Design Process Checklist

What?

This design process checklist is a systematic and organised document or set of steps used to guide designers, program teams, developers, or anyone involved in the creative process through the various stages of a project. The purpose of the design process checklist is to ensure that all necessary steps are followed, important considerations are addressed, and key tasks are completed in a logical and efficient manner.

How to use it?

The design process checklist is a flexible tool that can be customized to suit the specific needs of a project, whether it's graphic design, web design, product design, or any other context. The process checklist helps ensure that the design process is structured, organized, and efficient, ultimately leading to a successful outcome.

To begin using the Process checklist in your project, make a copy of the template Asana Template

Output Examples

The table below provides examples on the outputs that the project teams are expected to produce. Use these as inspiration for your work.

Empathy

Activity	Output Examples
User Research	Outputs: Target Audience, Behaviours, Needs Methodology: This can include online surveys, user interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic research. Template
User Personas:	Outputs: User personas Methodology: Personas are fictional characters that represent the behaviours, motivations, and goals of your target audience. This helps you empathise with your users and design solutions that meet their needs. Template Example
Map out user journeys:	Outputs: User Journey Methodology: Identify the key touchpoints in the user journey and map out the user flow. This helps you understand the user's experience and identify pain points and areas for improvement. Template Example
Identify user pain points:	Outputs: Pain Points Methodology: Use the insights gathered from your user research and user journey mapping to identify the pain points your users experience. This could include frustrations, obstacles, or unmet needs. Template
Define the problem statement:	Outputs: Problem Statement V1 Methodology: Use the pain points identified to define a clear problem statement that focuses on the user's needs. This helps you stay focused on solving a real user problem and ensures that your design solution is relevant. Template

Define

Activity	Output Examples
Refine the problem statement	Outputs: Problem Statement V2 Methodology: Review the problem statement developed in the empathise phase and refine it based on the insights gathered. Ensure that it is specific, actionable, and focused on the user's needs. Template
Identify design goals	Outputs: Design Objectives Methodology: Define the design goals for the digital product. These should be aligned with the client objectives and the needs of the target audience. Example
Create design principles	Outputs: Design Principles Methodology: Create design principles that guide the development of the digital product. These principles should be grounded in the user's needs and ensure that the design solutions are consistent, usable, and effective. Additional Resources Example Example 2
Conduct a competitive analysis	Outputs: Competitor Analysis Methodology: A competitive analysis to understand the strengths and weaknesses of competitors / existing solutions. This can help identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation. Example Template
Create a feature roadmap	Outputs: Feature Roadmap Methodology: Outline the key features and functionality that the product should include. Example
Define success metrics	Outputs: Success Metrics Methodology: Define the success metrics of the digital product. These should be measurable and aligned with the users objectives. Additional Resource

Ideate

Activity	Output Examples
Generate ideas	Outputs: Sketches Methodology: Use brainstorming techniques like mind mapping, sketching, and collaborative brainstorming to generate a wide range of ideas for solving the problem statement defined in the define phase. Example
Prioritise ideas	Outputs: Evaluation Criteria Methodology: Evaluate the ideas generated and prioritise them based on their potential impact, feasibility, and alignment with the design goals and principles defined in the define phase. Example
Create User Journeys	Outputs: Information Architecture, User Journeys Methodology: Outline how the target audience would interact with the potential solutions. Example Example 2
Sketch initial designs	Outputs: Low-fidelity prototype Methodology: Create low-fidelity sketches of the potential solutions. This helps visualise ideas and iterate quickly. Example

Prototype

Activity	Output Examples
Determine prototype type	Outputs: Low Fi Prototype / Paper prototype / wireframe Methodology: Identify the type of prototype that best suits your needs. This could be a low-fidelity prototype, such as a paper prototype or wireframe, or a high-fidelity prototype, such as a clickable prototype or a functional prototype. Example
Develop the prototype	Outputs: Figma prototype Methodology: Use the appropriate tools to create the prototype i.e design software, prototyping software, or even physical materials. Example Example 2
Test the prototype	Outputs: Usability Tests Methodology: Test the prototype with users to gather feedback. This could involve conducting user testing sessions, surveys, or usability tests. Example Additional Resources
Analyse the results	Outputs: Areas of Improvement, Pain points Methodology: Analyse the feedback gathered during the testing phase to identify areas for improvement. If some of the pain points require more structured discussion to achieve solutioning, probably best to go back to the Ideate phase Template

More Resources

Methodology Slide Deck
Methodology Longform Document