The UI design process: overview

User interface design isn't just arranging stuff on a page. The most important part is investigating user needs and understanding your business requirements. That applies both to design projects and usability studies.

An overview of the process

A sketch from a Group Design Workshop,
a great bridge from Discovery to Design

User needs: Through different types of customer research, we learn about your users and how they work. We use that information to develop personas, or written descriptions of user categories.

Business requirements: If you write a business requirements document, we'll actually read it. We'll also interview you and your staff to understand the business goals.

A Group Design Workshop is a great way to learn more about user and business requirements from a cross-section of your company. It's a brainstorming session with a twist.

Next, we start doing rapid prototyping to show you some UI concepts and then bring in a graphic designer to incorporate your brand and other visual images.

We customize the design process to fit your needs, but there are generally three phases: Discovery, Design and Delivery.

Read about our design process

1. Overview
2. Discovery phase
3. Design phase
4. Delivery phase

More information

Portfolio examples show how this process has worked for many clients.

Let's talk about applying these ideas to your next project.

Books on usability studies and other design topics.

Tips on designing a home page.