A design process is the journey of a UI/UX designer from the problem to its solution & implementation.
Do you remember the time when as a kid, we had to follow long mathematical formulas just to reach an answer that would be as simple as 0 or 1. And we’d think, all that just to reach this?
But here’s the thing, to reach a simple answer for a complex problem often needs a carefully drawn formula or a process.
For designing eye-capturing digital products that connect with its users and help them complete their tasks, the procedure is no different. A streamlined design process helps the UI/UX designer craft experiences and interfaces so intuitive that using the product becomes as simple as 0 & 1.
How does a design process help UI/UX designers?
The design process gives a roadmap to all the members of a UI/UX design team. There are multiple ways a well-defined design process can help UX researchers, UI & UX designers, and even UX writers.
To list down, here are some major benefits of having a design process.
- It gives a direction to think, strategise, and create without waiting for external inspiration.
- Ensures seamless transitions between each step of the process & each design department (research, design, content, etc.).
- Allows you to keep the project on track so that creative changes don’t steer away from its goals.
Maintaining a well-organized design process ensures that the project is completed in due time.
Does Yellow Slice follow a design process?
The designers at Yellow Slice follow a 4-step design process that encompasses all the smaller processes and organises the working schedule. We call it the STEP process, short for each milestone, Soak, Think, Execute, & Proof.
The STEP process is a part of every project we undertake, regardless of whether it is for designing the product, testing its usability, or writing UX copies for it.
Understanding the STEP Design Process
As we mentioned earlier, STEP is an acronym to Soak, Think, Execute, and Proof. The four steps define the design process right from understanding the problem to implementing the solution & measuring impact.
Let’s dive deeper into each step of the design process.
Soak
Soak is the first step of the design process where the focus is on understanding the problem and the resources they will require to solve the problem.
In the first meeting with the client, the designers get to know what the client wants to achieve or what problems they are facing. This leads to an understanding of the scope of work required for the project.
Different aspects of the project are defined to comprehend the project better. These include,
- product understanding
- brand industry & competitors
- target audiences & users
- KPIs to measure
- Scope of work (UX research, UX design, UI design, Content requirements, etc.)
- Identifying the limitations
Once these aspects are defined, the designers get the necessary resources to strategize the action plan.
Think
This is the step where the research, analysis, and prototypes are created. Designers would strategise on creating and executing an intuitive user experience.
UX researchers help acquire additional user data using different research methodologies. They include interviews, focus groups, surveys, heuristic analysis, competitive benchmarking, live recorded sessions, user testing, and more.
Using this data, UX researchers map out the user personas to help the team better understand the target users, their motivations, frustrations, and goals.
The gathered data and its results help the UX designers to design different elements of the product. These include:
- User Journeys
- Task Flows
- Navigation & Sitemaps
- Layout
- UX Copies
And more.
Quality data ensures that the designs are in line with the project goals.
Execute
Execution is the step where the UI designs meet the UX designs. The wireframes are converted to prototypes for the client to make sense of the design.
These prototypes are then tested with real users to ensure the usability & accessibility of the design.
Based on the feedback from the test & the clients, designers make the iterations to improve the design. Once the designs are finalised, the process of development starts. The product is launched with all the UI & UX elements well in place.
Proof
To ensure that the design achieves its goals, the designers measure the KPI metrics against the benchmarks measured at the start of the project. These metrics may include:
- Web traffic
- Conversion rate
- Time spent on the platform
- User engagement
- User retention
- User adoption
- No. of generated support requests
- Bounce rates & churn rate
And more.
The aim is to achieve a positive change in these numbers.
Over time, regular design audits keep the product up-to-date and ensure that it performs consistently well over time.
STEP Design Process for Departments
It is imperative to know that the design process discussed earlier is the standard process required for completing any design process that requires the expertise of every department within a UI/UX design agency such as Yellow Slice.
However, this process is just as useful for department-specific projects.
Let’s see how.
STEP for UX Research
The STEP process for UX research goes as follows.
Soak
Here the UX research team understand the scope of work. This includes understanding what is the goal of conducting the research and what data will be required to take the project forward. Next, it collects data necessary for conducting the research such as target audience, product information, industry information, competitors, and more.
Think
Based on the collected data and the goal of UX research, the researchers frame an action plan. Here they decide which research methodology to employ for getting the best results. If the project goal is to redesign a product, then we conduct a UX audit of the existing product to identify gaps that hinder it from reaching its full potential.
Execute
With the research methodology & data required for conducting research in place, the researchers then execute their method to gain data from multiple sources like users, competitor analysis, stakeholder interviews, etc. A thorough evaluation of the results is done to draw meaningful insights & conclusions.
Proof
This is the last step of the process where a comprehensive report is prepared with research results, actionable insights, and data-driven recommendations for designing a new product or improving an existing one.
STEP for UI Design
UI Designers at Yellow Slice also follow the STEP process. It is as below.
Soak
Designers conduct an initial meeting with the client to understand their brand, its value, tone, colours & aesthetics, and how the client wants its product to look & feel. These meetings also allow designers to know the scope of UI design work needed in the project.
Think
Using the gathered data from the client, its competitors, and the research results, the UI team creates a mood board for the product. This suggests the theme of the product and how it should look & feel to its users.
Based on the mood board and the brand assets, font style and colour palette are decided. Furthermore, the mood board also inspires the icons, animations, and graphics on the platform.
Execute
The newly designed UI elements are added to the wireframes created by the UX designers to create prototypes. The prototypes are then tested with users and clients to gain feedback on their usability.
After iterations & design approvals, the design then goes to development and later is launched in the market.
Proof
After receiving the user feedback and client approvals, the design is sent for development so that the product can be launched in the market as soon as possible.
Over the period of a month after the launch, the KPIs are measured to see how effectively the design achieves the goals set for it.
Later on, the client can keep the UI fresh with regular UI/UX audits.
STEP for UX Writing
UX writing follows a very similar process as the other UI/UX processes, hence the STEP process works efficiently for the writer as well as the designers. It includes,
Soak
During the initial meeting with the client, a UX writer will try to understand the requirement of UX copies. This includes asking questions like:
- Who will be the target audience?
- Where will be the copies placed?
- What does the client want to achieve with UX writing?
And so on.
During this, the copywriters also look through the resources provided by the client, like the competitors, existing content, niche-related information, and much more.
Think
When all the necessary resources and information is gathered, the copywriter creates a content mood board which delineates the tone & voice of the content. This may include
- Competitor content analysis & insights
- Brand voice definition (professional, casual, elegant, simple, etc.)
- The tone of the content (Funny, serious, happy, excited, etc.)
- Niche-specific vocabulary
And more.
This mood board is then discussed with the clients for any additions or changes. Meanwhile, the writer also studies the sitemap & wireframes to understand how long each copy would be and which pages or screens require to be prioritised.
Execute
This is where the UX writer offers content suggestions for the client to approve the ones that match their idea the best. With the client’s approval on the UX copies, the content is then added to the UI screens and sent for development.
Proof
After the product is launched in the market, the KPIs are measured to see how effective the UX copies are in achieving its goals. If this is a redesign project, then the KPIs are measured against the previously benchmarked KPI metrics for the difference.
How STEP has Helped Yellow Slice
STEP is a design process created by the Yellow Slice designers to keep a track of the progress of their design project. Using the STEP design process the UI/UX designers could accomplish multiple things.
- Pre-plan the information needed from the client
- Benchmarking previous metrics
- Understanding the problem statement
- Strategising for solution
- Plan Implementation
- Recording proofs of design intervention & its results
It essentially helps a designer streamline their work to ensure nothing is left undone.
Endnote
Imagine a highway with signposts for every stage of the journey. That’s what a design process is for UI/UX designers. It’s the roadmap, guiding designers through the intricacies of crafting user-centric experiences that feel as effortless as counting 0 and 1.
So, how does this design process help UI/UX enthusiasts? It prevents creative chaos, fuels the strategies, streamlines the transitions, and keeps the project sailing smoothly toward its goal.
A well-organised design process grants us clarity, direction, and time management, culminating in the timely delivery of exceptional products. It’s the secret sauce behind the scenes – a recipe that Yellow Slice has perfected.
The signature STEP process – Soak, Think, Execute, Proof – is the heart of every project Yellow Slice embarks upon. Whether we’re shaping a product’s design, testing its user-friendliness, or crafting UX copies, STEP guides the designer’s journey.
Soak takes us deep into the problem, gathering resources and insights. Think lets research and analysis sprout into prototypes, forging the path of user experience. Execute sees the meeting of UX and UI designs, leading to tangible products. And Proof, the ultimate validation, gauges the impact of the designer’s efforts against the set benchmarks.
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FAQs About UX Design Process
What are the steps of the UX design process?
Different UI/UX design agencies follow different design processes. However, the essence remains the same. This includes
- Understanding the scope & gathering required information & data (Soak)
- Analysing & strategising the design action plan (Think)
- Creating, implementing, and launching the design (Execute)
- Measuring impact & iterations (Proof)
What is the UX design process?
The UI/UX design process is a systematic practice of solving a user’s problem using UI/UX methods to design immersive experiences & interfaces.
Who is the STEP design process helpful for?
The STEP design process is useful for every professional involved in designing a digital platform, whether it is a UX researcher, UI & UX designer, or UX writer.
Why is the STEP UI/UX design process important?
The UI/UX design process helps designers think and act based on the data and take a user-centred approach towards designing an experience or interface. Furthermore, it also ensures that the design aligns with the end goal without deviating to make the product launch faster in the market.
