User experience is understanding users’ needs and desires, and designing solutions that empower people to satisfy those needs.
User Research Sessions
I’ve been responsible for user research across my last several roles, and user research sessions have formed a core part of my process. The sessions I design and facilitate draw on components of Design Science, guiding users through a discussion of the problems they face, translation of those problems into solutions, and refinement of those solutions through prototyping and evaluation.
Design Conceptualisation
User research doesn’t have much value if it isn’t effectively translated into the design of a solution. When creating design concepts for products, I place more emphasis on communicating key features and their value to users. I prefer wireframes and low fidelity prototyping to capture core design themes.
Experience and Accessibility Reviews
Even the best design can benefit from a thorough review from fresh eyes. I like to conduct reviews of both existing solutions that I’m looking to redesign, as well as concepts I’ve come up with, to ensure they meet the needs of the user. I also like to ensure my design concepts are accessible so that they aren’t exclusionary - technology should be for everyone.