1. Research Planning
To properly plan, we’ll need to scope the project in terms of time, talent & budget plus conduct secondary research to understand the context, background and analogues.
2. Design Research
The typical recruiting, interview guides and interactive tools are requisite. However, I add quantitative assets to the process: recruitment analysis, pre- & post-interview surveys and qualitative data organization.
3. Ideation
Bringing a business mind at the co-design, brainstorming and prototype development stages means we aren’t using voting dots to determine which prototypes we go with - I develop an evaluation matrix for every project which ensures we’re seeing the big picture when we make our choices.
4. Prototyping
Everyone loves this stage. I love beginning to collect real numbers around cost and effectiveness. While we’re learning about how our prototypes work IRL, I’m measuring feedback and implementation details so we can make a decision with numbers to support our quotes and feelings.
5. Live Prototyping
While we can get some numbers during prototyping, it isn’t til we live prototype that we’ll get enough to have the data we need to say our ideas will work or not. This is the stage we gather the proof investors/funders/decision-makers need to greenlight a project.
6. Package and Pitch
Typically, the people deciding on the project are going to be concerned with money. This is where all our quantitative data from the design process comes in handy: we will have facts & figures from day one needed to back up the story we tell. I also help a lot with translating findings into business terms to ensure we’re all speaking the same language.