UX Design (User-Centered Design)
We design interaction – simple and intuitive
User experience design or user-centered design is a holistic approach to designing interactive systems with the goal of achieving an optimal user experience. Only if the needs of the user and the context of use are known and taken into account during development can interaction be designed to be intuitively usable and successful.
What Is User-Centered Design (UCD)?
4 building blocks for successful UX Design:
UCD is a framework for the systematic development of good user experience. Good human-centered products and services are only created through consistent user involvement. All user-centered design processes and methods such as design thinking, service design, lean UX, or design sprints fundamentally consist of these four building blocks: understanding, exploring, designing, and testing.
Are you wondering how UX design can optimize your products?
In a short conversation with our Consulting Team, you can quickly find out how we can best support you. Alternatively, feel free to send us a short message, and we will get back to you.
We are happy to advise you - free of charge and without obligation.
UX Design Building Block: Understand
The goal of the Understand phase is to gain a deep and fundamental understanding of the users, the domain, the product, its application context, and all associated frameworks.
User Research: Understand the target group
Here, the main focus is on understanding the users and the central context of use so that real requirements and goals can be derived. Together with you we review and discuss existing information and plan the appropriate user research measures, such as contextual inquiries, surveys, focus groups oder diary studies. The collected insights from the user research, together with the business requirements, form the basis for the further steps that we plan and implement with you.
An overview: Methods of user research
UX Workshops: Understand each other
Instead of PowerPoint and time-consuming meetings, we rely on constructive, well-moderated workshops, — no matter if project kickoff, requirements analysis, goal-oriented alignment, breaking down silos or getting a better understanding of a problem.
With the right methods our experienced consultants and designers create interactive, results-oriented workshops.
Since we and many of our customers work partly from home, we have also raised our online workshops to a new level and offer the full experience in a remote context as well.
UX Deliverables: Results for user-centered work
We rely on various forms of results presentation. All of them serve as helpful tools for daily communication and work with a user-centric focus.
Results from user research are usually prepared and prioritized in descriptive reports.
To make the goals and needs of the target group more concrete and tangible, we use Personas for example. With a Customer Journey (auch User Journey) wiederum können die Berührungspunkte der User mit Ihrem Unternehmen, Produkt oder Service anschaulich abgebildet und exemplarisch durchgespielt werden.
Case Study Patient Experience Map
Which feelings, experiences and difficulties do patients have in the context of imaging diagnostics at each individual step of their patient journey? We explored this question together with physicians, patients and Siemens Healthineers.
Views Case Study
Case Study LVM Insurance
In a series of design sprints, we collaborated with LVM on a comprehensive relaunch of the website. Together with stakeholders from various departments, we developed a new, user-centered concept.
View Case StudyUX Design Building Block: Explore
Exploration is all about ideas and solutions: a wide variety of creative methods are used to explore possibilities and uncover innovation potential. The results of user research often serve as the basis for this process.
Ideation: Develop ideas and solutions
What becomes particularly clear during exploration: User Experience Design is an iterative approach. In this phase, we rely on joint workshops in interdisciplinary teams (e.g., domain experts, UX designers, developers). Using design thinking methods such as design sprints or design studios, together we develop initial ideas and solutions in the form of simple scribbles and paper prototypes.
While some solutions are developed further, other ideas or parts of them end up in the trash. Before we commit to a solution, alternatives are tried out, critically questioned in the team, and in some cases tested with users at a very early stage.
Co-Creation: Our customers and the users as impulse generators
When project team members and users not only test the prototypes, but are actively involved in the process of generating ideas and solutions, this is known as co-creation.
Through the principle of participative design with our clients and their users, all participants have the opportunity to help shape the future product or service themselves and provide exciting impulses.
Wondering how we can support you?
In a short conversation with our Consulting Team, you can quickly find out how we can best support you. Alternatively, feel free to send us a short message, and we will get back to you.
We are happy to advise you - free of charge and without obligation.
UX Design Building Block: Design
Based on the results of the Understand and Explore phases, the Design phase involves developing concrete concepts and visualizing them. In the vast majority of cases, we develop a prototype that represents the requirements that were defined together.
Prototyping: Making concepts tangible
Prototypes are early visualizations of the system or system section to be developed. Long before the first line of code is written, we deliberately raise questions that can be clarified iteratively. Through early and very concrete visualization, we can involve users in the development process, create a consistent basis for discussion for all project participants and in this way avoid problems of understanding.
The functional scope, interactivity and design of the prototypes are strongly oriented towards the objective and target group of the respective design.
More about Prototyping
More UX: Information architecture, workflows, content und interaction design
In addition to the visualization of user interfaces, the Design phase is also particularly concerned with the associated processes, structures, content and interactions.
For the development of a good information architecture and navigation structure, methods such as Card Sorting, Tree Testing, Top Task Analysis or content audits – an inventory of the content – are often used. The results flow seamlessly into prototyping.
UI Design: More than just bling bling
An appealing and consistent user interface design, ideally across the entire user journey, is an important factor for a good user experience and a positive brand perception (brand experience).
Depending on the scope and complexity of the project, we also help with modular style guides or a design system to simplify and standardize the work with UI elements or design patterns for all stakeholders in your company.
Design Systems and Documentation
Design systems are a central tool for creating digital products that are consistent, efficient, and sustainable. They consolidate visual guidelines, components, and interaction patterns into a single source that can be accessed by all stakeholders – design, development, and product management.
We are happy to assist you in creating and maintaining design resources as well as facilitating communication between design and development.
Case Study Leibniz University Hanover
A complete revision of the online presence should bring order and optimize the overall user experience. The improved usability benefits all target groups of the Leibniz University.
View Case Study
Case Study Intelligent Assistance System
Artificial intelligence (AI) and smart algorithms provide completely new access to information in the diagnostic workflow of radiologists. The goal of the multi-year project was and is to develop an intelligent software assistant that offers real added value.
View Case StudyUX Design Building Block: Test
Only by testing with users does the development process become truly user-centric. We apply an agile and iterative approach and incorporate valuable user feedback directly into the design process.
UX Testing: The users' perspective
Our prototypes are evaluated with real users in all development phases: In early phases the structure and processes, in later phases complex interactive prototypes. The insights gained are coordinated with all relevant project participants and flow directly back into the concept.
This ensures that all requirements are met and prevents expensive misdevelopments.
More about UX Testing / Usability Evaluation
The result of the user-centered design process is a successful digital product, developed together with the future users, that not only fulfills the users' wishes, but delights them.
