Getting It Done
How it looks from start to finish.
research first
It's important to me that before any project begins proper research is done. Research comes in many forms for a designer. It is conducted at a variety of stages throughout the project, and serves a different, yet equally important purpose. Before any design decisions are made, it is important to get a full scope of the problems we're looking to solve, and research is that first step.
The research includes talking to key stakeholders associated with the project, key audience members that frequently interact with the product, competitive analysis's and general design aesthetic research.
The end goal for the research is to have a solid list of competitors and market research analyzing what is working and not working in the related industry. Following that with the pain-points of current-users, and marketing members not meeting performance goals and good design aesthetics makes for a great list to begin conceptualizing and getting things on paper.
I talk more about my approach to research in a blog I wrote for Third & Grove, you can find it on their website.
Conceptualizing
Moodboards make the world go round.
sketch it out
I've always found it easier to visualize a concept just by getting a basic sketch in front of me. The irony of being a digital-focused professional, and relying so heavily on a pen and paper is rather interesting, but there is something comforting about just hashing it out on a piece of paper, or on a white board.
Gathering a list of ideas with sticky-notes, printed references from other sources, and a general outline of content needs is where it all begins.
The ability to take these items and shift them around and through trial and error make a scenario that works as an outline before going digital is a good way to eliminate some micro-issues within whatever program is being used.
peer input
I find it much easier to bring other people into this process at this stage as well. Grabbing a teammates opinion from the very beginning to analyze my thoughts so it's not just one brain thinking about the direction of the project is essential to the growth of the design.
Wireframes & PRototypes
Wireframes to ideate and highlight action.
prototyping wires
A wireframe is the outline of a design system. It helps establish the component library early in the process, identify any content gaps or areas of concern, and ensures all content is accounted for in the templates being created.
I build wireframes in a hybrid collaborative environment. To me what this looks like is creating a first draft, obtaining internal input, and then putting in front of a client for a working session to make live edits and tweaks to the wireframes that allow us to trial and error efficiently and with as many people in the room as possible.
hand-off documentation
Strategy plays an integral role in the wireframe phase. The reasoning and purpose for the decisions made throughout the process are integral to designers and developers working on the project as well. This is where documentation comes into play. Ensuring that it is understood what is a client-request, what is a compliance guideline, what is a usability best practice, and what is up for recommendations and debate are integral to efficiency.
design
Depending on the project, I've used a variety of tools to design for the web. I've worked within Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, and Figma. My favorite tool though, is Webflow. Using my knowledge of HTML/CSS to create projects that are immediately responsive and in the browser to show the client really accelerates their understanding of how a design is going to be implemented across various platforms. Wherever possible, using an in-medium design strategy has been the most successful for my live-working session approach to collaborative design.