Way of working
Step 1: Initial Questions and Research
The first question I ask is, "Why?"
What are we trying to achieve with this change, and for whom? Is there measurable data to indicate a user behaviour? Support complaints or an industry trend we are trying to match?
To effectively solve a problem, I need to understand its context: How does the system work currently? How do our competitors approach it? Why is this important to the user?
Step 2: User Understanding
The last question always leads me to the same place: Who is the user, and what do they want? This is where a solid foundation of qualitative user studies comes in handy: Using focus groups, interviews, or workshops, I can identify the real pain points and see if they align with the internal OKRs. If they do, great. If not, it's time to talk things over with the stakeholders.
Step 3: Problem Definition
Once we have a solid definition of the problem that considers internal goals, technical constraints, and user experience, I begin ideating. I prefer a collaborative approach. It's much more effective to involve the entire team in workshopping potential solutions or benchmarking new things to try. It’s a great way to allow the developers to be creative and for me to get an early reality check. When we have a few solid ideas for user flows, I prototype and conduct user testing to find a winning concept.
Step 4: Design and Development
At this point, there is a user flow approved by user testing, stakeholders, and the development team and the building begins. Despite careful planning, there is always some adaptation needed during this stage. The final product may end up as sketched or entirely different, but I am there every step of the way to discuss the changes, to ensure that we end up with a final product that fulfills the user’s needs.
Step 5: Verification and Evaluation
Once the solution is live, it's time to verify. We think we fulfilled the definition of done, but does the measurements agree? Are the end-users reacting the way we anticipated? This can be evaluated in various ways, from HotJar to activity targets, surveys, or interviews.
The critical thing is not to miss out on the follow-up; otherwise, we'll never understand our system fully or find new problems to solve.