When I start a design project, the process that I follow is described by the Nielsen Norman Group in their Design Thinking 101 article.
It is a user-centered process that starts with user data, creates design artifacts that address real and not imaginary user needs, and then tests those artifacts with real users.
This process consists of 3 flows:
understand explore materialize
Further defined by 6 phases:
- empathize
Conduct research in order to develop an understanding of your users. - define
Combine all your research and observe where your users’ problems exist. - ideate
Generate a range of crazy, creative ideas. - prototype
Build real, tactile representations for a subset of your ideas. - test
Return to your users for feedback. - implement
Put the vision into effect.
One important takeaway from this process is that it encourages flexibility and iteration through the phases, repeating as needed. It is not a rigid set of steps to follow.
