Altogether more effective
Experience has taught us that the best design comes from listening intently, to take on board the views of everyone who has a stake in the Telligent solution we're working to create.
Thus getting all the key people together is an early stage essential:
- Client stakeholders
- End user representatives
- Technical owner responsible for build
- Creative resource
- User experience/information architects
- Programme/project managers
With this input, initial concepts are developed; requirements defined; solutions are modeled, tested and refined.
Requirements management
Baseline needs are usually the start point, but requirements will almost always evolve as the design process moves forward.
So again, Building Blocks' extensive experience comes into play to deliver sound requirement evolution and management.
End user definition
User Centred Design principles are at the heart of our approach. We work very closely with you to identify agreed user personas, scenarios and goals, drawing information from several sources:
- Data analysis for customer profiling
- Interviews and usability testing - for insight into customer motivations and behaviours related to existing competitor communities
- Task based analysis
- Fictional personas - a good way for design teams to 'sanity check' ideas
- Scenario and customer journey development for testing internally and with real users
User interface design
With the scope and strategy established, the Telligent team moves on to structural considerations - how the community's information, functions and navigation will be organised to best effect for users.
At this stage we want to give stakeholders an experience of how the community will work, so we create click through wireframes to emulate interaction and functionality. Wireframes also often highlight extra requirements, and allow early usability testing.
Technical solution architecture
As the interface is being designed, Building Blocks' technical consultant will work on the structure to support the solution's functions and features. This also involves integration with external applications, deployment processes, solution support, scalability, performance and future proofing.
Creative design
Once the Telligent solution's structure has been established, we apply the visual design. That's not to say that Building Blocks see the creative side as less of a priority, it's simply a case of being certain that the design works and is scalable before the 'look' is included.
Prototyping and usability testing
Building Blocks will often fully render prototypes - in line with the previously established persona scenarios - for internal and external usability testing. We use techniques such as 'Think Aloud Protocol' and eye tracking. This allows us to clearly see and analyse user reaction as it happens in a realistic setting.
Build team handover
Handover to the build team needs to be carefully actioned, and we minimize risks by previously having involved them in the design process. This way the team is already up to speed with the solution when they take on its ownership.
This security is supported even further by presenting the final deliverable of the design phase as detailed work specifications and assets.