Designing the perfect product might seem straightforward, but there are many nuances that you need to be aware of. Otherwise, you might find it difficult to bring your vision to life.
To help you get started, we’ve created a comprehensive guide with all of the details you need to know. Let’s take a look at the key components of the product design process.
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Table of Contents show
Brainstorming
It should come as no surprise that brainstorming is the first step in the product design process. This is where you will get out all of your potential ideas, both good and bad.
In general, there are three primary phases of brainstorming:
- Defining the problem
- Generating solutions
- Choosing the most logical options
When handled correctly, the brainstorming process will be both brief and effective.
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Defining Your Product
Once the brainstorming phase has concluded, you can define the products you wish to develop. It’s important to note that a comprehensive definition isn’t something that is required at this point.
Instead, you’ll simply need to highlight the key aspects of your product. These guidelines will help ensure that the development process stays on track.
Otherwise, you may naturally begin to deviate from your initial ideas. This is something that can negatively affect the experience your users have.
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Researching Your Target Users
In order to provide the best user experience possible, it’s imperative that you have a strong understanding of your target audience. This will help you figure out how they think, allowing you to cater to their needs.
It’s also essential that you are able to determine how they will use the product and the key attributes they look for. You should consider the following about your audience:
- Age
- Level of education
- Geographic location and time zone
- Hobbies and interests
- Annual income
- Primary languages
From here, you’ll have enough information to develop a persona for your average user. This data will be invaluable throughout the rest of the process.
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Sketching
As the name suggests, sketching involves creating a rough outline of the product itself. This typically includes refining the concepts you came up with during the brainstorming stage.
Additionally, you can also use sketching to update the client about the direction of the development process. This is an essential practice, as it will help determine whether or not you should move forward with development or rework your design.
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Developing a Prototype
Prototype development is a core pillar of the product design process. This is when you’ll be able to implement the concepts you established and bring your ideas to life.
It’s important to note that a prototype isn’t meant to be aesthetically appealing. It is more or less supposed to serve as a skeleton of what the product is supposed to be.
The good news is that your clients and potential users can still get a solid idea of how the product will function.
Since prototyping is so important, it’s imperative that you emphasize this part of the process. A good prototype could mean the difference between whether or not your product design turns out as intended.
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Reworking Specifications
No prototype is perfect. However, it’s not expected to be.
After you develop one, you can rework existing specifications to make up for any shortcomings. Additionally, you can double down on the attributes of your prototype that have proven to be effective.
The solutions you develop should be implemented as quickly as possible. It’s not uncommon for prototype reworks to drastically impact the deadline of the project.
At this point during the design process, you may also need to outsource to other types of professionals. This is particularly true if the function of the prototype is not able to meet the needs of your clients in its current form.
You can visit this resource to learn more information about how to hire a product designer.
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Creating/Testing Factory Samples
This is where you begin to focus on the appearance of the product. Factory samples will help you understand how it will look when users have the product in their hands.
Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for product designers to discover during this stage that the visual appeal of the product does not meet their needs.
The good news is that you can likely correct these issues relatively quickly. Then, you can simply have new factory samples created.
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Beginning Development
Once you have hammered out the fine details, will be ready to begin the development of the actual product. Due to all of the research and testing you have already conducted, you’ll have a full list of defined requirements.
At this point, all you need to do is ensure that the outstanding criteria are met during production.
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Quality Assurance
The final step before you release your product is quality assurance. Discovering usability concerns is essential when it comes to providing the best experience possible.
It’s recommended to dedicate an entire team to quality assurance. It can be relatively easy for a small group of people to overlook crucial details.
The Product Design Process Might Seem Overwhelming at First
However, it’s not nearly as difficult as it seems. With the information above in mind, you’ll be able to tackle the product design process effectively and ensure that your product development goes as smoothly as possible.
Want to learn more useful info that can help you out in the future? Be sure to check out the rest of our blog.
