Identify where the business goals and user goals intersect.

Identify business goals, interview the business owner, review the business plan, do a competitive comparative analysis.

Identify user goals, uncover the user requirements with in person interviews, observation, data analysis, surveys.

user centric approach to satisfy the intersecting goals.

Identify user stories, use cases, personas/architypes. Review the both the qualitative and quantiative data obtained from reasearch.

Use mapping to help visualize data, emphathy, customer journety, experience or service blue print depending on project requriements.

Define information architecture, and content hierarchy.

Identify one user flow based on the minimum viable product.

Conduct early usability testing on an low fidelity prototype (wire frames) to flush out any dead ends, confusion or missed opportunities in the design. Observe and ask questions, such as “what where you expecting from that interaction”.

Iterate early and often. Use feedback to improve the concept and reduce any friction in the flow to the end goal.

More sophisticated prototype closely representing the final interface.

Develop or use an existing style guide in the high resolution prototype. Begin to integrate content, images and UI patterns with colour.

Conduct usability testing on this  high fidelity prototype and iterate as needed with feedback and identified issues from user behaviours.

Set development guidelines for mobile, tablet and desktop.

Prepare assets and guidelines and notations for hand off to developers. Work closely with the development team. Conduct more usability testing iterate design as required, test for bugs and issues. Identify and implement accessibly requirements.