PROCESS
THE DESIGN THINKING PROCESS
I design at the intersection of user needs, business goals, and technical constraints by leveraging the design thinking process.
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."
~ Albert Einstein
Design thinking is both an ideology and a non-linear and iterative process that enables teams to solve complex problems in a highly user-centric way. While it's similar to user-centered design, it also takes into account the business and technology goals in order to ensure solutions are desirable for users, economically viable for the business, and technically feasible.
The "triple diamond" approach to design thinking combines UX and product strategy, design thinking, user-centered design, and agile development. Like all processes, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The activities and deliverables employed will depend on the type and scope of the problem you are trying solve, the team that is working on the solution, and the overall project timeline.
"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."
~ Sun Tzu
UX STRATEGY
A UX strategy is a user-centered action plan that enables a team to create a new product, or improve an existing product, over time. UX strategies focus on the user experience but are part of the broader product strategy and grounded in the business vision and goals. They also take into account technical constraints and may help achieve technical goals.
Components of a UX Strategy
There are three core components to a UX Strategy: the vision, goals, and plan.
Pieces of a Bigger Puzzle
UX strategy is informed by, and informs, the business vision and goals, the product strategy, the brand, and the technical goals and constraints. All the pieces work together.
UX Strategy Process
Although the process used to develop a UX Strategy can vary, a typical process with corresponding activities and outcomes is shown below:
A MILLION OTHER PROCESSES...
Lean, agile, waterfall, agile-fall, startup, Kanban, hot-potato, rapid-iterative, get-it-done...they all come down to communicating responsibilities, activities, and deliverables within a team environment. In the absence of a formalized process, I've found that transparency and communication are key to keeping teams happy, productive, and efficient.