Tech

Before any digital product is released on the market, whether it be a mobile app or website the product will have needed to be tested by its potential users. In this instance many businesses will launch it to the public and allow them to test its user experience with improvements on feedback. However when you think about the risk factors involved surely there’s a better way to test how the end product best reaches the company’s objective? Product design sprint initially created by Google Ventures, has been developed in the design thinking mind-set. It is a 5 day intensive process where UX (User Experience) experts like designers, developers, digital strategists and stake holders work together to better understand the product using a set of interactive exercises on a prototype, which in turn is tested on real users. PHASE 1– Understand All teams work together to establish any problems, business goals, who the competitors are, and to reinstate the primary focus of the overall goal and intention. This allows the team to scrutinise what adjustments need to be made. PHASE 2 – Diverge Using the knowledge collected from phase 1 all focus turns to smaller aspects of the UX, any problems will be resolved and participants are encouraged to add any creative ideas that they feel would contribute to optimal user satisfaction. PHASE 3 – Decide All ideas and concepts from the previous phases will be grouped together and then the team will decide which ones are to be carried forward for testing. Once these have been decided the user journey is revised with all concepts mentioned from the previous phase. PHASE 4 -Prototype After all decisions have been made from phase 3 the UX team will create a prototype in a wireframe format and a test script with the user journey in mind. PHASE 5 – Test In the last phase real users are invited in to test drive the prototype under the observation of the team. This phase simulates a public product launch but on a smaller scale, which in turn is a faster way of detecting any problems that should arise. All user information is then collated and discussed further in a SWOT style analysis and then a full evaluation is shared with the clients. TO SUMMARISE….. A Product Design Sprint removes the potential risks from public product release and therefore saves money and time rather than having to redesign the product. There are no bad outcomes only improvements, you might even find users thoroughly enjoy the product on first use. However it’s important to note that test results might be inconclusive as users may struggle to understand the product otherwise known as “failing cheap”. Other than that a Product Design Sprint truly is a great method for businesses who are having issues with UX as it’s extremely helpful.