People are discussing product design issues these days more often than ever before. This happens for a reason: a competition-driven market forces us to come up with better design solutions than our rivals do to withstand the pressure.
Let’s find out how to design a product and figure out 3 things you should know about the process. We will consider the skill set every product design and development professional should have.
1. What Is Product Design Development: 5 Steps To Successful Product Design
Product designing is a collective term for a broad range of both technical and creative works to make the software product appealing to the end-user. To have a better understanding of the designing process, let’s consider each process aspect in detail.
Business Strategy
Here at Gravum, we know that every product design development begins with an idea. An idea of a product that exposes beneficial features to users. Then comes the business strategy. It represents the plan of how we are going to bring the idea to life.
The proper business strategy addresses a range of crucial questions:
- What is the user issue we are solving?
- What is the solution we can offer?
- How we are going to deliver it?
- What is our target audience?
User Research
You have to know the users’ needs and desires to satisfy them. Product designers are the people that understand their target audience and have a deep knowledge of their preferences.
Graphics And Visual Design
Quality visual elements are integral to a decent user experience. Product design engineers think through the user in-app journey, create smooth transitions, nice-looking loaders, custom UI elements – everything to make the user-friendly software product that is both functional and delightful in use.
User Experience And Interactions
User experience (UX) represents the quality of the interaction the application provides for users. This includes all the knowledge and techniques that make users exclaim: “Wow, this is convenient”. These include but are not limited to the following:
- Keep the number of required user actions to a minimum. This means removing all redundant pages and controls. Ideally, users must be able to perform any operation in 3-6 in-app actions;
- Follow the UX guidelines of the target platform. Users get used to specific software elements and behavior. Product designer can greatly increase the feeling of organic and natural experience by implementing those in the app;
- Strive for a holistic experience. There should not be a “right, this is mobile, everything is different here” experience. Make sure your target audience uses and enjoys the software product regardless of the platform.
Data Analysis And Continuous Development
Releasing the software product doesn’t mean the end of work. The product designer knows there is always room for improvement. Gathering user-related metrics and feedback is essential for figuring out the strengths and weaknesses of your software masterpiece.
Product design is about learning users and making them happy. This means continuous development is of vital importance for the quality user experience.
2. Product Design And Development Specialists: Who Are They
Product designers understand and can participate in all development stages described above. They are the universal experts capable of performing the following roles:
- Business strategist;
- User interface designer;
- User experience specialist;
- Data analyst.
Now, hear us out: we understand that it is impossible to be a jack-of-all-trades and deliver the results of competitive quality. Our Gravum product design professionals believe that it is crucial to select your core skills and enhance them by intermediate proficiency in the other ones. This is the way to stay competitive on the market and not lie about achievements.
3. Product Design Services: How To Select Your Best Service Provider
You should base your decision on the previous experience of the person or company offering product design and development services. Here are some points to look for:
- Relevant expertise in your industry. If you are developing a music app, service suppliers with experience in streaming app design will fit your needs the best;
- Motivation. Highly-motivated contractors always deliver quality results. Don’t skimp on your product design, don’t sacrifice your success for cheap services.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are seeking product design engineers for your FinTech app or blockchain-powered messenger, always take into account their previous experience and opt for highly-motivated service providers.
If you need professional assistance in your product design and development, drop us a line. Gravum product design specialists are ready for challenges and always up to making IT-industry a better place.