The user experience development process is typically divided into 3 phases:
Phase 1: Discovery and Requirements
Phase 2: Concept Development
Phase 3: UI Specifications
Often, these phases are not integrated properly in the master project plan. As a result, gaps may develop between the development state of the user interface, and the rest of the project.
There is an important activity that is not mentioned here, but should be accounted in the actual project plan - iteration. Iteration is a communication loop between the interface design team and the rest of the team. The larger the team, the more time must be built in the plan to account for the review, comment and revision process.
Below is a more detailed breakedown of each phase:
User Interface - Phase 1: Discovery and Requirements
Typical activities in this phase include:
• Project kickoff session with Stakeholders - Walk-through the project plan.
• Interview with stakeholders - goals, expectations, vision.
• Conduct user research with a sample of target users (Contextual Inquiry)
• Document and present research results
• Document and present high level UI requirements (per Common Industry
Specifications for Usability Requirements developed by NIST, NISTIR
7432)
• Conduct a review, prioritization and requirements signoff session.
User Interface - Phase 2: Concept development
Typical activities in this phase include:
• Identify major scenarios based on requirements review and user research
• Develop Information Architecture for the website and document screen
flows
• Prepare interactive simulation for these scenarios
• Create two initial visual concepts consisting of two screens each that will
be refined
• Conduct usability study of the simulation, including visual design (Per
Common Industry Format for Usability Test Reports, ANSI NCITS 345-
2001)
• Section 508 review (preferebly with an NFB partner)
• Modify simulation/visual design per feedback, if necessary
User Interface - Phase 3: Specifications
• Document UI specifications
• Create a visual style guide for the application/website
• Section 508 guidelines and testing of pre-release application (with NFB
partner)