have?
– What alternatives did you consider?
– What made you decide to buy from us?
– Now that you’ve bought it, what do you like about it the most?
Based on the answers I get, I would develop follow-up questions and ask even more. The point is to really understand the customer and their approach to buying this product or service.
We need to know:
– Why they want it.
– How they’re going to use it.
– The qualities that are most important.
The user flow is the basis for content requirements on web pages or app screens. Beginning with an understanding of user needs helps the product team build a user flow and experience that is designed to meet those needs.- Optimizely
Reference:
CXL – How to Design User Flow
4. How to create a user persona?
Persona is simply a representation of your most common target audience. It’ll help you standardize needs and get solutions faster. You can think of it as a folder with your similar users. The folder has it’s own name, photo and brief description. – UX Planet
A persona can consolidate expansive customer data into a single document that’s both easy to reference and easy to understand. Whenever someone on the team encounters an obstacle or needs help making a decision based on customer interests, they can refer to the project’s personas.
Each persona should include:
– Name.
– Photo.
– Personal quote/motto.
– Bio: Give a little backstory. What was their childhood like? Why did they choose their current job? How do they spend their free time?
– Demographics: Age, sex, income, location, job title.
– Personality Traits.
– Motivations: Would a customer be more likely to buy a product that improves their career or their personal life?
– Goals and frustrations.
– Preferred brands and influencers.
* Keep in mind that personas are wholly customizable, and the above list is just a starting point.
Additional areas:
– Preferred social media channels.
– Daily routine.
– Tech skill.
– Hobbies and interests.
– Education level.
– Job responsibilities/duties.
– Shopping and product research habits.
Reference:
99designs: How to create a user persona
hotjar: How to create a simple, accurate user persona in 4 steps without leaving your desk
UserTestingBlog: The 5 best guides for creating a customer persona
Goal of UX
In 1993, Donald Norman, a professor and researcher in design, usability, and cognitive science, coined the term “user experience”, and brought it to a wider audience.
I invented the term because I thought human interface and usability were too narrow. I wanted to cover all aspects of the person’s experience with the system including industrial design graphics, the interface, the physical interaction and the manual. Since then the term has spread widely, so much so that it is starting to lose its meaning. by Donald Norman – Wikipedia
