As a graphic designer, you know how important it is to create projects that meet your clients' expectations and goals. But how can you optimize your work for different user needs and preferences, especially when they vary across cultures, contexts, and devices? In this article, we'll share some tips and tools to help you design with user diversity in mind.
Before you start any project, you need to understand who your target users are, what they want, and how they behave. You can use various methods to research your audience, such as surveys, interviews, personas, scenarios, and user testing. These will help you gather insights into their demographics, motivations, pain points, preferences, and expectations. You can also use analytics tools to track their behavior and feedback on your existing projects.
Nothing beats qualitative research. People are human, they are not data sets. Good to remember data is only ever a snapshot of what's happened in the past
Knowing the audience, and gathering information about who they are, what they do, and how they feel, is the starting point of all the creative work. The whole design process is about taking the audience from the starting point of "who they are" to the finishing point of "who they become".
Once you have a clear picture of your audience, you need to define your project objectives and how they align with your users' needs and goals. You can use tools like SMART goals, user stories, and user journeys to articulate what you want to achieve, how you will measure your success, and what steps you need to take to get there. You should also prioritize your objectives and features based on their impact and feasibility.
A method to consider at this stage of a project and one that help focus objectives around budgets and capabilities is the MoSCoW method. This means: 1. Must-have (non negotiable) 2. Should-have (works without this but it'll add big value) 3. Could-have (like nice to have if time or budget allow) 4. Will not have (maybe in phase 2)
Your visual style is a key element of your project, as it conveys your message, tone, and personality. You need to choose a style that suits your audience, objectives, and context. You can use tools like mood boards, style tiles, and style guides to explore and define your style. You should also consider the cultural, emotional, and psychological implications of your color, typography, imagery, and layout choices.
In my experience context is everything, and knowing your audience is strongly tied to culture which can be expressed in many ways, via photography, illustration, copywriting or colour choices. Even just the right font can do the job.
Your layout is how you organize and present your content and elements on the screen. You need to adapt your layout to different devices, screen sizes, and orientations. You can use tools like responsive design, grid systems, and breakpoints to create flexible and consistent layouts that work across various platforms. You should also consider the usability, accessibility, and readability of your layout.
One thing I have found helpful is using grids. It is not only useful in print design but also very handy in digital design in terms of designing for different screen sizes.
Testing your project is essential to ensure that it works as intended and meets your users' needs and preferences. You can use tools like prototypes, wireframes, and mockups to test your ideas and concepts early and often. You can also use tools like usability testing, A/B testing, and feedback tools to test your project with real users and collect their opinions and suggestions. You should also test your project for performance, compatibility, and security issues.
Design is an ongoing process. It starts with empathy. Design stages continue with defining, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. However, these stages are non-linear and iterative. The test is not the final thing that should be done. Testing is everywhere, even starting from brainstorming ideas.
Finally, you need to communicate your results and deliverables to your clients and stakeholders. You need to show them how your project meets their expectations and goals, and how it addresses the user needs and preferences. You can use tools like portfolios, presentations, and reports to showcase your work and explain your process and decisions. You should also be prepared to answer questions, receive feedback, and make revisions if needed.
Communication with clients is crucial at every stage. I've personally found it useful to show the very early drafts of layouts, just to make sure we are on the same page with them. So that the final product won't be a good surprise to them!
To make your project work for everyone, start by talking to your users, figuring out what they need and like. Create different user personas representing these folks. Then, focus on what's most important for each group. Let people customize stuff like colors and fonts. Make sure it looks good on all screens. Keep testing with real users from different groups and listen to what they say. If something's not working, fix it. And remember, it's an ongoing process, so stay flexible and open to change. Your project should be like a good host, making everyone feel at home.