design and development phases
the basic design process: define, research, ideate, prototype, choose, implement, learn, evaluate
- Design is all about thinking and planning. The design (of anything) is not the thing itself. An architect's design for a building is not the building.
- All design is grounded in a basic concept. Good design is grounded in a clear concept. Bad design is muddled thinking made painfully clear.
preliminary design phase
setupgetting started∧
This phase is critical. As a competent designer It is your responsibility to make sure that your working environment, i.e. your UI computer account, is fully functioning and configured to meet the requirements of this course. tip: The A student checks their account regularly and solves any problems that arise. Take charge.
Essential - It is your responsibility to maintain the following,
- Login - Make sure you know your account password and that it works.
- Memory allocation - At least 2MB required for the work we do in this course.
- Check to make sure that the "webpages" directory/folder is in your shared space.
- Connect to Server and SFTP - It is required that you be able to readily connect to your UI webspace by using "Connect to Server" from the lab Macs or SFTP from either the lab Macs or your personal remote (not on the UI network) computer.
- A basic understanding of the web architecture and it's geography. If you don't understand where you are in space it is easy to become confused and lost. Know where you are in web space.
UI account management
- UI E-Support
- The Helpdesk
- e:https://www.support.uidaho.edu/index.htm
- v:1 208 885 4357
- l: TLC, Teaching & Learning Center, Room 128
- You will need to contact the Helpdesk for Login issues and to increase your account memory allocation.
UI Support important sub-sections
- ITS Account Management Web Page
- Where you can manage your own account.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Check the FAQ's first. See if you can answer your own questions.
Web Services
Connecting to your UI Account - Mac
Connecting to your UI Account - Win
project selectionchose a project for this semester ∧
Spend some thought considering your options. The project you choose for this semester should clearly help you move toward your professional goal.There should be a clear relationship between your professional goal statement and the project you select.
To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi,
“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny.“
Less spiritually, but with the deepest respect, for designers, the sequence and flow is both fundamental and very real,
“Your professional goal statement leads to your project selection. Your project selection leads to your project brief. Your project brief leads to your design methods. Your design methods lead your solution for your users. Your happy users lead your recognition in the design professions. Your recognition leads to your success and happiness.“
Seriously, when you integrate yourself and become passionate about your work you begin to see and understand the design process. It is not a smattering of hasty one-offs and slap-ups, it's serious business.
So, be thoughtful and considered about your project selection.
the design phase
project briefresearch, define, articulate how do you intend to move towards a solution? ∧
Once you have a project selected your project brief sets the framework for subsequent evaluation that project. The brief is the framework, which you make for yourself, into which you design. It should contain your design concept. Review both design brief and creative brief
A design brief is a comprehensive written document for a design project developed in concert by a person representing the business need for design and the designer. The document is focused on the desired results of design – not aesthetics. - wikipedia
A creative brief is a document used by creative professionals and agencies to develop creative deliverables: visual design, copy, advertising, web sites, etc. The document is usually developed by the requestor (in most cases a marketing team member) and approved by the creative team of designers, writers, and project managers. In some cases, the project's creative brief may need creative director approval before work will commence. - wikipedia
In general the creative brief tends to be the format most used in our business.
While each creative brief is tailored to the specific project all contain a few basic categories,
Background
- What is the background of the project? Why is it being done?
- Find examples of similar work. Analyze them, what works what could you do better?
- Understand the background. This means research. Don't jump in and simply re-invent the wheel. Draw on the past.
Who is the primary audience?
- What do they already think about this subject? Is there anything that should be avoided?
- Closely examine and deeply understand the essential problem. Don't simply race to develop a visual solution to a systems problem.
- Carefully consider what would make the user's experience better, deeper, more emotional, more efficient, cheaper, etc. Ask them, don't tell them.
- Write a few short personas of typical users. Listen to your users.
What is the single most important goal of this project?
- What is to be accomplished? How will this be measured and success understood?
- List the must have goal. One goal. Avoid developing conflicting goals.
Objectives
- List objectives that will help you reach this goal. Lis what is essential.
What is the most important single message
- This should be framed as your design concept
- Think of a design concept like this: What one experience/feeling do you want your users to have when they experience what you have designed (and perhaps implemented)? Keep it simple and to the point.
- Don't override your users by BS'ing yourself. Focus.
- Once you have a design concept stay with it. Don't change horses in mid stream. Design is an iterative process so make sure you allow time for revisions.
Mandatory elements
- Make a list. What is must have, should have, could have.
- Don't ever let a "could have" blow away a "must have".
- At all costs do not loop off into a diversion because you are feeling insecure. Stay on message, i.e. follow your design concept.
Deliverables
- What is to be used to give the audience the message? What is the best way or place to reach this audience?
- Make a list and tie it to your time line.
- If you have to loop off to acquire a few added craft skills don't run off the rails. Get back to the center as fast as possible.
Time line
- How soon is this needed? When is it expected to be done? How many rounds (revisions) will this project undergo?
- Start with the drop-dead due date and work backward through your calendar.
- Be straight, don't snow yourself into a box.
- Make a Google calendar for your project.
Budget (always part of design in the real world)
- How much can be spent to get this developed? Is there any budget needed to publish/flight the creative?
Approvals — who needs to give the "okay"
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- For practice keep track of the hours you spend on this project.
Above all: Learn the real-world work flow, i.e.. designers work for Creative Directors and Project Managers - it's not the other way around. Design rarely start on the glass.
Places to look for more help and samples of creative briefs:
adcracker - brief outline : elise.com - brief outline : the Firefox 3.5 icon brief - example
project designresearch, ideate, prototype, choose, develop, test, iterate, implement, evaluate ∧
Some basics: Design and implementation are separate phases. Of course they overlap and are iterative. Plan/design a little, do a little. Repeat as needed. In short, don't move to solve the problem before you understand it.
A Design Process
Inspiration
research, define and understand the problem
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- Inspiration starts here - expect success,
- Always start by researching and defining the problem. What has been done before? What is good? What could be better?
- Get out of your own space. Look at the real world. What do people actually do? What is the business case for this project? Pay close attention to "extreme" users - children the elderly. Develop a few personas for your project.
- Include project goal(s) and objectives to reach the goal(s).
- How do other disciplines relate to your project?
- Articulate and integrate, i.e. write-up, your understanding of the problem. Expand your write-up as you move through the project. This is a terrific portfolio piece.
- Inspiration leads toward your Design Concept.
Ideation
ideation carries your inspiration forward,
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- Start with a design concept. See if it changes as you move through brain storming, prototyping and testing.
- Brain storm, prototype (use a pencil). Do it again. Think of your prototypes as stories. Make a scenarios for your prototypes.
- Prototyping - fast is better. Too much time spend can tie you to the prototype and not to the actual project. Keep moving.
- In this phase you can always loop back to add to your research, iterate. Add new insights as addendum. That way you can still track the projects evolution later.
Prototype, test, frame you latest prototype in a story or scenario, make an in-class presentation to get feedback - Finalize your Design Concept.
Implement
Realize your design concept,
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- Decide how best to build your solution. Move to implementation.
- Loop-backs are behind you - think revisions - and keep moving forward.
- The mantra of the business case - on-time, in-budget.
- Help your client as needed.
← Much of this comes directly from ↓
A Design Thinking view
- Tim Brown's HBR article, "Thinking" [pdf], June 2008
- Tim Brown's Design Thinking Blog
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- Inspiration
- Ideation
- Implementation
- Contained in the pdf above ↑
- How to Make Design Thinking Part of the Innovation Drill?
- A Design Thinker's Personality Profile
Places to deepen your understanding of the design process:
A design process revealed : some design methods : Prototyping : Scenarios : Searching for the Center of Design Personas and the Role of Design Documentation
the implementation phase
project implementationstart building your planned solution. moving to alpha ∧
At this point you have a clear project brief (inspiration), have completed your design work (ideation), and are ready to implement your design (implementation).
project testingdoes your solution work? ∧
What kind of test can you run on your project:? Give it to the class to test. Leave time for some small revisions if necessary.
the evaluation phase
final project reviewevaluate and set the way forward ∧
The final project review is a written paper. Discuss and analyze your project. What works? What could be better? Describe your way forward toward the next revision. In short, don't just be schooly and think of your design work as a simple project that you finish. Think ahead into the next project and evaluate your design process.
