What does the beginning of your process look like?
The most important foundation to work from is understanding the underlying problem we're solving. I then outline user goals around this problem based on conversations with these users. Once a feature is mapped to this problem, I start sketching out potential ideas on paper or in Procreate - this is a great way to run through many ideas quickly.
When do you involve product & eng?
I typically work alongside product from the very beginning of the project. This means mapping out ideas, flows, and sketches together. I find that through early and often product collaboration, a lot of time can be saved. This allows us to get to an MVP and start testing in a fraction of the time.
I also like to involve engineering early on, typically when I'm confident about a set of wireframes. Bringing them in early ensures that I don't miss any technical red flags - it's also an important way to get buy-in and build rapport. After all, engineers want to care about what they're working on just as much as product and design.
How do you know when a design is "finished"?
While the cliche answer here is that designs are never "finished" (which is true, because they're constantly being iterated on). But screens need to be shipped at some point - so how do I know when they're ready? When a feature has been validated by users or the internal team and I feel confident about it, it's ready to go. After all, shipping is just the beginning of further testing - either way those screens are going to evolve. There's never a perfect time to ship something. Sometimes I can't get access to users to test. Sometimes a deadline is pushed up for investors. With so many factors that influence the product timeline, it's important to be both flexible and efficient.
How do you incorporate user testing?
User testing is an ongoing tool that happens at all stages of the design process. Depending on the target demographic, it can be done with a prototype before anything is shipped. Sometimes it's easier to test with the live product and iterate after - it all depends on the size of the engineering team and the ease of getting testers. It matters less when user testing happens but rather that it happens consistently. Testing with the target demographic is the only way to ensure you're really solving their problems.
What is your process with stakeholders?
It's so important to get diverse feedback from people outside of product and engineering. I love hearing ideas from sales, customer development, and leadership - in fact it's essential to building features that are actually useful. This is why I'm a big fan of biweekly design reviews where everyone is invited. It can be intimidating, but it's worth it to develop a more rounded and holistic viewpoint.
How do you like to collaborate?
I have a strong belief that meetings should be efficient and practical. I'm a big fan of working meetings, where we collaborate to solve a problem, review designs, or work on user flows together. As a creative, I value my flow state and dedicated time for thinking.