Design
With strategy and planning complete, visual design work can begin. Some strategic tasks and refinement of our ideas may also take place during this phase.
Capture opportunities for future iteration and enhancements
Time and budget constraints can often mean valuable things need to be descoped. These opportunities should be logged so that it’s easy for teams and clients to revisit them in the future.
DM / CP*
Champion the user in discussions with stakeholders
Amplify the voices of users and ensure their experiences are centred in the decision making process.
DM / CP*
Link decisions and priorities back to the vision and objectives
Ensure the team and stakeholders are clear on how our work contributes to shared goals and meaningful objectives.
DM / CP*
Facilitate regular check-ins Bring the team together, discuss progress, plan for work ahead and help to remove any blockers.
DM* / CP
Learn more about users’ needs and journeys
Develop further understanding about what users need from the product or service. Help the team understand how they can have the biggest impact on users by identifying pain points, opportunities and challenges.
User Researcher
Identify research objectives to test in the build phase
Identify research gaps and make recommendations for further research based on relative risk and confidence. This includes identifying areas for testing, the research methods that may be used and areas for further experimentation.
User Researcher
Share recommendations with designers
Help designers understand what users’ expectations are and what functional tasks need to be supported by whatever the team designs and builds. This ensures designs are user-centered and helps us make informed decisions.
User Researcher
Address the key user needs and challenges relating to the project
Prioritise user needs and balance them against key organisational requirements to produce validated UI solutions.
Interaction Designer
Ensure brand identity is reflected in the product
Work with key stakeholders and the product team to make sure the brand identity is clearly reflected within the final designs.
Interaction Designer
Produce a comprehensive design guide
A guide that documents UI foundations, component and template specifications for use in development.
Interaction Designer
Create or refine content
Draft content, microcopy and UI copy in line with the content creation plan.
Content Designer
Define page types
Work collaboratively to define and document the pages types needed and their components.
Content Designer Information Architect Tech Lead
Review content
Ensure designs, content, microcopy and navigation reflect best practices and follow the style guide.
Content Designer
Review UI design
Regularly review of the proposed UI solution and provide technical feedback around feasibility.
Tech Lead
Produce technical architecture and hosting infrastructure designs
Ensure the tech and systems teams have a clear understanding of the technical architecture. Allowing them to be accountable for building, developing and maintaining the infrastructure.
Tech Lead
Conduct further testing and iterate designs
Run further testing on ways of organising, structuring and labelling content and use these insights to adapt designs.
Information Architect
Recommended
Design critique
Champion the user, evaluate feasibility and surface opportunities for collaboration within the team. Constructive critique creates the space for designers to test ideas and share their thinking, helping us raise the bar.
CP or DM / HCD Lead / Tech Lead
Test content with users and iterate
Run content testing with users and refine content based on feedback.
Content Designer
Develop content patterns
Create content patterns to help ensure consistency when producing content.
Content Designer
Produce high-level technical design
Ensure the biggest technical challenges are well understood by focusing on technical designs for the riskiest and most important parts of the project.
Tech Lead / Systems Engineer
Begin functional and field specification documents
On some projects this may be important to derisk the project, make it easier to set the expectations with the product owner and ensure mutual understanding.
Tech Lead
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