Design
During the design phase, we focus on data from the user research to suggest potential designs, involving target users as early and as often as possible.
Information Architecture
Let’s start by defining information architecture. It structures and prioritises website content, or it simulates screen logic models based on different user scenarios (“wireflows”) for app content.
We will use a number of tools which will allow us to also collect both qualitive and quantitative data from users. Card sorting tells us about the ways in which users organise themselves and the content categories required for a website. For example, the sitemap test allows us to assess the importance of a navigation system at several different levels.
Benefits
- Check the understanding and logic of each key stage and process
- Structure has been tried and tested users, not based on past assumptions
- Content is structured in a way which matches the thought process of your customers
Delivrables
- Sitemap
- Wireflows: a diagram of streams connecting the mock-ups, allowing you to visualise the user journey.
Static Modelling & Storyboarding
When using a digital product, users permanently interact with a system (human-machine dialogue). This is the dialogue that needs to be modelled.
Modelling and storyboarding are used early in the design stage to come up with design solutions and quickly test them out.
Static modelling or wireframing means progressively building screens starting with structuring components and listing them bit by bit. We check each development stage in an iterative way, by getting the project team to sign it off and through user testing.
“Storyboarding” is one of the methods that allows us to present the relationship between the user and the system: This includes presenting the user experience visually.
We tell a story through a sequence where the characters are system users. It allows you to bring the concept to life, to help understanding and increase engagement in all parties. This method uses classic techniques for visual communication and image arts (Cinema, comic strip, video game).
Benefits
- Inspires co-creativity by encouraging everyone involved in the project to take part
- Facilitates communication by sharing a common vision
- Saves time and cost, whilst reducing margin for error
Deliverables
- Storyboard
Interactive Prototyping
“It’s about experience!” Interactive prototyping aims to simulate the interactions between users and the interface as we imagine once the product is finished. As it’s only a simulation, no development is necessary: you can give the impression that the product is really working, within a short amount of time. This will allow you to complete very detailed user testing and evaluate the quality of the user experience.
Benefits
- Put forth a model of the final product, early on in the project
- Allows graphical, technical, marketing, business teams to estimate their contribution to the project
- Provide graphical design and development teams with a functionable deliverable, in addition to a specification document (explaining less, but showing more).
Deliverables
- An interactive prototype in which the number of screens depends on the scope of the project
- Online access to the prototype as well as a downloadable version
- A functional specification document (optional)
Graphic design
Graphic design is a visual communications process which is part of the typography, visual composition, UI elements, iconography, illustrations and photography. It takes the style guide and values of the brand into account. In our projects, artistic and graphical directors must also act in conformity to the advice and ergonomic recommendations outlined earlier by the UX designer and must work closely with them.
Benefits
- It’s emotional, bringing it to life and creating a connection with your users
- It’s coherent, continuing work on this part allows us to be sure that no further ergonomic changes will be made during this phase
- It’s personalised, putting your brand at the heart of the project
Deliverables
- PSD or IA graphic mock-ups
- Style guide
- Graphic charter
Creating an MVP
An MVP (“Minimum Valuable Product”) is a product design process or service based on the Lean method (Lean Startup Method). It’s important to focus on the product’s key functionalities at the start, which are then presented to target customers, to quickly check the assumptions. The development time is reduced and we can quickly check if the economic model is viable. We correct problems and repeat the test cycle so that the product doesn’t have to be adapted by the final users.
Benefits
- It’s effective, when you see users’ reactions you’ll immediately see if your product offer is suitable for them or not
- It’s practical, instead of indefinitely discussing what you’ll do, you construct, evaluate and learn.
- It’s quick, the aim is to learn as quickly as possible and not to build the perfect product from the start.
Deliverables
- A prototype that is ready to be used by your users
- Ergonomic and technical specifications
Which challenge are you trying to solve now?
Select the most appropriate need:
- I need to create new concepts and test them out regularly
- I need to completely re-think my product and/or service
- I need to explore new horizons
Not finding the need that fits you?
Get in touch and we will advise you to understand better your needs.
Contact usDo you want to discover other domains?
