The meetings and deliverables will vary with the size, scope, and resources of each project, but the attention to detail and the focus on the user is always the same.
A kickoff collaboration session with stakeholders is always a great way to begin a project. Keeping a light atmosphere to share ideas and collaborate is key. My goal is to come away from this session with a clear understanding of the project, prioritized features, and solid next steps. Exercises like whiteboard sketching and card sorting are great ways to get things started. This group collaboration makes everything a bit easier as we iterate and negotiate through the design process. Every project has a unique set of challenges, constraints, and resources; so the sessions will produce a varied set of deliverables.
We take everything we’ve learned and put it together in a prototype medium. I always advocate for the lightest format at this stage. The goal is to quickly put a prototype in front users and stakeholders; get valuable feedback and iterate.
User testing, customer feedback, and data-driven analysis (like page click analytics and customer surveys) can lead to new ideas for improvement and highlight trouble spots in the experience
