UX processes that give good results
There are so many UX process examples out there. A Google search on “UX process” leads to a massive set of examples with visualizations (and 110 000 results on Google, if you search for the exact term, including the quotation marks).
Like… really? How many ways are there to define the work we do exactly?
So… where do you start? How do you know if you follow a good process or not? In this article I will share my favorite UX design processes and why I like them. Having said that, there is no silver bullet. If you already have a design process that works for you, great! Having a strong process is one way to ensure product quality. But there are so many more factors to project success.
First, define project success
The Standish Group produces some great reports on what determines project success. As an example, “User involvement” is one of the top 3 contributors to a successful project:
So while a process is important, you need to ensure you work with great people, have support from executives in your organization and involve users early on! I believe that a strong UX process is a fundamental building block to any successful project.
Then, find UX processes that inspire you
Here are some of my favorite design processes that I have used (either consciously or subconsciously) in the past.
Design Thinking process from IDEO
Why I like the Design Thinking process:
- Design thinking is great and simple to articulate to others.
- The process itself feels very intuitive.
- The process can be applied to many more things than just UX design.
Drawback of the Design Thinking process:
- The process may be a bit too vague at a glance, if you try to connect each step in the process to various UX methodologies and tools used.
The (revamped) Double Diamond UX process
Dan Nessler created a really good foundation of a UX process in this article. I especially appreciate that Dan decided to do a new iteration of his UX process!
Why I like the Double Diamond UX process:
- It is very detailed!
- You can follow the process step by step and come up with a very solid design.
Drawback of the Double Diamond UX process:
- The process may be a bit overwhelming at a first glance, so you may need to introduce the process to stakeholders step by step.
ISO 9241–210
Why I like ISO 9241–210:
- It is simple enough.
- It gets to the point (which is to have the user in the center of everything we as designers do).
Drawback of ISO 9241–210:
- It may be too simple and vague for someone new to user experience, and you may need to refer to the rest of the ISO standard as well.
Lean UX
Lean UX was coined by Jeff Gothelf. Lean UX is a process which reduces waste and maximizes value (similar to the original lean models, but applied to UX instead).
Why I like Lean UX:
- Lean UX focuses on providing value first.
- Lean UX focus you to iterate and learn from users very rapidly.
- Lean UX is more about outcomes (e.g. achieving business and user goals) and less about output (e.g. producing UX deliverables).
Drawback of Lean UX:
- You may find that Lean UX is difficult to implement in a large organization, as Lean UX implies that you have to break down a lot of organizational silos to succeed. On the other hand, if you succeed, Lean UX will have a massive impact.
This article provides a good overview on what Lean UX is and how to get started.
Design thinking + Lean UX + Agile?
There is some debate on how to best apply and combine design thinking, lean UX and agile. Many great articles have been written about the same as well! I personally like this article by Geert Claes, who provides a sound and balanced overview of all these processes. I agree with Geert that it really depends on which phase your business is in, and how well you have validated your business model.
Finally, pick a UX process YOU like!
I use a very simplified UX process for myself:
Yes, my UX process looks linear, but in fact this outline just shows the overall phases I need to go through. I have to make sure I invest in all of these phases during each UX project, regardless of the clients’ budget. This is important to achieve quality. For instance, if it’s a smaller budget or time frame I may perform desk research only. If the budget is bigger I’ll go for interviews, contextual inquiries and so on. It all depends on the clients’ budget, the project scope and the project time frame. Since I know development, I may also go a bit further and actually develop the software myself.
- You can read another example of how I apply this design process in this case study.
- You can read more information about my design process in the Medium article called “So you want to be a UX designer…”.
How do you know when your UX process is done?
I’ve written a full article on how to know when your design process is done. The article includes a 14-point checklist to consider.
Bonus: How the UX process actually feels like
Despite all the great UX processes that look very well structured, neat and so on… I find that the UX process (and most creative processes really) tend to go something like this:
So how do I know when to pick one design method, “design play”, design tool or another? Well, I’ve learned from experience. There are so many playbooks, strategies etc around the UX design process. In the end, I think you need to go through a couple of UX projects yourself to truly learn what it means to be a UX designer. And the best way is to start doing that now. Improve your portfolio, create personal projects and make an impact in the world! :)
