The Stakeholder Interview: A Critical Step in the UX Design Process

Discovery phase — UX process

As Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” The same can be said for the UX design process, where stakeholder interviews play a critical role in ensuring that the final product meets the needs of both the users and the stakeholders.

Stakeholder interviews, the often-overlooked step in the UX design process, can make or break the success of a project. According to a study by Forrester, involving stakeholders early in the design process can increase project success by over 30%.

what is discovery in the UX design process?

In brief, the Discovery phase in the UX design process is the first step in creating a digital product. It is where the design team gathers information about the product vision, goals, and requirements. The goal is to understand the user needs, pain points, and objectives of the stakeholders, which will guide the design team in creating a user-centered product. The discovery phase includes activities such as stakeholder interviews, user interviews, surveys, focus groups, and UX research to gather information and insights.

What are the discovery phase deliverables?

The outcome of this phase is a clear understanding of the problem that the product is trying to solve and the user’s needs, which will be used to guide the next phase in the UX design process.

The Discovery phase in the UX design process typically involves several key activities to gather information and insights about the product and its users. These can include:

1. Stakeholder Interviews: Interview stakeholders such as product owners, managers, and other team members to understand their goals, expectations, and desired outcomes for the product.
2. User Interviews: Talk to potential users of the product to gather insights into their needs, pain points, and preferences.
3. Surveys: Surveys can be used to gather data from a large number of users, which can be useful in identifying patterns and trends.
4. Focus Groups: A focus group is a small group of people brought together to discuss a particular topic. This can be a great way to gather qualitative data and get a sense of how users feel about a product.
5. UX Research: This can include user testing, heuristic evaluations, usability testing, and other methods to gather insights about the product from the user's point of view.
6. Analyzing data: After collecting data from different sources, it is important to analyze and interpret it to get a clear understanding of the problems and opportunities for the product.

The process usually starts by identifying the research questions, then selecting the appropriate methods for data collection, conducting the research, analyzing the data, and creating a report of findings and recommendations.

Closing Words

With the power of stakeholder interviews, user research, and data analysis, the Discovery phase in the UX design process set the stage for a successful, user-centered product. By putting the user at the center of the design process, we can ensure that the final product meets their needs and exceeds their expectations.”

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about user experience design, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or Instagram . You can also check out my portfolio website [On behance] for more examples of my work. I look forward to connecting with you!