1 - Understand
| Method | Type |
|---|---|
| Analytics Analysis | Uncover Problems by What They Do |
| Competitive Experience Analysis | Uncover Problems by Experts |
| Contextual Inquiry | Uncover Problems by What They Do |
| Diary Study | Uncover Problems By What They Say |
| Expert Interview | Uncover Problems by Experts |
| Expert Review | Uncover Problems by Experts |
| Generative Survey | Uncover Problems By What They Say |
| Heuristic Evaluation | Uncover Problems by Experts |
| Kano Analysis | Uncover Problems by Experts |
| Project Kickoff | Opportunity Analysis |
| User Interview | Uncover Problems By What They Say |
| User Data Report | Summary |
| User Feedback Analysis | Uncover Problems By What They Say |
| Concept Value Test | Validate a Hypothesis |
Goals of Phase
- Identify the problem(s) the user and business are facing within the identified project space
- Thoroughly investigate the problems in as much detail as possible
- Have a clear understanding of how well the problem space is known:
- very well [little to no assumptions]
- well enough [some assumptions]
- not well [many assumptions]
- Begin early work that’ll shape the project plan and design phases
- Uncover the why the user is needing to do what they’re trying to accomplish
Summarized Activities
- Learn about your user
- Learn about the context of the problem
- Learn about the business and uncover what are the product requirements and opportunities
Questions to Answer
- Why are we doing this?
- Who are we doing this for?
- What people problem are we trying to solve?
- How do we know this is a real problem?
- What is the product/company vision?
- How does the product fit into the organization’s overall business strategy?
- What are the business goals for the product?
- How big is the market for the product, and what share of the market can it win?
- What is the revenue model for the product?
- What are the assumptions on which the product strategy is based?
- When is the planned product release to occur? What are the market constraints that affect its timing?
- What is nature of the competitive marketplace for the product?
- What is the expected impact of the product on the organization’s brand value and position in the marketplace?
- What competitive products already exist in the product’s domain? What products are the leaders in innovation and market share? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
- What differentiates the product from other products in the marketplace?
- Who are the key stakeholders, subject-matter experts, and members of the product team, and what are their roles on the project?
- What type of product development process does the product team intend to follow? Agile or a more traditional approach?
- How many engineers are on the development team that will build the product you’re designing? What are their skills?
- What are the risks for the product development project?
- Who is typically involved in decisions to purchase the product?
- Who are the product’s target users?
- Do people in different roles need to use the product?
- What customer needs, desires, and preferences must the product satisfy?
- Are there innovative product concepts or technology innovations the product can leverage? If so, what opportunities do they present? Or is incremental or evolutionary improvement the goal for the product release?
- What are the product requirements?
- What capabilities must the product have?
- Do your customers require the product be customizable and/or personalizable?
- What workflows and tasks must the product support?
- What information needs must the product address?
- If there is already an existing product, what is the historical background for the product and its design? What are its known usability problems? What are customers complaining about or requesting?
- Are there existing user experience design guidelines you must follow?
- Are there corporate and/or product branding guidelines that will dictate some aspects of the product’s look?
- What technical constraints must you consider when designing the product?
- What are the time and budgetary constraints on your design project?
- Who are we solving for?
- What are the user’s goals? Why? What triggers it?
- Why does the user need this product?
- How did we get here? What does the experience look like now?
- What do we know about our users? What insights have we gained?
- What constraints are we working with?
- What problem have they have been trying to solve? Have they shown intent to solve it?