How do you start a UX design project?

My UX Project process is like this: - Take problem - Validate problem - Research (qualitative and quantitative) - Analyze - Synthesis - Low-fi High-fi - Prototype - Test

Understanding user pain points drives innovation and impactful user experiences. Strategies include empathizing, observing, leveraging design thinking, using creative surveys and interviews, analyzing user data, fostering co-creation, staying informed about emerging trends, and promoting collaboration. Integrating these approaches uncovers insights, sparks innovation, and develops transformative solutions.

As much as I want to get to the user-centered part of the design, I always start by mapping out the project and getting to know my collaborators and their roles. It's important to know your colleagues and make sure you can establish a good connection with them. Only then you can count on their help and support for your upcoming UX endeavors.

In my experience with complex projects, this stage is about getting alignment early between product, UX, and development using shared knowledge. This can get messy, but I've never regretted starting an ad hoc conversation with a product manager asking about business goals, or getting notes from a developer about my new idea. We're all carrying around so much more info and context than we could communicate in any deliverable. By building relationships, a nuanced perspective can be your superpower.

Starting a UX design project involves several key steps to ensure a successful outcome. Here's a guide on how to begin a UX design project: Understand the Project Goals: Begin by gaining a clear understanding of the project's objectives and goals. This could involve meetings with stakeholders, clients, or project briefs. User Research: Identify the target audience and conduct user research. This helps in understanding user needs, behaviors, pain points, and preferences.

Always ask yourself (and be honest about it): 1. Is there a problem you are trying to solve? 2. Why is this a problem? 3. But do users see it as a problem? 4. How can you make it better for users? 5. What kind of impact do you hope to make in the society or industry by solving this problem?

A primeira coisa é entender em que ponto o projeto está, se vai começar do zero, se já existem usuário e problemas evidentes, quais problemas? Tenho dados disponíveis? E só então definir os métodos de pesquisa que serão utilizados

At times, during the problem definition phase, we may not have total clarity about the scope of the project. At such times, it is appropriate to carry out benchmarking of direct competitors. This allows us to understand the current state of the market and the trends it is heading towards. This practice helps us to chart a working path and identify unmet needs in the market. The key lies in how we interpret the information obtained.

Also, check if this project is starting from scratch or it’s an existing project. If it’s the latter ask around how did the solutions provided in the past help out to current state? What time usability testing done and/or data collected? I also check best practices from communities like UX was Here to see if I’m up to date with up to date best practices or not as well.

Embarking on a UX design project is akin to setting sail, and the first compass point is defining the problem. In my experience, this involves engaging with stakeholders, conducting immersive sessions, and distilling insights into a clear problem statement. By aligning perspectives and understanding the users' pain points, we set the foundation for a design solution that truly addresses the needs at hand.

In my experience, UX design steps can overlap. I often introduce prototypes in the research phase to articulate novel solutions from other sectors. These early prototypes help stakeholders grasp abstract ideas more tangibly. It's also worth noting that users don't always identify all problems; sometimes an external viewpoint is needed to spot overlooked gaps. A flexible approach that allows early prototyping can be invaluable.

Research is the compass that guides the ship through uncharted waters. Extensive market research, user interviews, and competitor analysis shape the contours of our design landscape. Creating user personas provides a human touch to the data, enabling us to empathize with the end-users. This phase not only illuminates the challenges but also identifies opportunities, steering the project in a direction deeply rooted in user understanding.

For this session, I recommend using the Crazy 8s workshop. Crazy 8s is a workshop when you fold a piece of A4 paper 3 times, and ending up with 8 sections. And then, set a 1 minute timer and write/sketch your craziest idea in one section. It can be a feature, design, idea, whatever! But, use your room wisely. Now, do in 8 time for each section and hooray! You got 8 new ideas to develop in 8 minutes!

The creative phase is where the project sets sail with the wind of imagination. Collaborative brainstorming sessions bring together diverse perspectives, sparking ideas that might not emerge in isolation. From post-it notes to digital whiteboards, the ideation process is dynamic and inclusive. This is the time when we let creativity flow freely, exploring design possibilities that could shape the user experience in innovative ways.

Prototypes are a great way to test your designs before sending them to developers and real users. Designers can use Figma to create interactive prototypes and simply share a link with participants. They can open that link on their mobile phone using the Figma App. It helps companies to save time and money. After the prototype testing, you can iterate your designs or flows accordingly. Then repeat the same process if participants arrive not satisfied. Once satisfied, you can send the designs to development.

Interactive prototypes are the most effective deliverables for presenting UX design ideas. Choosing the right fidelity level depends on the design phase: - low-fidelity prototypes (or interactive wireframes) are created in the early design stage for gathering feedback and comparing different design concepts - high-fidelity prototypes (or interactive mockups) are created in later stages to test usability and define the UI and UX details for the developer teams Creating only static wireframes/mockups with descriptions of the interactions isn't comparable to the clarity of an interactive prototype.

Prototyping is the moment when the ship's design starts to materialize on the horizon. Translating ideas into tangible prototypes involves wireframing and building low-fidelity representations of the user interface. These prototypes serve as tangible artifacts, allowing us to visualize the user journey. They also become invaluable tools for gathering early feedback, ensuring that our design aligns with stakeholder expectations and user needs.

The product design is never complete or over, as it needs continuous iteration and it keeps on evolving with time. The taste of the user never remains the same, nor the choices. So a designer needs to keep taking feedback from time to time to improve the designs.

It is essential to understand that any User Experience (UX) project must be user-centric. All these stages will help us to comprehensively approach a UX project. However, we should not be afraid to backtrack at any of the stages if necessary, since in the end what really matters is that the result is a usable and memorable product for users.