When and why to call on a UX/UI designer?

What are the roles, actions, and impacts of a UX/UI designer?

By definition, a UX/UI designer works on the user experience of an application. They identify the target user after a research phase, think about the user journey, design the interface structure, and create the app’s design.

They work closely with different project stakeholders, such as the project manager, developers, art directors/graphic designers, and the end user. They may also collaborate with marketing or sales teams. Therefore, they play a central role.

Let’s focus on the research phase. During this stage, the designer will identify the target user, understand their needs, expectations, motivations, obstacles, and the environment in which they operate. This work will impact the project as a whole. Once we know who we are addressing, we will understand which features are necessary, which are essential, and thus should be prioritized for development. With the development team, we can create a roadmap, relying on a timeline to divide the work and offer an evolving product to the end user.

What is the ideal time for their intervention?

Let’s take the example of DataProject.

When I joined the project, the project team did not have access to the end user. Therefore, the end user was not clearly defined. That’s why there was a significant amount of work to truly understand who this tool was intended for, what their needs, expectations, obstacles, and work environment were…

After this research phase, in collaboration with the entire project team, we were able to identify two target users:

• The « admin » user
• The « standard » user

This had several impacts:

• Identifying the features for each profile
• Creating mockups tailored to each user profile
• Modifying existing mockups, and thus the existing application
• Prioritizing features for the development phase/li>

Working on the design after the development had already started slowed down the project. This led to significant constraints on the design in addition to the technical and graphical constraints imposed by the end client. In fact, I chose to reuse existing graphical elements to avoid starting from scratch, which would have required the developer to redo everything. This led to working meetings to explain the different changes, understand the impact on the development timeline, and adjust the design based on the schedule to deliver the product on time to the client.

Is it too late if the project has already started?

As you can imagine, it is highly recommended to involve a UX/UI designer at the very beginning of the project in order to optimize their work and that of the team members. The earlier they join a project, the better. This gives them time to conduct the research phase properly, identify the end users, think carefully about the product design, and thus meet the needs of the end users.

Of course, this is not always the case. It often happens that the designer comes in while the product is already under development. Their intervention is just as essential and relevant. However, it will require excellent communication and coordination between all team members to optimize collaboration and ensure the smooth progress of the project, while respecting various constraints (deadlines, budget, etc.).

Conclusion

The UX/UI designer works closely with various stakeholders and plays a key role in the success of a digital project. They are not just there to create mockups. Their work goes far beyond that. They are responsible for the proper implementation and execution of processes to design the best interface that meets the needs of the end users of your product. And as you’ve probably understood, the earlier they get involved, the more impactful their work will be.

If you have a project for designing or redesigning a website, mobile application, or business software, check out my dedicated offer and contact me to discuss it.