{"id":10513,"date":"2021-07-06T14:24:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-06T17:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/?p=10513"},"modified":"2023-06-01T01:15:21","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T04:15:21","slug":"lean-ux-7-steps-to-fail-fast-win-big-and-stay-agile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/lean-ux-7-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Lean UX Design: Fail Fast, Win Big, Stay Agile"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lean UX Design: Fail Fast, Win Big, Stay Agile<\/span><\/h1>\n

There are days when I wake up in the morning and marvel at the way things are, the way technological advancement and ingenuity has improved my life\u00a0and work.\u00a0Marveling at the way we\u00a0access\u00a0and share\u00a0information or\u00a0create and innovate\u00a0is\u00a0fitting for any day of the week.\u00a0In every field\u00a0there are touchpoints\u00a0when\u00a0something shifts, where something elevates. For UX design, this was the 2013 book\u00a0<\/span>Lean UX: Designing Great Products with Agile Teams<\/span><\/i><\/a>\u00a0by<\/span>\u00a0Jeff Gothelf. Gothelf\u2019s idea revolutionized the design world by introducing a new way of understanding UX design and changed how we navigate the digital product design process.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the near decade since, Gothelf\u2019s Lean UX Design methodology has evolved and grown in popularity. We are some of his biggest fans, professionals who have tried this way of working and love it, and in that spirit, we offer this guide to apply Lean methodologies to your <\/span>digital product design<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and development to create great user experiences in\u00a0the most\u00a0efficient way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re new to this, the first thing you need to know is that Lean UX is a system that is\u00a0entirely\u00a0focused on the users and requires fast and constant iteration to achieve best results. The main purpose\u00a0behind\u00a0switching to this dynamic is\u00a0to\u00a0maximize your efforts and efficiency,\u00a0spending your time and\u00a0money\u00a0on things that truly add value. By doing this via smaller\u00a0steps you can validate each time, you improve efficiency and results.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How you ask?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Well first, let\u2019s look at an overview of the Lean UX methodology\u2019s key characteristics:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Small and interdisciplinary teams: one person from each area to\u00a0include\u00a0valuable\u00a0insights\u00a0and still be agile.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Result centered: focus on the testing results instead of making\u00a0iterations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Eliminate\u00a0waste: optimize your effort\u00a0and\u00a0stop spending time on tasks that aren\u2019t essential.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Small deliveries to validate each step: start with the essential and only add things that you\u00a0conclude\u00a0are necessary.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Constant learning about users: user testing and feedback\u00a0is the nexus, the\u00a0single most important,\u00a0fastest and most effective way to build the best digital products.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Making instead of over-thinking:\u00a0Too much time\u00a0analyzing,\u00a0and\u00a0you will miss\u00a0out\u00a0on the richest part of the process;\u00a0testing what you have and improving it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Understanding the problem\u00a0early: make sure you have a\u00a0complete grasp\u00a0of the problem you\u2019re going to solve before the design phase.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Mistakes: yes!\u00a0You\u2019re allowed and even encouraged to make mistakes in the initial steps, this is where you\u2019ll learn the most. What you learn will\u00a0help you achieve a polished digital product by the time you launch.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Listening to your team: forget about stars and gurus, nobody will know your digital product as well as your team, so focus your attention on their advice and ideas.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Now that you understand key aspects of the methodology, lets delve deeper by breaking\u00a0this\u00a0up into sections\u00a0by\u00a0different days\u00a0of the week. If every day has a different characteristic and discovery, so too does each of the seven phases here:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Monday:\u00a0Learning<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Tuesday:\u00a0Reaching conclusions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Wednesday:\u00a0Crafting your MVP<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Thursday:\u00a0Building your essentials<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Friday: Lean information architecture<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Saturday:\u00a0Put your design to test!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sunday:\u00a0Ending and beginning<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Monday:\u00a0learning<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Start the week off right.\u00a0If you want to start on the right foot, it\u2019s essential to have a good\u00a0<\/span>product strategy<\/span><\/a>. When you build a digital product there are three fundamental\u00a0areas: UX design, development and business. You need input and participation from all to create the best possible digital product. That\u2019s why we bring everyone on board\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0very\u00a0beginning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Forget about creating\u00a0a lot of\u00a0design options\u00a0from which to choose or\u00a0a whole proposal\u00a0only to\u00a0change it\u00a0post\u00a0feedback. Having\u00a0reps\u00a0from different areas\u00a0alleviates these extra steps, reduces\u00a0your effort and ensures\u00a0that you\u2019re\u00a0focused on the right tasks. Things\u00a0will\u00a0move smoothly and better\u00a0overall as a result.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    On the other side there\u2019s the users. The fundamental\u00a0first step when starting a new digital product is getting to know the people who are going to use it. After you\u00a0meet with\u00a0your new client about the\u00a0idea,\u00a0and before creating anything, look for information about\u00a0the\u00a0potential users, the product\u2019s possible competition and the company you\u2019re working with.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The data that you collect\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>product strategy<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is not only important but can\u00a0also\u00a0be surprising. Even if you think you\u2019ve\u00a0learned\u00a0everything about your users from your client, it\u2019s possible that you\u00a0will discover new\u00a0insights that change\u00a0your\u00a0perspective. If\u00a0so,\u00a0share these with\u00a0your client. They will\u00a0appreciate\u00a0receiving\u00a0that knowledge early in the process, instead of\u00a0investing\u00a0time and money building the initial idea and creating a digital product that ends up not\u00a0meeting\u00a0users\u2019\u00a0needs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The key to Lean UX is failing fast to learn more. If you thought something would work and realize it doesn\u2019t, don\u2019t be frustrated. Take this as an opportunity to evolve your\u00a0initial idea into something better. If you realize you\u2019ve\u00a0made a wrong assumption about your users, now is the time to fix that and adjust your digital product idea so it will appeal to them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Some recommendations to get information about your users:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Secondary research: there\u2019s plenty of studies\u00a0available online, and this consists\u00a0of\u00a0going through what other people have found out about what you\u2019re interested in. It\u2019s much less expensive than conducting your own studies, and even though it doesn\u2019t replace\u00a0them, it\u00a0can\u00a0still provide\u00a0a lot of useful information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Surveys and interviews: both are great ways to gather data about your potential users. If you\u2019re looking for\u00a0quantitative\u00a0answers to specific questions,\u00a0a survey could be the right fit. On the other hand, if you have a bit more time and you\u2019re interested in obtaining deeper\u00a0responses you may\u00a0lean towards a series of interviews.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Inspiration: look at other sites, analyze how they are solving problems. It will\u00a0provide\u00a0ideas to build your own solutions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Contextual observation: observing the user in their natural context\u00a0will\u00a0give you a great idea of what they truly need and how they will interact with your digital product. If you\u2019re going to do this, make sure you choose the right people to observe and be ready to take lots of notes,\u00a0you will need them later to identify patterns.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Tuesday: reaching conclusions<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    I know what you\u2019re thinking, conclusions by Tuesday?\u00a0Just hear me out.\u00a0Research has two phases:\u00a0you consider\u00a0all\u00a0possible ideas and scenarios, and you take\u00a0everything\u00a0you\u2019ve\u00a0learned and discard ideas that weren\u2019t successful. Here are some techniques from the Lean methodology that could help you organize all this\u00a0information\u00a0(it\u2019s a lot)\u00a0and make the most of it, before you\u00a0dive into\u00a0the initial design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Create a proto persona: build a typical user. For this, think about an individual,\u00a0with\u00a0a name and specific characteristics. The goal is to give\u00a0this individual\u00a0a\u00a0context,\u00a0demographics,\u00a0as well as\u00a0behavior, goals\u00a0and needs that represent\u00a0actual\u00a0users.\u00a0Having\u00a0a user in mind while\u00a0building\u00a0your\u00a0digital product\u00a0makes\u00a0everything\u00a0easier.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Build an empathy map: process the information gathered\u00a0to\u00a0create a better idea of your user’s needs, expectations and emotions.\u00a0We\u00a0recommended\u00a0making\u00a0a board where you can differentiate your user\u2019s inner thoughts and outside environment.\u00a0On the board write\u00a0what\u00a0this person does, things they hear\u00a0or\u00a0say, and then their\u00a0challenges\u00a0and the gains they would get from your solution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Of course, everything must be related to your digital product. For example, if you\u2019re building a product focused on fitness, you might write that this person says they would like to exercise more but doesn\u2019t have the time, or that they\u2019ve heard\u00a0that exercising will help them focus\u00a0and sleep better. From this board, you\u2019ll\u00a0find the pains and gains.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    After\u00a0identifying those,\u00a0look\u00a0for ways to maximize the gains and erase the\u00a0pains; the\u00a0parts of your solution that wouldn\u2019t add to your user\u2019s experience.\u00a0Here it\u2019s important to pay attention to the balance between gains and sacrifice: what your users will get from your product has to\u00a0outweigh the sacrifice they will have to make to get it. Your product should be relevant, different, and trustworthy,\u00a0that\u2019s how you move a step closer to success.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Wednesday: crafting your MVP<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cDesigning\u00a0without\u00a0researching\u00a0first\u00a0is\u00a0like\u00a0getting\u00a0in a\u00a0cab\u00a0and\u00a0just\u00a0saying\u00a0\u2019drive!\u2019.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0(Facebook\u00a0team\u00a0quote)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s the middle of the work week and almost halfway through this Lean UX methodology. At this point, you\u2019ve completed the first research phase and you have enough information to start your <\/span>product design<\/span><\/a>. Here are some concepts and exercises from the Lean methodology that will be useful when creating an MVP.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Moscow method: your first version of the digital product should be composed of only the essential parts. To organize the functionalities, put them into\u00a0different categories based on all the things you\u00a0have\u00a0learned\u00a0thus far\u00a0about the users.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The \u201cmust have” is what you\u2019ll\u00a0use to\u00a0create the MVP and it\u2019s the core functionalities of your solution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The\u00a0\u201cshould have\u201d\u00a0is\u00a0when\u00a0you\u00a0group the functionalities that are important to achieve success but won\u2019t be part of the MVP. They are the first things\u00a0you will add after testing\u00a0the first part.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The \u201ccool to have\u201d\u00a0are\u00a0things that would improve the UX and add gains. These things aren\u2019t too expensive, so it\u2019s good to keep them in the backlog, but they are\u00a0not\u00a0essential.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Lastly\u00a0the \u201cwon\u2019t have\u201d\u00a0list. Some of your initial ideas just\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0work, and the\u00a0smartest\u00a0thing to do is discard them\u00a0early. Don\u2019t get attached to your first idea,\u00a0it should\u00a0evolve!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Something to keep in mind when defining what your MVP will look like\u00a0is that it should have the essential amount of all the things that compose it. Many people think that an MVP is complete with only functionalities, and\u00a0we think\u00a0that\u2019s a mistake. If you want an MVP that you can test properly, add elements that are important, and contemplate reliability, usability, and design.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Lean<\/p>\n

    Always remember the basics of Lean UX design:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Clear words: short and simple phrases are the way to go.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Purpose: every visual element must be useful and necessary.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Appropriate device: think of what your users will use.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Time: interactions must be fast and optimal.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Behavior: keep in mind the reactions and emotions your digital product will evoke.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The usability principles by Jakob Nielsen come to mind, a good set of rules that fit well with the Lean methodology and have proven effective.<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"Lean<\/p>\n

      Thursday: building your essentials.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      It\u2019s almost the weekend and you\u2019re all set to start creating your MVP now! Here are some Lean UX tips to keep in mind during this phase when you start to move closer to your <\/span>product development<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Sitemaps: these hierarchical maps show all the app\u2019s sites\u00a0and\u00a0are useful to define the navigation, calculate the size of\u00a0the\u00a0content and\u00a0provide\u00a0a more accurate estimation of our future work. We recommend building\u00a0one\u00a0using tools for people with no design background; that will make it easier to present to stakeholders.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      User flow: there are many questions that you can ask\u00a0when creating the user flow. How do our users reach the conversion site? How many steps\u00a0in\u00a0the buying process? What\u2019s the goal of each page? What functionalities will our users want to find? Each site should have a clear purpose. Remember, if it\u2019s not essential, move it to the next phase.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Crazy 8s: if you\u2019re blocked during this phase or want to try something different, this is a great exercise. It\u2019s about\u00a0designing 8 different ideas for a page in 5 minutes. It sounds\u00a0crazy,\u00a0but\u00a0focus on the core of each idea and forget about the details that\u00a0you\u00a0can\u00a0polish later. The goal is to move past the first thing\u00a0you\u00a0create, which is usually the less innovative.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Sketching: draw\u00a0your first ideas,\u00a0this makes them\u00a0accessible to everyone\u00a0on the team and it\u2019s a fast and easy way\u00a0to catch\u00a0design mistakes and focus on\u00a0improvement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Wireframes and prototypes: when following the Lean UX methodologies, we first draw an idea using no computer, then transform into a low fidelity WF, then a high fidelity WF, and finally a mockup that includes every element from colors to chosen letter fonts. If we\u2019re working for a mobile solution, it\u2019s common to just create a high fidelity WF from the beginning. To avoid creating a mockup and having too many things to change, validate each idea. This will help things move faster with stakeholders. Make sure to prepare the presentation thoughtfully.\u00a0\u00a0Remember that everyone must be able to understand the functionalities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Skeleton frames: thinking about this will help\u00a0you\u00a0visualize\u00a0how\u00a0the content and information will\u00a0appear\u00a0and reveal\u00a0if\u00a0the\u00a0organization\u00a0is successful\u00a0and what changes\u00a0you\u00a0must make. Many apps and sites show these skeletons as the content is loading, which is a great idea because it helps users quickly understand where everything is going to be.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Design patterns: you won\u2019t invent every part of your design. There are some solutions that are common to popular digital products, and as the Lean UX fans insist there’s no need to introduce new ways of doing those things. Your users spend a lot of time using other apps, and things will be easier for them if your design respects the patterns. Don\u2019t make it harder for them to interact with your digital product or more labor intensive for you!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Friday: Lean information architecture.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      TGIF! By now you\u2019re very close to finishing your MVP and ready to test and iterate, as the Lean UX methodology suggests. But first let\u2019s review some rules of information architecture that will help when the time comes to add all of the content into your solution.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Information architecture means organizing the content in a strategic way, so our users can find everything easily. Remember, we want things to be simple. To achieve that, we have to structure our design to be able to combine the best organizational methods for the information we\u2019re going to provide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"Lean<\/p>\n

      For this step, we need to consider three variables: context, content, and users. The combination\u00a0creates a space from which\u00a0we can design our information architecture.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Information architecture should help our users understand where they are, what they\u2019ve\u00a0found, what other things they can expect to find, and what\u2019s around. Think about\u00a0signs in an\u00a0airport or\u00a0at the\u00a0supermarket; if they\u2019re well designed\u00a0it\u2019s easy to find\u00a0what you need without asking for help.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \"Lean<\/p>\n

      Saturday: put your design to test!<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Who doesn\u2019t want to repeat Saturday\u2019s? And just like our favorite day of the week, you will go through this step countless times during your\u00a0<\/span>digital product life cycle<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s a key part of your\u00a0<\/span>product growth<\/span><\/a>, because this is where you test your MVP and get all the feedback you need to turn that first version into an extended one.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      As we explained before, this is an essential part of the Lean UX methodology. By testing and validating frequently, you will be confident that you\u2019re not wasting time designing and developing functionalities that aren\u2019t necessary. You will start with an MVP and only add things that users really want.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Before you take your digital product to your users, make sure to test it yourself a couple of times to make sure everything works like it should. Once you\u2019re ready, select the people that you\u2019re going to observe.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      The best thing is having actual users, but if\u00a0funding or time don\u2019t allow, you can ask other people,\u00a0it will still be\u00a0super\u00a0helpful!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Make sure that you explain\u00a0to\u00a0your users that you\u2019re testing the design, not them; it helps so they don\u2019t get frustrated if they can\u2019t complete some of the tasks. You can tell them to explain their actions out loud, so you\u00a0understand\u00a0why they are interacting with the digital product\u00a0a certain way\u00a0and what they expect to find with each step.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      If the user can\u2019t complete a task, explain that it\u2019s not a problem and skip it. It\u2019s better\u00a0to\u00a0avoid unnecessary frustration\u00a0or\u00a0pressure.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Once you finish this step, you should have a clear idea of what parts of the design are too complicated\u00a0or\u00a0frustrating for the users. With that, you will work to make them\u00a0clearer and\u00a0more intuitive.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Sunday: ending and\u00a0beginning<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Congratulations! You\u2019ve reached the end of the week: the end of a very important phase, and also the beginning of the next one. Creating a digital product is not a straight line. We like to think about it more like a spiraling shape, where you evolve by reviewing all your past steps. Kind of like life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      During your\u00a0<\/span>digital product life cycle<\/span><\/a>, you will create many different things, discover new functionalities, design new interactions, test countless ideas and keep the best from each cycle.\u00a0You\u00a0will learn, grow and improve, and so will\u00a0your\u00a0process and digital\u00a0products.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      We hope this Lean UX guide can help you along the way. If you\u2019re seeking more help with creating disruptive and amazing digital products, please <\/span>tell us about your project<\/span><\/a>, we would love to\u00a0join in!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Lean UX Design: Fail Fast, Win Big, Stay Agile There are days when I wake up in the morning and marvel at the way things are, the way technological advancement…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":10524,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[289],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10513"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10513"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11316,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10513\/revisions\/11316"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uruit.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}