1) Gathering Information
Designing is like making decisions. To make good decisions, you need the right information. The collection and analysis of information is called “user research”. If the information gathered is not good, the analysis will not be good.
Information gathering methods:
- Good: Observation, think aloud and talk back
- Valid: Analytical, socio-demographic data, documentation
- Poor: workshops, focus groups and opinion polls
2) Who is the application for?
Ease of use doesn’t mean anything. Those who will use the app once in their lifetime versus those who work 7 hours a day 5 days a week do not have the same definition of ease of use. For the first, the interface must be intuitive, for the second, speed and control are crucial.
3) Know the problem at hand
No one wants to use an app for fun. Everyone takes an app because they have a job to do. The reason people choose your app over an alternative is because it offers a benefit or fixes a problem. When you make the observation, if you hear comments like: it is too long, I have to be careful, it happens regularly that I am wrong. You have indications of problems to resolve.
By analyzing the impact of each problem solved, you can calculate the benefits for your application.
4) Iterate and integrate stakeholders
The legal dimensions, performance, security, image, technology must be addressed. These dimensions have specialists within an organization. As you iterate with users, you should iterate with each of the stakeholders during design to incorporate constraints. As mentioned earlier, workshops and committees are to be avoided. It is best to meet the stakeholders iteratively one by one.
5) Selling
Often, the people who hire you on a project are not the ones who will be using your app. They will notice what they see and understand, not the real value of the app. Therefore, the visual quality and the quality of the text are essential for your credibility.