Design Framework.
GOALS
#1 Identify business goals
Identify project goals. Conduct background research. What are the business requirements?
Common examples:
1. Make more money
2. Help people make the right decisions
3. Gain user trust
#2 Identify user goals
Conduct user research. Understand who you are creating the design for. List out user goals. Common research methods include:
1. Interviews & focus groups
2. Card Sorting (grouping elements into categories)
3. Surveys
ANALYSIS
#3 Perform context analysis
Analyze the context to understand what environment the design will be placed into. Identify opportunities and challenges that the design will focus on addressing. What system will the design will be part of? What contextual elements define a sense of place?
#4 Perform competitor analysis
Look at precedents and competitors to learn about what worked well, and where they fell short. Make a list of their limitations and untapped opportunities. List key gaps in the market.
IMPACT
#5 Identify gaps that you could fill
Using the context analysis and competitor analysis, identify the gaps in the market that you could fill and problems that you could solve. Where would this project bring the most value?
#6 Select metrics for benchmarking
Identify key variables that the project/business depends on. Visualize the current numbers. Understand what impact you need to make. Then create metrics that you will use to measure the success of your design in the future. Record the current state of the metrics, or the current standards.
MAPPING
#7 Make a content list
Make a list of all desired or existing content and features. If working with existing content and features, create an inventory. Another way to approach this is to look at the content and features that competitors have.
#8 Map content to goals
Map content and features to business and user goals. The content map will reveal where the gaps are for which new content may need to be created. If content does not match any goals, set it aside. Perform an existing content audit if not starting from scratch.
STORY
#9 Create a mission statement
What story do you want to tell? This is not a story about the business or how it came to be. This is a story that the content and features, when arranged in a specific intentional manner, tell the user. This could also be a description of the value-add of the project.
#10 Define 3 key words
Based on the work so far, come up with 3 key words that are representative of the design. These words will guide the design process and serve as the core values.
STRATEGIES
Systems Thinking
Consider all elements that make up the design system.
Behavioral Change
To make the most impact, whose behavior needs to change?
Stakeholder Analysis
Consider who this design affects, directly and indirectly.
Future Scenarios
What future do you imagine? How will the design be part of it?
Liza Karimova. 2023.