KEY METHODOLOGIES OF UI AND

UX DESIGN
Design methodologies may seem convoluted and complicated at first. Not to
worry—the purpose of these methodologies is to
document learnings from years of research and work by others to make your
job easier. Today’s designers can choose between
a wide variety of methods for any given project. Getting to know some of
the key methodologies will help us understand how
designers approach problems and tackle solutions.

UI and UX methodologies offer structure and consistency to focus on

problems and drive success within a design process.
Methodologies help get people on the same page, whether it’s within a
project, an organization, or an industry.
Over the years, organizations like Ideo, Google, and the Nielsen Norman Group, as well as people like Peter Morville,
have defined some of the most popular methodologies for executing and assessing UI and UX design, which we’ll cover
in this lesson.
Design theory and practice are constantly evolving. New methodologies and principles are defined constantly within
design—
for example, design justice and Microsoft’s inclusive design emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion.

There is no “right” methodology for any given scenario, and some situations may pull from multiple methods. Maybe
one day,
you’ll even document and share your own methodology to change the way designers work!
The Double Diamond Model
A single product can’t solve every problem, and a single team can’t
develop every possible solution to a given problem.

Design methodologies help teams focus and commit.

The double diamond is a broadly applicable process model for a cross-
functional, iterative design or innovation process.

This methodology was formalized by the British Design Council in

2005 through an in-depth study of 11 global brands, including LEGO,
Microsoft, Sony, and Starbucks.

Take a look at the diagram to the right. The two-diamond structure of

the diagram illustrates two modes of thinking that occur during the
strategy and execution stages of the design process. Divergent
thinking explores many possible solutions and generates novel
ideas. Convergent thinking analyzes, filters, and focuses ideas and
leads to decisions.
This model promotes creativity and innovation while making it clear when decisions should be made and when teams should
commit to a direction. A well-executed double diamond process ensures that product requirements and subsequent design
work are focused on user needs.

The four phases of the double diamond process are as follows:

1.Discover (divergent strategy): Explore the problem and landscape, and learn from users and the market through user
interviews, surveys, and other research.

2. Define (convergent strategy): Sort and analyze the information gathered during the discovery stage and hone in on the
problem we’re trying to solve.

3. Develop (divergent execution): Generate a range of ideas for possible solutions through brainstorms, workshops, low fidelity
prototypes, and other ideation methods. Test different ideas with users or within the company to see what resonates.

4. Deliver (convergent execution): Hone in on, develop, and deliver the solution. Continue evaluating and testing the developed
design to ensure it meets user needs.
The Product Development Life
Cycle
Design doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Today’s UI and UX designers
don’t just think about visual design: they are problem solvers
involved in every stage of the product development process. The
Product Development Life Cycle helps us understand how design
fits into product development.

The Product Development Life Cycle (PDLC) is a cross-

functional, iterative process, usually involving many stakeholders
across an
organization. The process starts from a problem or pain point to
ensure that product development meets a real user need and
that the whole team is aligned around the same goals.

Often, a product manager owns this process at a high level. UX

designers and researchers can be involved at any stage of the
cycle to ensure user needs are taken into account. UI designers are
responsible for the visual layer of the product, one of the many
outputs of the process.

UI and UX designers can use the stated goals and definitions from
The Product Development Life Cycle consists of 5 stages:

1.Brainstorm: Starting from a defined problem or pain point, the team brainstorms all possible solutions. Market or user research
can help inspire ideas.

2.Define: The team aligns on specifications for the product by defining the vision, goals, target users, features, benefits, and
success metrics.

3.Design: The product is designed from low-fidelity to high-fidelity, starting with sketches and wireframes and moving to
prototypes and a completed interface.

4.Test: The product or prototype is tested to ensure it works as intended. Testing can range from informal internal testing of
low-fidelity prototypes to usability testing of a high-fidelity prototype or final product by external users.

5.Launch: The final design is released to the public, but the cycle doesn’t end here. Typically, testing continues even after the
product has launched, and the cycle continues.
Design Thinking
Design thinking puts people at the center of every process and encourages designers to set aside assumptions. For example,
instead of designing a new children’s toothbrush, a design thinking approach would define “how to clean teeth” as the problem
and explore a wide range of solutions.

Like the double diamond model, design thinking offers opportunities to focus on both divergent and convergent thinking across
its steps to encourage both creativity and problem solving.
Design thinking’s core activities are inspiration, ideation, and implementation, which occur across the five stages of the
process:

1.Empathize: Understand the user and the landscape.

2.Define: Define the problem and align with business goals and user needs.

3.Ideate: Generate a range of ideas for possible solutions, emphasizing creativity.

4.Prototype: Explore potential solutions by creating prototypes of the product to gather feedback.

5.Test: Test the best solutions developed during prototyping. Prototyping or testing may lead to redefining the problem
altogether. As with the other processes we’ve covered, this is an iterative cycle.
Defining "Good" UX
The methodologies we’ve described so far ensure that teams are
aligned and that user needs are at the
center of the process, but what defines a “good” user experience?
What makes a product or design truly great?
Numerous attempts to answer this question help make design critique
less subjective. Designer and information architect Peter
Morville’s UX honeycomb, pictured to the right, is one example of a
framework for understanding the many facets of a positive
user experience:

•Useful: fulfills a user’s needs

•Usable: easy to use and understand
•Desirable: visually attractive and succinct
•Findable: easy to navigate and find information
•Accessible: users with disabilities can use the product
•Credible: the product, company, and services are trustworthy
•Valuable: delivers business value
Methods of User Research
Methods of user research include quantitative user research, qualitative user research, attitudinal research, behavioral research,
and usability testing.

Quantitative User Research: research methods that can be measured numerically, such as surveys, analytics, and A/B testing.

Qualitative User Research: research methods that examine why users behave the way they do in depth, such as interviews, focus
groups, and ethnography.

Attitudinal Research: focus on what users say, through user interviews, surveys, and diary studies.

Behavioural research: observe user behavior, through ethnographic studies, A/B testing, and user testing.