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 creative endeavor.context. The process checklist helps ensure that the design process is structured, organized, and efficient, ultimately leading to a successful outcome.
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 |
|---|---|
|
Conduct user research |
Outputs: Target Audience, Behaviours, Needs Methodology: This can include online surveys, user interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic research. |
|
Develop 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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
|
Conduct a competitive analysis |
Outputs: SWOT Methodology: A competitive analysis to understand the strengths and weaknesses of competitors / existing solutions. This can help identify opportunities for differentiation and innovation.. |
|
Create a feature roadmap |
Outputs: Feature Roadmap Methodology: Outline the key features and functionality that the product should include. |
|
Define success metrics |
Outputs: KPIs Methodology: Define the success metrics of the digital product. These should be measurable and aligned with the users objectives. |
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. |
|
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. |
|
Create user stories |
Outputs: Navigation Hierarchy, User Stories Methodology: Outline how the target audience would interact with the potential solutions. |
|
Sketch initial designs |
Outputs: Low-fidelity prototype Methodology: Create low-fidelity sketches of the potential solutions. This helps visualise ideas and iterate quickly. |
Prototype
|
Activity |
Output Examples |
|---|---|
|
Determine prototype type |
Outputs: 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.. |
|
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. |
|
Test the prototype |
Outputs: Interviews, Surveys, Usability Tests Methodology: Test the prototype with users to gather feedback. This could involve conducting user testing sessions, surveys, or usability tests. |
|
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 |