My Working Process
A short elaboration of the processes I carry out in Branding and UX Design.
Branding
I usually divide the process of branding / rebranding a logo, as well as the development of corporate visual assets into several steps:
Research
I start with researching the industry and competitors and that will help me to gain insight into the market and identify trends that the brand can use to its advantage.
Brainstorm
Then I start the brainstorming, which may or may not include other team members. This stage involves generating ideas for the logo or logotype which is crucial in exploring designs that represent the brand’s values, personality and identity.
Sketch
Sketching starts with putting ideas on paper, but also involves creating multiple rough sketches and fine-tuning to ensure that the design is simple, memorable, and unique.
Review & Feedback
Designs need to be reviewed and I need feedback obtained from the actual users, but team members are welcome to comment too. This step helps me to refine the design. During this step I emphasize the importance of the brand and it's acceptance from the audience by stating cordial warning to the team, stakeholders and leadership: "Brand is built for users, not for you!"
Refinement
I refine the design based on feedback and input. The final product should be simple but easily recognizable. I this stage I am encouraging criticism on logo design and I show it to a variety of people (mainly product users).
Finalize
It’s time for me to create style guide, prepare and deliver files for the future UX project. This is a technical thing that depends on the requirements of the project, usually defined by product manager or clients.
UX
🏃♀️ If I'm working with a team, I usually suggest a sprint design process. The goal of this method is to create new products or services in a very short time (5 days) while gathering a multi-functional team of individuals to work together on ideation, prototyping, testing, etc., and quickly validate assumptions while testing with real users.
🏋️♀️ When I'm working on UX design problems by myself, I use Design Thinking framework which is a problem-solving structure that entails 5 stages to identify solutions: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test:
Empathize
I empathize with users to understand their needs, pain points, and motivations. Empathy helps me create products that solve real problems for real people. In this phase I usually conduct interviews, usability tests, and surveys to gather insights that will later define my design decisions.
"There is no substitute for personally watching and listening to real people."
Larry Page (co-founder of Google)
Define
During this phase, I conduct thorough research, create personas and user journeys, and analyze the competition to ensure that the design solution is not only aesthetically pleasing but also solves the user's problems. This phase allows me to make informed decisions that will lead to successful Ideation.
Ideate
At this stage, I gather with a team to generate a multitude of ideas and concepts that could answer the design challenge they are presented to us. We select the best ideas for further development and here I usually create sketches of our chosen concepts to prototype.
Prototype
Prototyping allows me to test functionality, user experience, and multiple iterations of the product while using feedback to refine the product until it meets user needs. During this stage, I work with a variety of tools such as paper sketches, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
Test
It's during this phase that I get to validate the design concepts and ideas, and this is where I can see how users interact with the product. During testing, I keep a close eye on the user's behavior and listen to their feedback. This helps me improve the product's overall user experience and ensure that it's meeting end user's needs.
