Process
Having been on a variety of UI/UX and product design projects, I’ve had the pleasure, and occasional chaos, of navigating through different process environments—Agile, Agile with SCRUM, and other variations. While each had its quirks, they all shared some common threads: thorough research, hands-on design, rigorous testing, and lots (and lots) of iteration. At their core, these processes were all about keeping the user at the heart of everything and championing design thinking.
Comprehensive Breakdown
After working in such diverse environments, I wanted to put together a "greatest hits" compilation of what I’ve learned—an overview of process steps that stood out to me. This breakdown features six stages, each with nested steps that should feel familiar to anyone experienced in product design. It’s a journey that begins with understanding the problem, meanders through research and design, and culminates in delivering a polished solution. Along the way, there’s plenty of room for creativity, collaboration, and flexibility.
Discover & Define
Whether you’re tackling a minor feature or a full-fledged product, the first step is all about setting the stage. This stage isn’t just important—it’s foundational. It’s where you rally the troops, define the problem, and map out the goals that will guide the project. Without a clear direction here, it’s like trying to assemble furniture without the instruction manual (or even a picture of what it’s supposed to look like).
🎯 Understand and Define the Problem
The problem and its solution drive the product throughout the entirety of the product design cycle, so it only makes sense to start by nailing this down.
A well-crafted problem statement acts as a North Star, keeping the team aligned as they explore potential solutions.
As a designer: I revisit the problem regularly throughout the process to ensure that every research insight and design iteration is moving us toward a meaningful solution.
🤝 Team Brainstorm Sessions
Bringing the team together early—whether it’s a full house or just senior members and stakeholders—helps get everyone on the same page (or at least in the same chapter).
These sessions are fertile ground for ideas and set the tone for collaboration moving forward.
As a designer: I use this time to get to know the roles and dynamics of the team, which makes me feel more comfortable and, in turn, more creatively confident. Let the idea floodgates open!
🚩 Establish Goals and Objectives
What’s the goal of this product or feature? What does success look like, and how will we measure it?
Goals define what we’re trying to achieve, not how we’ll achieve it. Objectives, on the other hand, break down the "how" with measurable success metrics (e.g., increasing a feature’s adoption rate by 75%).
As a designer: Clear goals and objectives give me a sense of purpose and focus, keeping my design work aligned with the broader vision.
💡 Specify Concepts
Identify the key concepts behind the product or feature and how they’ll enhance the user experience.
These concepts act as building blocks for pitching ideas and guiding the design process.
As a designer: Ideation is my playground, and figuring out how to improve user experiences is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
📋 Determine Requirements
With concepts solidified, the team can identify what’s needed to bring them to life—spanning user experience, UI, and development requirements.
Requirements are the nuts and bolts that ensure the concepts are actionable and achievable.
As a designer: This step helps me balance creativity with practicality, ensuring my designs are both inspiring and feasible.
Business & User Research
In product design, research isn’t just a box to check—it’s the compass that points to success. To create something meaningful, we need to understand the business landscape and, more importantly, the people who will use what we’re building. Without this, it’s like trying to bake a cake without knowing what flavor your guests like (or if they even like cake at all).
📈 Business and Competitive Analysis
Identify potential gaps and opportunities that could differentiate the product and give it a competitive edge.
Dive deep into competitors’ products to understand their strengths, weaknesses, features, and market positioning.
As a designer: I use this analysis to spark ideas for unique design elements that could set the product apart.
🌍 Market Research
Conduct research directly with potential customers to evaluate the viability of a new service or product.
Define the target market and gather feedback on interest, preferences, and expectations.
As a designer: Market research gives me valuable context to craft designs that resonate with the audience.
👥 User Research and Insights
Gather information about potential users through interviews, surveys, and usability testing to understand their needs, behaviors, and pain points.
Use these insights to inform design decisions and ensure the product delivers a positive user experience.
As a designer: User research is my treasure map, guiding me toward creating designs that truly solve problems.
🎭 User Personas
Create composite profiles based on research to represent the target audience’s characteristics, goals, and challenges.
These personas are used as reference points throughout the design process.
As a designer: I love turning user data into relatable, visual personas that keep the user front and center.
📊 User Journey Diagrams
Map out the touchpoints and interactions between users and the product to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Visualize the end-to-end user experience to better understand their journey.
As a designer: I often use FigJam to sketch out user journeys—it’s like creating a road map for an epic adventure.
Wireframes & Prototypes
This is where the magic begins to take shape—or at least starts to look like magic. Wireframes and prototypes bridge the gap between ideas and tangible experiences. Starting with simple sketches, you establish the bones of the design before fleshing things out with user testing, reviews, and iterations. It’s the design equivalent of constructing a skeleton before adding the muscle and skin.
✏️ UI Layout Sketches
Start with basic sketches to get your ideas out of your head and onto something visible—paper, whiteboards, or digital tools. No Picasso skills required!
These sketches are about speed and simplicity, serving as a foundation for later refinement.
As a designer: Sketching lets me quickly explore ideas without the pressure of perfection. Think of it as brainstorming for your eyes.
📐 Wireframes and Prototypes
Once a direction is chosen from the sketches, wireframes are created in tools like Figma to establish layouts and functionality.
Prototypes, built from wireframes, add a layer of interactivity to mimic the user experience.
As a designer: Creating wireframes and prototypes helps me visualize how users will interact with the product and identify potential usability hiccups early on.
🔄 User Testing
Test those prototypes! This is the first step in getting real feedback, often starting internally with the team.
Gather insights on usability, pain points, and whether the design resonates with users.
As a designer: User testing is like having a conversation with your design. Sometimes it whispers, "I’m awesome," and sometimes it screams, "Fix me!"
🧐 Creative Review Sessions
Get the team together to review the prototypes and discuss feedback from initial testing.
Use these sessions as working meetings to refine designs, ensuring everyone’s aligned on the direction.
As a designer: These reviews help me gauge what’s working (and what’s not) while fostering collaboration and buy-in from the team.
♻️ Wireframe Design Iterations
Iterate, test, and repeat. Use insights from testing and feedback to refine the wireframes and prototypes.
Each loop improves usability, layout, and overall user experience.
As a designer: This step reminds me that perfection is a process. Each iteration brings the design closer to what users actually need.
Visual Design & Prototypes
Now that the framework is solid, it’s time to dress it up. Visual design isn’t just about making things look pretty, though it definitely helps. It’s about enhancing usability, accessibility, and the overall user experience while maintaining brand consistency. In this stage, designs evolve from functional wireframes into polished, engaging prototypes ready to wow users and stakeholders alike.
🌟 Final Visual Designs and Prototypes
Apply brand standards, style guides, or creative guidelines to transform wireframes into visually engaging designs.
Prioritize usability and accessibility to ensure the product remains user-centric, even with all the aesthetic bells and whistles.
As a designer: This step lets me blend artistry and strategy, making sure the product not only looks great but also feels intuitive to use.
🖌️ Scenario Prototyping
Create prototypes for specific scenarios or use cases to test interactions, edge cases, and user flows.
These prototypes add depth to the testing process and help refine the user experience.
As a designer: Scenario prototyping is like rehearsing for a play—it ensures every scene is performance-ready.
✅ Final Review Session
Bring the team together to review polished designs and prototypes, gathering feedback and making last-minute adjustments.
Use this session to address any lingering concerns about usability, aesthetics, or alignment with project goals.
As a designer: I view this as the final checkpoint to ensure all the hard work aligns with the vision and objectives.
🛠️ Final Design Iterations
Incorporate input from the final review session to address minor usability tweaks, visual adjustments, or alignment with the project's goals.
Enhance every element of the design, from typography and iconography to spacing and color palettes, ensuring a cohesive and polished look.
Perform final usability checks, testing the designs against edge cases and ensuring accessibility standards are met.
Organize design files and documentation for seamless handoff to the development team. Include detailed specs, style guides, and annotated designs.
As a designer: I ensure every detail is clear, helping developers translate the vision into a functional product without guesswork.
Implementation & Development
The baton now passes to the development team, but design doesn’t just vanish into the ether. This stage is where the visual and functional elements start their transformation into a live product, with designers collaborating closely to ensure the vision is executed faithfully. Think of it as building a house—the blueprint might be set, but adjustments on-site are inevitable.
⚙️ Implementation
The design handoff is a critical moment. Designers provide specs, assets, and guidelines to developers to ensure clarity and consistency.
Development begins using the visual designs and prototypes as the primary references for coding the front-end and back-end.
As a designer: I stay involved to clarify design intents, answer questions, and ensure the final product aligns with the creative vision.
🔍 QA
Quality assurance is where the product undergoes rigorous testing for bugs, functionality issues, and alignment with the design.
Designers collaborate with QA and developers to address discrepancies or unforeseen challenges.
As a designer: QA feedback is my chance to make sure no detail slips through the cracks, keeping the user experience top-notch.
🖥️ Front-End Feedback
Designers stay engaged during the front-end development to review the implementation of visuals and interactions.
Feedback is shared on issues like spacing, typography, responsiveness, and accessibility to fine-tune the user interface.
As a designer: This step is like crafting the perfect donut—starting with the dough (the base design), frying it to golden perfection (development), and then adding the final glaze and sprinkles (polishing the UI) to make it irresistible.
🔧 Technical Adjustments
Sometimes, design adjustments are necessary due to technical constraints or unexpected complexities.
Collaborate with developers to find creative solutions that preserve the design’s intent while accommodating technical realities.
As a designer: Flexibility is key. I focus on problem-solving to ensure the user experience remains seamless without compromising the project timeline.
Finishing Touches
The finish line is in sight, but there are still a few final hurdles to clear. This stage ensures the product is user-tested, refined, and ready for launch. It’s also an opportunity to reflect on the process and celebrate the team’s achievements.
🔀 User A/B and Beta Testing
Conduct A/B testing to compare two versions of a feature or product and determine which performs better.
Use beta testing with a select group of users to gather feedback on usability, performance, and potential bugs before launch.
As a designer: This stage serves as the final quality check to ensure the product is polished, reliable, and ready to meet user expectations.
♻️ Final Design Iterations
Incorporate feedback from A/B and beta testing to make necessary design adjustments.
Create additional prototypes if specific scenarios require further refinement.
As a designer: This is my last chance to perfect the design, ensuring it meets both user expectations and business goals.
🎥 Sprint Demo
Showcase the developed product or feature to stakeholders during a sprint demo, often led by the development team.
Gather feedback to identify any remaining tweaks or improvements needed before launch.
As a designer: I enjoy seeing how the pieces come together in this stage, often uncovering ideas for future improvements to other features.
🎉 Retrospective
Conduct a retrospective with the team to review what worked well, what didn’t, and how the process can improve for future projects.
Celebrate the team’s hard work and the successful completion of the project.
As a designer: Speak up! This step helps me refine my approach, ensuring continuous growth and learning with each project.
The Finishing Touches stage is a blend of fine-tuning and reflection. It’s the cherry on top of the project, ensuring the product is not just ready to launch but poised for success.
Where I’ve used these processes
Qontrol Active Alerts
Surfacing alert details to improve adoption rate of a primary alert system tool.
Tandem Test Incident
Taking the “practice like you play“ methodology into cyber-related incident testing.
chatPFF
Improving game-watching experiences on your own schedule with real and AI companions.
Curatend Health Care
Increase referrals to health care agencies while combining processes into a single platform to reduce overhead.