Process Makes Perfect

A foundation for project success

In my last two roles, I defined the design process, developed key deliverable templates, and continuously iterated, as there is always room for improvement. While it’s important to follow a consistent process, a process that is adaptive is crucial. Every client, project, and challenge is unique, which means the process must adapt to meet those specific needs

Observe. Learn. Refine. Iterate.

Human Element

When I joined Human Element, the company was primarily a development agency with a well-established and effective development process. It was crucial not to disrupt what was already working, but rather to build upon it. My first step was to observe and understand the company’s existing workflows. From there, I identified key opportunities to integrate design in ways that would enhance the efficiency of the development process and elevate the quality of our work. This approach allowed me to continually learn, refine, and iterate on the process. Over time, our design presence became strong enough to stand independently, complementing and strengthening the overall work.

Rightpoint

By the time I joined Rightpoint, the company already had a mature and well-defined design process. However, as the market shifted and client budgets tightened, the demand for high-quality output remained unchanged. To meet these evolving needs, I reevaluated our design process and pinpointed areas where we could improve efficiency and reduce costs. For instance, instead of conducting multiple stakeholder workshops, we streamlined the process by gathering client insights through a Discovery Questionnaire. Additionally, rather than presenting multiple design concepts, we focused on defining the design direction through style tiles. As a result, we were able to maintain the high quality of our work while delivering it more efficiently.

Below is an overview of the foundational process I developed and follow to ensure success across all projects.

Discovery

For larger projects, I conduct a full Discovery using a variety of analysis methods to look at what the business and customers need. For smaller projects, these steps can be reduced.

Info Gathering

  • Discovery questionnaire > Creative brief

  • Stakeholder interviews / Workshops

  • Competitive & comparative analysis

  • Analytics review

Scope

  • Identify functionality requirements

  • Define technical scope

  • Document scope of work

Architecture

  • Information architecture audit

  • Sitemap

  • User flows

  • Style tiles

  • Content strategy

Design

Wireframes

  • Wireframe each unique page of the site

  • Document custom functionality with Custom Specifications

High-fidelity Designs

  • Define design direction with Style Tiles / Mood Boards

  • Hi-fidelity designs

  • Design system

Implement

Development

  • Design retro

  • Front-end development

  • Back-end development

  • Digital strategy implementation

  • Sprint QA 

QA

  • Test plan creation

  • Full-site QA (functional, design, & digital strategy)

  • Issue resolution

  • User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Launch

  • Hosting setup

  • DNS update

  • Client sign-off

  • Push live

  • Post-launch QA

  • Transition to ongoing support

Maintain. Learn. Iterate.

Maintain

  • Client training 

  • Ongoing technical support

  • Track and correct bugs

Test & Learn

  • Test performance

  • Conduct user testing

  • Monitor analytics

Iterate

  • Roadmap & feature enhancement

  • Optimize

Repeat

Design Templates

Although each project is unique, the templates below provide a strong foundation for creating distinctive, on-brand, and impactful designs. They streamline the process, saving both time and costs.

Discovery Questionnaire

The Discovery Questionnaire is used early in the process to gather key information, saving time and resources by replacing longer workshops or interviews.

Style Tile Template

Instead of presenting multiple design concepts, a style tile communicates the overall aesthetic and mood of the project, helping to align the team and stakeholders on the design direction before moving into detailed design work.

Wireframes

Wireframe templates streamline the design process by providing pre-built elements and layouts that can be easily customized. This allows designers to focus on enhancing user experience and functionality, rather than spending time on basic layout creation. Additionally, these templates promote consistency across projects, improving efficiency and ensuring a cohesive design approach.

Design System Template

A design system template improves efficiency by providing a consistent set of components and guidelines that can be reused across projects. This reduces the need to design elements from scratch, ensuring consistency, speeding up decision-making, and making collaboration smoother. It also helps maintain brand coherence and enables quicker iterations, allowing teams to focus on refining user experience and functionality instead of reinventing basic design elements.