UX Process

In my role as Sr. Product Designer one of my core responsibilities is to oversee the direction of all of our studio’s UX processes. I led the creation and maintenance of a series of UX deliverables that are utilized by our designers, project managers and sales staff. Below are a series of componentized UX plays that are featured primarily in two of our engagement offerings: the Design Impact Workshop and the User Testing Services.

Design Impact Workshop

The D.I.W. is a discovery engagement that occurs at the beginning of every new client project. Using Zoom, Miro and FigJam we conduct hands-on workshops with the clients, refine the results and collaborate until we’ve achieved a product vision shared by the entire team. The objectives of the D.I.W. are to understand the value propositions, business goals and core problem statements of the engagement. We identify the primary users, service design journeys, current UX pain points and opportunities. We then create, prioritize and scope an actionable path toward solving the identified UX issues and product challenges.

Step 1/3

Stakeholder Interview & Project Vision

Stakeholder Interviews are collaborative workshops designed to clarify objectives and build consensus. We define the user needs, business goals and technical limitations of the project. From this we develop a shared vision and the terms of success which become the Project Vision.

Step 2/3

Persona Definition & User Journey Maps

User personas are archetypes that represent larger groups engaging the product or service.

Journey Maps are strategic, targeted visualizations of every engagement the personas have with the product or service. They clarify the needs, opportunities, pain points and UX touchpoints that occur. The identified attributes then translate directly into features that can be prioritized and acted upon.

Step 3/3

RICE Prioritization & Design Estimation

Once the features are established we use the RICE framework for prioritization. RICE scores product features according to four factors: Reach, Impact, Confidence and Effort.

After prioritization our designers and engineers put an hourly estimation against each feature and this becomes a menu for insertion into the roadmap. Our experienced project managers facilitate this part of the process to ensure clarity and accuracy.

User Testing

Using clickable prototypes I conduct usability interviews to gather feedback, iterate on designs and diagnose user pain points. I watch, listen and take notes as participants interact with the prototypes. I observe them during free-form exploration as well as prompt them to complete predetermined tasks. I encourage the users to narrate their thoughts as they participate to gauge the level of accessibility and the relative cognitive load of the interface. I have experience creating testing plans and schedules as well as documenting, interpreting and acting upon user feedback.