Sketch to Reality: sketching in UX design
The importance of pen and paper to user experience design (UX)
As a UX designer at Kainos, the importance of using pen and paper to generate ideas is the foundation of my work. I studied interaction design as a student in university and have always been instructed to start a project with paper and a pencil. I have found this useful because it has allowed me to map out ideas in a simple way.
Think about it. The most decorated artists of all time — Picasso, Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Vermeer and Klimt took a blank canvas and an imagination and turned it into something incredible that has stood the test of time. We all get to enjoy their artwork today because they were able to take a sketched idea and turn it into a painting. Some artwork has spanned 5 or 6 centuries and is still highly praised for the technique the artists practised.
Building on a foundational sketch is just as important in UX design because you can draw the initial idea and continue evaluating with user insights and evidence until your idea has been perfected.
How to use sketching in your UX design work
Here are some tips on how to use sketching in your UX design work.
Do user research to create the right thing
Before you sketch anything, you must conduct user research at the beginning of your project’s lifecycle. A good user research plan with the right steps allows you to figure out key feedback, wants and needs of your target audience before you design for them. Loopanel blog has a great example of how to write a UX research plan in 7 steps. Also keep in mind the requirements of the business too. You can reevaluate designs with more user research as needed.
Say for example a builder was given a task to build a bridge from one side of the river to the other. They didn’t plan its support, and instead built something that was misaligned like the bridge in the image below.
As you can see, fail to prepare and prepare to fail. The bridge is not aligned correctly and there is also a gap.
Use post-its for your flow
Use post-it notes to document the flow of your journey. Post-it notes are helpful displayed on a wall to see the overall picture of what your project aim is.
Decide who your target audience is for your project and state important sections that you want to highlight in the journey. Once you have this, start to journey map the idea with your post-its because this will help you in designing your screens.
Run workshops to work with stakeholders
Run workshops or group sessions to bounce ideas off your colleagues to discuss how each screen should be laid out. Focus on building the hierarchy of your screen to get across the most important thing for users. Use collaborative platforms like mural to help with this.
Most importantly, work with your stakeholders. It is their product you are building so make sure to keep them informed of any changes and expert recommendations from user research rounds.
Moving from sketches into final designs with wireframes and screens
Now you can turn your post-its and sketches into wireframes before you prototype. Wireframes are mock-ups of what you want your screens to look like to figure out the interaction, content and service design. Navigation should be your main focus before designing what elements need to go within the screens. Your users should be able to get from A to B in a click or two. Keep the wireframes simple and straightforward and remember who you are designing them for.
Don’t forget accessibility
And finally, don’t forget to make sure the design is visually clear and accessible for the user. This includes meeting the WCAG guidelines and considering:
- screen readers
- clear language
- colour contrast
- accessible authentication
Why sketching isn’t used much anymore
I understand why sketching isn’t used as much in the corporate world. It’s because clients expect a quick turnaround and digital methods are preferred — straight to the point, no messing about and easy to show. Give the client what they ask for. It is easier for the client to see the mocked-up screens than sketches on a piece of paper as they can interpret and critique them more easily. But as I’ve shown in this post, sketching adds so much to your work.
Sketch to success
So, sketches help you create the right thing. They should be implemented during the discovery and alpha phase of the project. Solid sketches help consider user and business needs, while also bringing a personal touch to your ideas. And, in the long run, they progress the final successful product more quickly. Without sketches or a thorough plan, there is a risk that a product needs reevaluating against user needs later in its lifecycle costing the client time and money.
