Designing
Prior to creating beautiful designs, there are a few steps to get things done. First of all, there is information architecture to be planned. The most common questions are:
- where should we put each button and other elements and why there,
- how a user gets to the point in the least number of steps,
- how to make navigation easy and understood by the user,
- how we want to lead him to reach the goal and so on.
The answers will lead us to make wireframes which will be later transformed into mockups. The continuous work on the project is of deep significance. Starting from simple drawings on the paper, through diagrams, flows, to detailed mockups, it is more likely that new doubts will arise. Our vast experience shows that it is simply not possible that a very first view will be the final one. During the creative product design process, lots of fresh, innovative ideas appear which usually replace the previous ones.
But before UX and UI designers start working on the project, they need to get a few things from a client.
From a UI perspective, a font, colors and general look and feel of a product are key to preparing a solid design. There are two most common cases:
- when UI designers can create a product from scratch, using their own imagination and skills
- when they are limited to the client’s brand identity.
Whichever case we are dealing with, it is worth working as partners and discuss all the important issues.
When it comes to UX designers, they try to develop an application as close as possible to your vision, so be prepared for tight cooperation. To provide a client with a detailed solution, a designer should receive at least a sample of copy - texts that will be visible (for a relevant paragraph). This will help to organize and distribute components in correct places on the website or on mobile devices.
Prototyping & Testing
One of the most valuable phases of design is prototyping. The importance of creating a prototype, either made with paper or using a fancy tool like Axure or Adobe XD should not be underestimated, as this is the very first moment when a design faces reality.
Even if everything seems so obvious for all who are involved in creating the solution, a fresh look at people testing your prototype can be a true awakening. Not only will they question the idea behind the product, but they will certainly notice most of the pain points and discover inconsistencies in the design. This is the perfect time to validate assumptions around the product before lots of money and work is put into development.
Deployment And Next Steps
Deployment of the product should not be considered as the final and last moment of contact with the software house. If a project is treated like a child, it will grow and be easily adapted to new circumstances, which, needless to say, change quite often nowadays.
It is worth considering the implementation of new features or running A / B tests to compare which new ideas are perceived better. UX designers are able to provide you with new, up-to-date solutions that enrich your product, and developers will evaluate their technical aspects. So do not break up with a software house just after you have a valuable product working, think about maintenance and support as an added value to your long-term relationship. Software houses that work with many projects and clients are easily able to prompt you with current trends and technicalities, thus refreshing your initial idea.
What To Expect During The Product Design & Development Process?
No matter whether your project is a website or a huge and complex digital tool, the stages of creation look very similar. From workshops revealing the true essence of the idea and client needs, through research, business model and strategy, to designing, deployment up to post-implementation support afterward, get ready for an interesting adventure and partnership with designers and developers.