What is “YOUR” UX Process?
So, I was searching for possible questions for a UX Designer applicant since this month will be OUR month of sending CVs and accepting interviews and so on. And then I realized, what if they ask me about “THE UX Process”? And I remember how I was debating my inner self -way before when we were discussing.
It’s that “Does the UX process that was given to us actually applicable to every designer?” So I searched for UX process, and dang it…
There are just too many...
You’ll be overwhelmed by which one is the actual process that works. There are 8 stages, some will give you 6 or 4 …
But first of all, understanding how it works is the key to knowing your UX process. Too many terminologies were being used but I don’t think it should be memorized, but somehow experienced. So, In order for me to totally understand each phase was to go through several UX Design processes. Either a big or small project will matter.
Upon reviewing how to answer, I just thought about what is my own process. And technically I answered it based on my own experience.
And YES! UX process depends on your experience. The details of the UX process you will provide will depend on a number of factors that you encountered. First, is the project, then the client/stakeholder, the budget, the deadlines, the experience level, and… I believe there will be countless factors that will surely matter.
As simple as how the process is, first we’re gonna use a simple term to explain it to your interviewer. Understand that the UX process is also repetitive (but indicate at what point in the process you will have to iterate most)
So, based on my projects, my process looks just like this:
Pretty self-explanatory, right?
I started with, of course, Discovery, or the research phase where we get to meet the problem and concept and lay out all the possible foundations of the project. Then we proceed with Define, or basically the analysis stage where we draw insights from data collected during the Research phase.
Design is where you still collaborate with the team through wireframes (low to high fidelity), prototypes, create graphic identity, branding or visual details and etc. Aside from the outer layer of repetition, here we will create another loop until perfected. I mean, the Design > Deploy > and Testing.
Once we are ready to present the production or project, this is the phase where we deliver. But as mentioned, there will still be feedback on this end that will allow us to repeat, update or upgrade, whether it be on the content, changes with the business process, preference on the high fidelity design, and other possible reasons that might still arise.
As mentioned above, this process is very iterative — there are a lot of back-and-forths. And as the UX Designer learns more about the problem being solved then it may still be necessary to revisit some of the research undertaken and get additional user feedback, as well as try out new ideas.
So what about you, what is YOUR UX process?
Lots of love~
