UX has become mainstream in the contemporary IT community. However, much misconception still exists about this approach to product creation. Its distinctive feature is going through the most significant stages, from research, product and idea definition to creation of a prototype, testing, to obtain final product implementation.
What is the UX design process?
This process is a user-focused approach to designing digital products with a high rate of functionality. UX stands for User Experience, focusing on understanding users’ needs, motivations, and comfort to create products that provide effective business solutions.
How the UX design process improves product usability
Usability is the way of achieving business goals when a product is used. Usability improvement starts with product research. In mobile app development, for instance, user research helps designers identify friction points and reveal unmet needs.
The stage of prototyping ensures early visualization of business solutions to identify if the product implementation is on the right track. Finally, the process of usability testing is to identify the most problematic areas to reduce the likelihood of a negative user experience.
UX design process vs. general process
There are several basic differences between general and UX design. First, the general design prioritizes aesthetics, branding, and visual communication, while functionality, user satisfaction, and positive experience are the core of the UX. Secondly, the general design starts with the creative concepts and shifts to visualization.
UX process begins with research and identification of the main business problems. It is characterized by deep analytical work before interface decisions. Thirdly, general design does not emphasize testing as a key stage, whereas UX does. Finally, the UX, unlike general design, is the integration of psychology and behavioral science to create products.
Where the UI/UX design process fits in product development
Product development is influenced by the UI or UX design process and begins long before the engineering process. In the early stages, UX ensures that resources are allocated to generate ideas based on validated solutions.
In Agile environments, UX work must be completed before development, prototyping, and validation to create a clear understanding of the product. Meanwhile, lean startups use UX to test minimum viable products (MVPs), identify weaknesses, and prevent potential negative impacts on user experience.
Overview of UX design process steps
Despite the variations in the workflow and specific amendments, there are six design process steps:
- research
- definition
- ideation
- prototyping
- test
- implementation
Flexibility remains a fundamental feature of these stages, avoiding rigidity and creating opportunities for additional adjustments. Each stage builds upon the next, while maintaining openness to iteration. Testing insights may trace back to ideation and redefinition of problems. Thus, the teams must dig into the stages to ensure effective alignment throughout the project.
The сore stages of ux explained
- Research Identification of user and business needs and understanding business requirements.
- Definition Resuming research into problem articulation and identification of finite users.
- Ideation Brainstorming of potential solutions and methods for their realization.
- Prototyping Formulation and representation of ideas through interaction.
- Test Assessment and validation of solutions in real-life settings.
- Implementation Realization of designs through interaction between designers and developers.
How many UX steps are there in a typical project?
Some frameworks claim there are five stages, while other methodologies assume seven of them. The choice of phases depends upon the project complexity, the structure of the team, user expectations, and project size. For instance, large projects may require protracted discovery, extended ideation, and validation phases.
Intobi is ready to work with startups that require a combination of certain phases to expedite testing and implementation. Even when some steps are omitted, research, validation, and iteration remain compulsory.
Differences between UX design processes across teams
The differences between these processes are explained by a great diversity of teams, organizations, sizes, maturity, and culture of teams. In agile teams, iteration and continuous feedback are of paramount importance. Meanwhile, waterfall environments are characterized by the focus on sequential phases.
Teams working with startups may require designers to be versatile and combine different roles, from research to UI design and collaboration with users. At the same time, design in larger enterprises is manifested by the separation of roles. It means that each stage is being conducted separately by different teams, which, however, apply user-centered thinking as a guiding principle.
Step 1 – research in the user experience UX design process
The heart of the UX is research, as it is supported by evidence rather than based on assumptions and mere project visualization. The primary objective of the research phase is to understand users, their motivations, expectations, and apply their previous experiences to product creation. More than that, the research phase is crucial for the evaluation of market competition and business constraints.
User interviews, surveys, and behavioral data
The data retrieved from user interviews, surveys, and behavioral analysis offer quantitative information about user needs and motivations. The data from larger audiences is gathered through surveys, thus enabling trend validation. Behavioral data, in turn, uncovers the specifics of user-product interaction. However, effective results should be based on both qualitative and quantitative research.
Competitive analysis in the UX design process
Like any other market segment, competitive analysis is applied to examine leading market trends, usability expectations, strengths, and weaknesses of similar products. This process is important to understand market needs, expectations, and opportunities for differentiation, while avoiding the creation of a rocket science product that will be too complex for users.
Identify problems in early steps of ux design
Research is about a clear problem definition. In the early stages of design, it reveals the gaps between needs and solutions are established. As a result, the subsequent design decisions are driven by the research information. Thus, research-based information eradicates the possibility of mistakes and underrating of user expectations.
Step 2 – define: turning research into insights
The define stage is characterized by the synthesis of research findings and the manifestation of actionable insights in the long run. This phase presents a clear and structured understanding of raw data and offers a preliminary solution.
Creating personas and user journey maps
Archetypal users identified by research refer to personas. The main criteria of persona identification are:
- demographics
- objectives
- hindrances and previous experience
- behaviors
Interaction of the user with the product is visualized in user journey maps, which highlight emotions, expectations, and the most common friction areas. These criteria enable teams to keep focus on user-centeredness in UX design process.
Establishing сlear problem statements
Establishing a problem statement centers around the needs of users and the context of their operation. One of the examples of a clear problem statement is: “Large enterprises require a more complex user interface to uncover and meet the needs of all areas of the hierarchy”. A clear problem statement entails more user-focused ideation free from scope creep.
Aligning business goals with ux/ui process outcomes
In UI UX design process, UX solutions must harmonize with basic business objectives. Whatever the goal of the design is, UX outcomes should be based on measurable features. They can include the number of subscriptions, support costs, and retention indicators. Additionally, collaboration with stakeholders is vigorous to ensure a balance between user needs and company targets.
Step 3 – ideation in the UI UX design process
Ideation is the process of generating multiple solutions before cutting down to the final and most suitable option. Ideation takes place via one or a combination of the following idea-production methods:
- Brainstorming
- Sketching
- Selection
Brainstorming and collaborative design workshops
UX design process is based on brainstorming, aimed at encouraging sundry ideas. Brainstorming can be conducted in various forms, depending on the mode of work and type of team, but generally involves a collective ideas-exchange between designers, developers, and stakeholders. The most frequently applied techniques to stimulate creativity are Crazy 8s and mind mapping.
Sketching as an early design step
The sketching phase deals with the visualization of ideas and encourages experimentation and the influx of innovative solutions. Structure and flow are more vital in the sketching phase, while visual details are of less attention.
Selecting ideas that best serve the process of ux
Selection of ideas is a multifaceted process, based on the principle of evaluation. During the idea selection in the UX design process, teams evaluate their feasibility, potential user experience, and usability, as well as overall alignment with business goals. Selected and evaluated ideas are subsequently proceeded to the prototyping stage.
Step 4 – prototyping in the UI UX design process
Prototyping is the stage of formation of interactive models, based on the previously researched and wireframed ideas. The role of designers in this stage is to create prototypes containing the most optimal layout and navigation.
Prototyping usually ensures a positive user flow and lays the groundwork for positive usability. Prototypes are generally of two types: low-fidelity and high-fidelity, and both are implemented to test usability and evaluate product deficiencies before launching.
Low-fidelity vs. high-fidelity prototypes
Low-fidelity prototypes are usually simple wireframes. They can also be in the form of clickable mockups to test flow, structure, and design peculiarities in the UI UX design process. Unlike low-fidelity prototypes, high-fidelity ones deal with detailed visuals and offer a simulation of the finished product.
Tools commonly used in UX design process
The choice of tools depends on the product type and anticipated usability. The most commonly used are:
- Figma
- Sketch
- SurveyMonkey
- Google Forms
- Adobe XD
- InVision
- Axure
Their popularity is explained by interactive prototyping and collaboration that entail high usability.
How prototypes support iteration in ux
Design supports the prototype’s function due to the opportunity for early feedback. It minimizes development expenses and provides usability control before engineering works. Thus, iterations become less vulnerable to expenses and additional amendments.
Step 5 – testing in the UX design process
The testing phase is initiated to validate design solutions and get approval from real users. It enables designers to forecast product deficiencies and identify ways to improve potential usability.
Usability testing methods
Testing methods are diverse, so the choice depends on the required indicators and final outcome. Test results are manifested in the user behavior and performance expectations rates. The most widespread methods applied are:
- moderated testing (evaluation of the product in a real time)
- remote usability testing (testing from diverse locations)
- A/B testing (comparison of two versions of a product)
- guerrilla testing (testing on public strangers)
Gathering feedback to improve stages in UX design process
Gathering feedback is vital as it helps anticipate errors, user confusion, and reveal unmet user expectations. Hidden usability issues can be easily highlighted and subsequently reduced during the period of feedback collection.
Iteration as a core part of ux
Iteration is the process of product refining in the long run as a result of repeated testing and continuous feedback, leading to improvement. This part of the UX design process presupposes evaluation of user interactions, adjustment of layouts, and functionality based on user expectations and previous experience.
Step 6 – implementation in the ux and ui design process
The implementation phase is characterized by a transition from ideas to fulfillment driven by stable opinions, evidence, intuition, and previous experience. Teams gather evidence to implement user-friendly and user-oriented solutions.
Designer–developer collaboration
The UX design process requires stable collaboration between all team members. It ensures preservation of design intent and prevents possible inconsistencies. Collaboration leads to improved usability manifested in the measurable business outcomes, revealing the rate of customer satisfaction, retention indexes, and others.
Maintaining ux quality during development
Maintenance of quality is pivotal at each stage. Intobi implements QA tests and correspondence to usability standards to ensure paramount quality. The development period requires stable quality control to substantiate possible issues.
Design systems in the UI and UX design
Design systems are applied to offer the required number of reusable components. Their well-grounded implementation certifies consistency, scalability, and availability of options.
Measuring success after the design process
Design process is the starting point of a new product, entailing implementation of various measures to evaluate success and potential risks that may occur in the future. Evaluating success may reveal the most effective solutions being offered. As a result, usability is improved by highlighting the most successful ideas and decisions.
Ux metrics and KPIs to track
The most frequently used key metrics are:
- task success percentage
- time on task
- alteration rate
- retention rate
- attrition rate
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Continuous improvement in the UX design process
Improvement in the design process is based on a multifaceted approach. It includes feedback collection, post-launch testing, and collaboration with users, as a result of which designers may pave the way for improvements and increase user friendliness.
Evolving steps of ux after launch
The goal of the post-launch UX processes is to prioritize features and clarify the most effective features of the product after the processes of management and engineering. It helps anticipate possible issues and lay the foundation for future projects.
Common mistakes in ux design
There are common mistakes in the user experience design process. They are connected with the deficient information, poor visual effects, and poorly translated data, which leads to ineffectively developed solutions and unclear product ideas.
If an unmistakable ux solution is required, Intobi experts are at your disposal.
Skipping research in the ux process
Skipping research in the UX design steps may cause loss of substantial information. It may result in insufficient raw data and negligence of the most significant use needs.
Treating ux steps as linear instead of iterative
UX is a cyclical process. Due to such a cyclical approach, it becomes iterative, able to provide users with products that can meet their expectations and align with business objectives. Treating it as a linear model may underrate vital user requirements.
Ignoring the ui in the ux ui design process
Unlike visual design, the UX one is not about pure aesthetics, but about the way the product works and creates opportunities. However, UI creates a comfortable visual design that facilitates use flows.
Final thoughts on the UX design process
Overall, the UX design process enables businesses to offer user-friendly solutions and provide a positive user experience. Whatever product is being developed, be it a mobile app, website, or even a SaaS platform, focus on the UX methodologies and strict rigidity in stages, decision-making, and idea validation ensure effective full-scale development.
Feel free to contact our team to get ux design solutions for your business.
FAQ
A problem-solving approach based on the research data, ideas, and testing is a design process. UX design stages are problem definition, insight collection, idea presentation, prototyping, and results assessment. Feedback is a basis for iteration, helping designers to offer user-centered ideas.
Ideation is important due to its ability to encourage diverse thinking and offer various solutions based on the factors that go beyond the traditional vision. The generation of numerous concepts helps teams to uncover inventive directions and forecast risks. Ideation inspires creativity and collaboration.
Usability of the design measures how easily and effectively users interact with the product and what flaws the product has. It highlights simplicity and clarity of use, focusing on areas that are confusing and frustrating. Usability ensures satisfaction, reduces deficiencies, and boosts positive experience.
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