The role of the user experience designer
is to illuminate an easy path to success
About Me
As a UX Designer and Information Architect, I provide guidance & expertise throughout the UX Design process for software, financial tech, cybersecurity, cloud, networking, news media, communications, publishing, small business, retail, & educational organizations.
As a creative problem solver, I have created and improved user experiences for complex B2B & B2C tools, enterprise applications, consumer sites, E-commerce stores, B2B support centers, financial tools, VPN tools, & mobile apps.
I aspire to simplify the complex and guide and delight users with intuitive designs and easy to use products and applications.
What I Do
my design process
An ideal UX Design process provides comprehensive knowledge of the end users of any tool or application, a clear understanding of business goals and objectives, project time-line and roadmap, as well as the technical capabilities of the platform and team resources.
The graphic above illustrates the steps of the UX Design process that align with common SDL product and software development lifecycles, and design thinking methodologies.
I prefer to view the steps as fluid as changes and iterations to plans and designs are inherent in product design. UX design is a critical role in the early phases of product development.
Understanding what problem needs to be solved
is precedent to a proper solution.
Discovery & Research
Understanding users, their needs, attitudes, behaviors, experience, and expectations are key objectives during the discovery and research phases of any UX design project.
My experience in this critical phase includes:
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User and stakeholder Interviews
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Contextual inquiries or field studies
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Persona development
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Analysis of survey results and market data
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Heuristic Analysis of current applications
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Competitor reviews
conceive & strategize
Armed with data and analysis, with an understanding of business objectives for defined audiences and users, we can begin to iterate on concepts and strategize on solutions to identified requirements to develop to achieve success.
A key goal is also to clarify stakeholders needs and priorities along with those of end users and assure these align with technical capabilities of the development platform.
Responsibilities of the UX designer include-
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Refine business objectives & goals, product features, clarify priorities
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Create mental models to communicate concepts that will drive UX designs
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Identify and diagram user journeys
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Determine and diagram task flows to determine steps user may perform to complete tasks
DEFINE & DOCUMENT
In parallel to strategizing a design direction and outlining plans, is the documentation of product feature requirements along with the priorities for both the business owners and the intended audiences for a digital product, software application or mobile app.
To demonstrate the validity of a proposed UX design strategy the design teams will-
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Summarize findings of brainstorming, white board sessions
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Document product and feature requirements
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Determine content strategies and taxonomies
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Define information architectures and application site maps
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Delineate product or application navigation
Design & Refine
As the design strategy is finalized the UX designer begins to produce layouts of UI screens starting with low fidelity wireframes to illustrate what elements need to be considered for each screen of an application or online site or tool.
As the design evolves high fidelity wire frames or design comps can be generated applying a visual design system that exists or the designer may devise the visual design for the product.
Dynamic prototypes are created to simulate features and application actions and tasks users will perform.
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Low fidelity wire frames
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High fidelity wire frames
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Design Mockups
- Style Guides
- Design Assets, images, icons
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Dynamic Prototypes
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UI Specifications
