The humble guide to start UX projects
Some people say that the best way to learn is teaching, let’s see if it works!
I survived my first six months as a Junior Product Designer.
Finally the journey got some stability somehow and half of the crisis are gone. But you know, when the initial problems are solved, brand new problems comes to us. In my last review with my mentor, between other problems, I realised that I still don’t have a defined process to start my projects. I got a little frustrated with that.
So I decided to talk with senior designers and collect material on internet to create a beginners guide to start projects! After all, if I can learn, anyone can!
This post’s focus is to give some advices for anyone who’s starting their projects. If you need something simple with a easy language to start, this humble (I say humble because I feel like I’m giving my first steps on this world full of knowledge), this post is for you.
BE ORGANISED
This is something that I’ve still fighting every single day to achieve, but it’s something that I see in really good designers: They have this methodology to keep all information: Sketch files, text, layers, brainstormings, recorded discussions, post-it notes… they file everything. Be like this can take more time from your activities, but it’s something that will create good habits for the future. Remember: We are made of habits.
THE PERFECT SCENARIO DOESN’T EXIST
It’s important to realize that each project will be different and your process won’t go exactly as you planned. Sometimes you’ll have to start with some sketches to calm down the stakeholders’ anxiety, sometimes you’ll have to fight to do the right procedures and sometimes you’ll be defeated and will do some stuff that you don’t agree. Oh, and sometimes you’ll enter in a project that is already in the middle.
HAVE A SCRIPT
In this product design world, process is everything. Having a checklist, in the beginning, can save your life… really. One of the things that shocked me when I changed career was the times that I needed to use Adobe programs, comparing with the times I had to use Google Docs, Google Drive and Google Slides. Seriously, now it’s so much process, note, understanding, talk, presentation… it’s crazy! Now I realise that’s the life of a real strategic worker.
Have a process, follow it’s rules and, later, with the right expertise, break them. So grab your notebook and write down that script that I made after my researches:
- What’s the main problem on this task/project? Why we’re doing this? Start with why (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&t= ladies and gentlemen, Simon Sinek is on the house)
- Who’s your user? Do you have the personas? Did you studied them to understand what they really want?
- What’s the context behind this problem? There’s something behind this? Some old project? There are old researches related that can help?
- What’s success on this project/task? There is some percentage of improvement? Some number that means success? The more objective, the better.
- Is there references that can help? Competitors? Benchmark?
- What’s the project limitations? Understand that can help with the creativity. After all, if there is no limits, we got unlimited solutions.
- Can I make 100 more questions about this project/task?
This is a VERY basic checklist. It must be a starting point for the questions. I’m pretty sure that many others will appear after that. The more questions, the better.
EXTRA TIPS
- DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING!!! Even the dumbest thing, ask why. One of my mentors always says that the word “assume” is really close from the word “asshole”… don’t be an asshole.
- CHALLENGE. Be bold to ask if this project really should be done. Sometimes the focus is wrong and you can start something more useful with that attitude. Of course… have empathy and be polite… please.
- TALK with the stakeholders as much as you can and, if it’s possible, record everything. Our memory isn’t perfect, our notes have it’s flaws, it’s easy to misunderstood things… that’s why record and listen later can save your project/life.
- Be a good friend of the developers. Really… they can help you with so much things you can’t even imagine.
- The first idea is always bad. Believe me (even if it’s not… it’s to good to think in more ideas).
- Iterate, iterate and iterate again.
- There is no final product, just the most updated version.
The path to become a good Product Designer is so much longer that I imagined and I still have lots of crisis, specially when I don’t make that silly questions that anyone normal would do, or I let my old “button-press and do what they told” mentality comes out. That’s why I made this post to study a little bit more.
I hope that this post can help people that, just like me, are on this initial phase, doing their best to become good professionals. :)
Some reference links that can help:
How to start a UX project from scratch?https://medium.com/@aravindmohan/how-to-start-a-ux-project-from-scratch-776bd0c32bd9
Essential questions to ask when starting a UX design project
https://uxdesign.cc/essential-questions-to-ask-when-starting-a-ux-design-project-1d2d8ee69ef4
Case study: how 11 Questions to Start a UX Project helped me to sell, execute and over deliver
https://medium.com/@marianogoren/case-study-how-11-questions-to-start-a-ux-project-helped-me-to-sell-execute-and-over-deliver-25e52ea622af
