Pieces of the UX Puzzle
No project can be completed unless all teams are aligned just right. But how do such different workflows fit together?
This posting expresses the views and opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yext and its affiliates, employees, officers, directors or representatives.
If you read my last article, I’m sure it’s obvious how essential good user experience is to good business practice. But the worlds of design and business seem so fundamentally different; how are they supposed to exist in harmony?
The design process is messy, collaborative and anything but linear. Amongst all its chaos there are methods for tracking the general growth of a project from start to finish. There are a number of methods under fancy names with detailed steps, but these processes can be broken down into the same basic framework:
- Understanding and defining the problem.
- Exploring possible solutions.
- Testing the product.
- Repeating steps when necessary.
Shine Bright Like A Diamond
Divided into four distinct phases — Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver — the Double Diamond is a simple visual map of the design process (Note: most design teams using different terms for similar methods).
In all creative processes, several possible ideas are created (‘divergent thinking’) before refining and narrowing down to the best idea (‘convergent thinking’). This is what gives the process its diamond shape✨. The Double Diamond indicates that this happens twice — once to confirm the problem definition and once again to create the solution. One obvious mistake is to omit the left-hand diamond and end up solving the wrong problem.
In the world of design, there is a fool-proof way to come to the best solution: iteration, iteration, iteration. This means that ideas are developed, tested and refined several times, with weak ideas filtered out in the process. This cycle is an essential part of effective design.
Practical design methods — like user diaries, journey mapping, and character profiles — pass the torch of the project through the four phases of the Double Diamond, ending in a vibrant solution. (Get it?)
It Takes A Village
The Consulting Design team must actively collaborate and communicate with both the Engineering and Project Management teams to successfully execute a product launch. Each of these teams provides healthy boundaries for one another, allowing each team to work efficiently with the same goals and expectations in mind.
At Yext, we have three core teams that need to all be on the same page for a project to move from open to close:
Technical Engagement Managers (TEMs)
(a.k.a The Ring Leader) Rally the team, ship the product, and maintain the schedule and scope. They are the touchpoint between all teams.
UI Designers
(a.k.a The Visualizer) Flex their brains for expansive and focused ideation. They facilitate the conversation with visuals, user testing, prototyping, user journeys, and personas. Oh yeah, and they make the product look real nice~
Developers
(a.k.a. The Builder) Bring the product to life and patch up any holes in the design.
🎉 If you’re interested in a more detailed and general approach to this series, you can check out a more extensive article here. Happy UX-ing!
