My Design Process

A detailed breakdown of my UX approach — from discovery to delivery.

About This Process

Purpose

Define and communicate our

standardized design process to ensure consistency, quality, and alignment across all product development initiatives.

Scope

Covers the entire design

lifecycle from strategic

alignment through continuous

improvement, including all key activities and decision points.

Audience

Designers, product managers,

stakeholders, and cross-

functional teams involved in

product development and

decision-making.

Pre-Double Diamond

Strategic foundation work that ensures alignment before entering the formal design process.

Strategic Alignment

Objective: Align design initiatives with business vision, objectives, and key results.

Pre-Portfolio

Key Activities

  • Review Mission Statement.

  • OKR definition and alignment

  • Objectives and Vision statement

  • Problem Statement

Outputs

  • Front Door Request

  • Service Request

  • Groomed Business Feature "if avalable"

  • Can Design begin PI Planning?

Intake & Prioritization

Objective: Collect, evaluate, and prioritize design requests based on strategic value.

Key Activities

  • Request collection and documentation

  • Impact/effort assessment

  • Portfolio prioritization

  • Readiness assessment

Decision Points

  • Approval to proceed to discovery

  • Resource allocation

  • Timeline commitment

Double Diamond Process

Discovery & Research

Objective: Understand user needs, behaviors, and pain points through comprehensive research.

Discover

Key Activities

  • User interviews and surveys

  • Competitive analysis

  • Journey mapping

  • Market research

  • Analytics review

Collaboration

  • PM requirements review

  • Engineering feasibility check

  • Stakeholder interviews

Definition & Synthesis

Objective: Synthesize research findings into clear problem statements and design direction.

Define

Key Activities

  • Affinity mapping

  • Persona development

  • Problem framing

  • User story mapping

  • Success metrics definition

Outputs

  • Research report

  • Problem statements

  • Design principles

  • Success metrics

Feedback Loop to Discovery

Ideation & Concept Development

Objective: Generate and evaluate multiple solutions to identified problems.

Develop

Key Activities

  • Brainstorming sessions

  • Concept sketching

  • Low-fidelity prototyping

  • Solution evaluation

  • Concept testing

Collaboration

  • Technical feasibility review

  • Cross-functional workshops

  • Solution prioritizationz

Design & Iteration

Objective: Develop high-quality design solutions and validate through testing.

Develop + Deliver

Key Activities

  • High-fidelity prototyping

  • UI design system application

  • Usability testing

  • Design iteration

  • Accessibility review

Outputs

  • Final design mockups

  • Prototypes

  • Usability reports

  • Design

  • Specs

Production & Delivery

Objective: Prepare and hand off designs for implementation with quality assurance.

Deliver

Key Activities

  • Design system updates

  • Asset production

  • Developer handoff

  • QA testing support

  • Design documentation

Collaboration

  • Engineering syncs

  • Release planning

  • Stakeholder

  • Reviews

Review & Continuous Improvement

Continuous

Improvement

Activities

  • Post-release feedback

collection

  • Success metrics evaluation

  • Process retrospectives

  • Documentation updates

Outputs

  • Lessons learned reports

  • Process improvements

  • Updated design assets

Impact

Improved future iterations

Process optimization

Team knowledge growth

Roles & Responsibilities

Design Lead

  • Oversee design process execution

  • Ensure and

    consistency

  • Stakeholder

    communication

  • Team mentorship

UX Researcher

  • Plan and conduct user research

  • Synthesize findings

  • Create personas and

    journey maps

  • Usability testing

Visual Designer

  • Create high-fidelity designs

  • Maintain design system

  • Ensure visual consistency

  • Produce final assets

Project Manager

  • Timeline and milestone tracking

  • Cross-team coordination

  • Risk management

  • Resource allocation

Stakeholders

  • Provide business context

  • Participate in reviews

  • Make key decisions

  • Allocate resources

Engineering

  • Technical feasibility input

  • Implementation planning

  • Quality assurance

  • Design system

    contributions

Tools & Resources

Figma

Primary design and

prototyping tool

FigJam

Collaborative

whiteboarding and

workshops

Jira | Rally

Work Force

Project tracking and

task management

UserTesting

Remote user research

and testing

Google Analytics

User behavior and

metrics analysis

Slack

Team communication

and coordination

Confluence

Documentation and

knowledge sharing

Google Docs

Collaborative

documentation

Glossary

HCD (Human-Centered Design)

An approach to design that puts human needs, capabilities, and behavior first, then designs to accommodate those needs.

PI (Program Increment)

Double Diamond

OKR (Objectives and Key Results)

UX (User Experience)

Revision History

VERSION

1.2

1.1

1.0

DATE

2023-10-15

2023-08-22

2023-06-10

AUTHOR

Jane Smith

John Doe

Jane Smith

DESCRIPTION

Added continuous improvement section

Updated tools section

Initial version

Full Visual Process Flow

Strategic Alignment

🔹 1. Strategic Alignment & Intake (Gray) What’s happening: This is where every project starts. A business idea or digital request comes in and is carefully evaluated. Here, we set the vision, define objectives, outline the project scope, and identify key stakeholders. Product Design & PMI View: This phase is your “intake gate,” where we clarify the project’s “why.” It’s about making sure everyone is on the same page before any work begins, which is a fundamental step in both product and project management. Human-Centered Design Tie-In: We ensure any future design work is anchored in real business needs and user problems—not just assumptions.

Intake & Prioritization

🔹 2. Understanding & Discovery (Gray/Pink) What’s happening: Now the team checks if discovery is needed. If so, we dive into research: identifying the problem, gathering data, mapping user journeys, and interviewing stakeholders. Product Management Angle: This is the “explore” phase of the Double Diamond model—validating assumptions and scoping the potential impact. Design Management Perspective: Discovery isn’t optional; it’s strategic. This step ensures design work is informed and purposeful, not just reactive.

Discover - Define

🔹 3. Define & Planning (Teal/Green) What’s happening: With research in hand, we identify opportunities, synthesize insights, and align on the user problem. Here’s where user stories, timelines, and delivery planning (like PI Planning) take shape. Tools: We use things like Mural boards, stakeholder mapping, and confidence checklists to guide our planning. Project Management Hook: Think of this as your project charter moment—where backlog grooming meets agile roadmapping. HCD Mindset: We’re turning data into actionable opportunities for improvement.

Design - Deliver

🔹 4. Design Execution (Teal/Green) What’s happening: Designers get creative: prototyping, testing, and iterating using tools like Figma. Work is refined through feedback until it’s ready for development. Design Management Tip: Notice the “Design Centric” emphasis—this isn’t just about handing things off, it’s about building collaboratively toward MVP and beyond. Testing, adjusting, and returning to ideation is core to quality delivery. 🔹 5. Delivery & Dev Handoff (Teal/Green) What’s happening: Final design specs are packaged and handed off to engineering. This includes prototyping, refinement, and design QA. Project Management Role: Make sure all documentation is complete, requirements are clear, and there are no blockers for development. HCD POV: We work to ensure the intent behind the design carries through to the finished product.

Innovation & Future Funding

🔹 6. Innovation & Future Funding (Beige) What’s happening: After launch, we don’t stop. The team circles back with research and performance data to propose future enhancements or new features. Strategic Value: This loop extends the design lifecycle, supporting ongoing innovation and maturity. It’s about building a case for future investment with real user impact and evidence. 🛠 Key Components to Highlight Service Request Charter: Captures the project’s DNA—scope, owners, and goals. PIP Outcomes: Outputs from PI Planning—roadmap, team bandwidth, and confidence levels. Design Discover Workshop: The heartbeat of HCD—making sure we’re solving the right problem. Out of Scope Box: Helps set boundaries to protect your MVP. Back to LPM: A smart feedback loop that brings evidence back to leadership for new funding. 🎯 Why This Diagram Matters This isn’t just a flowchart—it’s a blueprint for design maturity in an Agile enterprise. It connects business strategy, user-centered research, collaborative planning, and innovation in a repeatable and scalable way. By following this process, teams reduce friction, prevent scope creep, keep the focus on user problems, and support design advocacy with real data. In short: This diagram is your guide to delivering meaningful, user-focused products—step by step, from idea to innovation.