Understanding the User

Step 1: Understand - As the old saying goes: If you have four hours to chop down a tree, spend the first three hours sharpening your axe. The same goes for design. Before you get started with any project, you need to get the basics down first. That means understanding two crucial elements: The User & The Brand.

Step 2: Research  - After I know that this project is in line with the core mission, and the team knows what questions we are trying to solve, we need to conduct research. The user research is going to be the life blood of any project. The things we discover and unearth during this stage lays the foundation for how the entire project will turn out (1:1 Interviews, Survey, Focus Groups, User Usability, UserTesting: First Impressions, Heat Maps, and Recordings).

Step 3: Analyze - In this stage, we use all of the information we gathered in the previous two stages to analyze and distill the most important elements (User Personas, Customs Journey Maps and User Flows).

Step 4: Conceptualize - This is an iterative process. This means we won’t get it all done in the first go. We'll have to design, redesign, scrap it, and design it all again. (Brainstorming, Whiteboard Sessions, Wireframes, Prototypes, and "If Statements"). 

Step 5: User Test, Analyze and Tweak - Analyze user feedback, adjust the design, and show to development. Feedback with the development team is crucial at this stage. We want to make sure that you clearly communicate any issues that arise and make sure that they are addressed before your product is handed off.

Step 6: Launch and Track - Once the product launches, it’s time for another round of analysis. Instead of looking at the results of your research, though, we’ll be taking a look at your overall final product (Where did our process go right? And why? - Where did we struggle? And why? - How are our users responding to the product? - Where can we improve the product?)