More people, businesses, and agencies accept a user-first approach when designing a new product or digital experience . As the web continues to be inundated with new tools and content, the focus needs to be not just on what’s out there, but on how people interact with everything that’s available to them.
As an advocate and practitioner of user-centered design, studying user interactions for more than 20 years, I inject some form of user input and validation in every project. A combination of traditional practices and evolving techniques, user-centered design has come to encompass its own specialty and focus, with its own set of tools and methodologies.
I continue to apply these methodologies to ongoing work, adapting tools when necessary to meet specific goals. I remain a student and advocate of user-centered design in the greater DC area and abroad.
My approach to design includes the following techniques and tools, customized for specific users and projects.
Product Discovery & Analysis
Each project starts by analyzing and capturing data pertinent to designing a solution for the problem we face. Learn more about methodologies used to gather and uncover information
Ideation & Design
Using proven ideation exercises, I work with stakeholders, developers, and other designers to identify insights and design multiple solutions to any given problem. I vet the designs against original project goals and discovered opportunities to decide on the best solution to move the project forward. Learn more about proven methodologies and exercises used to build customized solutions.
Prototyping & Testing
Before any product begins development or technical resources are tapped, creating high-fidelity prototypes to put in front of users increases a product’s chance of success. With the use of no-code or low-code prototyping tools like Axure, Adobe, Sketch, and Figma, as well as visualization exercises like storyboarding, being able to put a prototype that mimics your solution in front of users allows you to see what works and what doesn’t before development resources are spent creating a finished product. This early user testing also increases chances your solution will resonate positively with users.