My Process
I always strive for an iterative and collaborative design process. My goal is to consistently deliver designs that drive business value while maintaining alignment across the team and stakeholders.
Steps to Execution*
Understand
Iterate
Validate
Deliver
Rinse and repeat
*Modify as needed — every project is unique and requires flexibility
Establish a Goal
Every project should start with a measurable end goal in mind to direct progress. If a clear goal is not agreed upon there will be wasted time, duplicated effort, and misalignment.
Understand
I always begin a project by developing a deep understanding of the product, users, and market I am designing for. Knowing exactly where a product falls short or stands out is essential to developing clear design priorities and strategy. Learning potential risks and limitations early on also helps prevent wasted effort down the line and establishes good alignment with product strategy and engineering.
Iterate
Iteration is where research starts to become reality. As a designer I try to explore every avenue and make sure we are delivering the most value possible. Starting at a low fidelity and gradually narrowing in on high fidelity deliverables provides opportunity for more conversations with the team, helps direct design strategy, and allows for better prioritization of time and effort.
No design should happen in a black box. I am always aiming to be as collaborative as possible and make sure my work is shared so that everyone is able to understand and participate in design decisions.
Validate
User research should be a continual process throughout development of the product. I have done this in many different ways across a wide range of timelines and budgets, from massive AB testing platforms that allow for optimization of every change to simple unmoderated user testing that de-risk new concepts.
Validating designs with users provides more in depth understanding of how to deliver value to both them and the business and reduces risk when developing.
