9 tips from TheyMakeDesign editors

1. Use role-play

A bit of role-play can create the space for inspiration. Take a step away from your projects, and pretend you are a user. Think about what would make you excited and pleased to use a website or an application. Think about the frustrations you have experienced. Think about what appeals and why others are skeptical or afraid. Think about the memes you have seen that relate to a potential design. Once you have teased the ideas out, you can look at them. See if some ideas from different perspectives add more value. You can either take one idea and do more research on it or come up with a few different ideas to take to your next meeting.

2. Look at the bigger picture

Let’s say you are designing an add-on for an existing product. It is a small application that functions in one place. You are designing an additional button on the sidebar called “extended features” that will add a sub-menu to that page. You are thinking about the UX for this button, but you know a few times that it will get buried beneath other links and menus. Wanting to get focus on this feature, you meet with the product owner who is excited about the extended features button you are designing. It gets buried in menus.

3. Embrace the uncertainty

Being uncertain is the natural state of design. Tony Faulds (design guru) has a great way of defining this.

Our job as UX designers is to embrace uncertainty, much as the river embraces the landscape. We should always know where we are heading and the purpose of the journey, but we should maintain flexibility.

Even though you have a plan for your project, you are going to have to let go at a few points, like when there is disagreement or when you are in the middle of something that doesn’t quite fit. If you can get your mindset working towards uncertainty, you will be able to have greater impact in your designs.

4. User and stakeholder interviews

If you feel stuck in your design process, a discussion with potential users and stakeholders can provide valuable insights and direction. Take the time to ask the appropriate questions and you will be better able to understand the vision for the project and the goals and expectations for new features. As a result, the points in the next tip will be clearer and more useful.

5. Have a concept to develop from the beginning

When you’re ready to develop some designs, take a few extra moments to help define the vision, goals and expectations for the project . As a result of doing this, the points in #4 will be clearer and more useful.

6. Think about the users

Users drive the design process. As Edward De Bono says, you need to “think about the person who will be using this. . . and design a solution from their point of view.”

7. Consider the purpose of the site or application

The first step in designing is to think about what the finished product will look and feel like. As an example, think about your favorite site or application and then ask yourself what you got out of your last visit. (diagonally measure your project scope with user’s actions)

8. Know the constraints

There are some constraints your design process can experience. The technology you are working with, designers available, and the scope the rest of the stakeholders have all affect the design. Before you start designing, ask these 3 questions “What constraints are we working with?” “What are we not constrained by?” “What could we add to the process that would be beneficial?”

9. Define your approach

When you are ready to take an approach to designing you want to do, think about the core assumptions you want to make.

Conclusion thoughts

Sometimes, it’s good to take a step back to clarify the thoughts in our head.

I hope these 9 tips help you develop a better process for designing. If you have any tips of your own that you would like to share I would love to hear from you! Please email them to me at [email protected].