Estimating something that is very variable in time can be super challenging. Since UX is not a fixed and linear process you tend to iterate over multiple designs over time. So how do you estimate a User eXperience (UX) project? And what should you say to a potential client of yours that ask “how much will it cost”?
Define common ballpark estimates for typical UX activities
Ideally, base these estimates on historical data. As an example, here are some typical activities that I have:
- Kickoff meeting — 2 hours
- User interviews — 1.5 to 2 hours per interview
- Go through and structure notes from interview — 0.5 days
- …
I’ve recently had the possibility to run a set of UX design workshops. In this article I’ll share my experiences and how you can avoid some of the design workshop mistakes I have done in the past.
What is a UX design workshop and why do you need one?
A UX design workshop is a good way to kickoff a design project. Since design work is never done in complete isolation, you first need feedback from multiple disciplines and areas (e.g. business angle, user angle, technical angle). Then, as a designer, you need to balance this input to create the best experience possible, while at the same time considering limitations and tradeoffs.
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There are so many UX process examples out there. A Google search on “UX process” leads to a massive set of examples with visualizations (and 110 000 results on Google, if you search for the exact term, including the quotation marks).
Like… really? How many ways are there to define the work we do exactly?
So… where do you start? How do you know if you follow a good process or not? In this article I will share my favorite UX design processes and why I like them. Having said that, there is no silver bullet. If you already have…
You have probably heard the term UX or User eXperience many times. But what does UX mean exactly? In this article I provide an overview of the history of UX, what UX is (and is NOT), what aspects you need to consider when you work with UX, and the state of UX today.
The history of UX
Donald Norman was the one that coined the term “user experience” back in 1995. However, I’d say there is a lot more to the history of user experience if we look back. …
In this article I discuss the best animation software that I have come across for UX & UI designers. I hope this article will save you some time!
Summary
For interactive prototypes which include animations:
For UI animations purely for presentation (e.g. as an animated gif or .mov):
Tools for interactive prototypes which include animations
Axure
Axure is an option if you require complex & dynamic prototypes (e.g. highly functional prototypes with logic for e.g. state handling). …
I recently did a review of Adobe XD, what I like about Adobe XD and what I think can be further improved. In this article I share some of the best Adobe XD plugins I´ve found. Hope you find the plugins useful too!
How to install plugins in Adobe XD
1. Open Adobe XD.
2. Go to Addons, then Plugins:
3. Search for the plugin you want, then click Install:
Adobe XD is Adobe´s way of trying to compete with tools such as Sketch for Mac. Design and prototype in one go! Adobe XD is also a viable alternative for Windows users. Last but not least, the basic version of Adobe XD is free!
I recommend Adobe XD if:
- You want to design and prototype in a very seamless and smooth way.
- You use Windows, or if you collaborate with other designers who both use Windows and Mac.
- You use (or consider using) other Adobe products (e.g. Adobe Illustrator).
I would not recommend Adobe XD if:
Recently I’ve been spending less time in tools such as Sketch and InVision, and more time on going from sketches on paper or whiteboard, and then directly to HTML and CSS. In this article I will share with you how I do HTML prototyping, and why you should care.
Personally I recommend HTML prototyping, because I think the benefits outshine the drawbacks. If you find your current UX process works well, don’t change your process! This is merely another way of thinking about the UX process, which may or may not work for you and your team.
Please note that…
One question I get quite often is: Which prototyping tool should I choose? In this article you’ll find a process I tend to follow when selecting a prototyping tool which works for me and other team members.
Before choosing a prototyping tool
I usually recommend to create sketches on e.g. paper / whiteboard or similar before you create prototypes, since this saves a lot of time. By sketching on paper first, you can do very quick iterations, and from there move to a more high-fidelity tool.
Step 1: Understand the use case and what you want to accomplish with the prototyping tool
Do you need a prototyping tool at all, or are you looking for some other design tool? This will…
Andreas Johansson
I am a UX designer & software developer based in Sweden. Contact me here: https://andreasjohanssonux.se/
