Process
Creating high-end interactive user-interfaces
utilizes skills in communication, branding, interactive & visual design.
At Polonsky Design we take each of those things, along with the expertise
to bring all of those elements together for you, delivering a complete end-to-end
solution.
At Polonsky Design we'll work
with your functional requirements & product specs (if available), and
transform those from an idea into a creative and usable experience for your
users. Depending on the specific needs of your project we will adapt most
or all of the areas below into a custom "package" specifically designed
to your needs.
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Research
- Understanding who you are & what your business goals are is just where
we start. Understanding your "user" is where we're going. We get
there by doing our research. We of course talk to you, but talking to actual
users/customers gives us first-hand knowledge and insight that makes creating
the best system possible that much closer. We want to know not only "who"
they are, but how they work, and what they're expectations are each step
of the way.
-
Brainstorming
- We work with your feature, product, and business requirements, along with
our own research and we sit down & brainstorm all the various angles,
ins and outs, and unique possibilities for your system. We do a lot of talking,
and come up with the perfect plan of action that satisfies your unique situation.
-
User
Scenarios / Personas
- Sometimes these are supplied to us, and sometimes we write them ourselves.
Since understanding the user is one of the main keys to creating the best
solutions, giving the user an actual name (in the form of a persona) is
a great way to get everyone on the same page. It's amazing how this simple
task can help you to understand who you're designing for.
-
Wireframing
& User Flow - When you know your user, and you know your product,
the next thing to do is to define the path users will take to get to the
information you want them to get to. Creating these user "flows"
independent of visual design allows everyone to concentrate on the "steps"
users take and not be distracted by what color may or may not be on the
page. At this stage we also define the "space" on the page - what
content makes sense on each page, what elements belong there, and where
and how those elements work best in relation to everything else competing
for the users attention. This stage in the process is where the real meat
lies, that's why we continue to iterate & test (with actual users if
possible), until we have all the pieces and issues worked out.
-
Visual
Design - Now that we have a clear understanding who, what and how
your system will work, it's time to create the visual style that wraps everything
together. Using all the work created prior to this step, we create a visual
design that's not only unique and eye-catching, but also hits right the
mark right for your users. We work keeping your brand and marketing needs
aligned with meeting the visual expectation of your target audience.
-
Implementation
& QA Review - Once the system is designed, it needs a working
prototype which can be run past users for the first "real world"
reality check of the project. We understand technology, and we understand
the difficulties in engineering a system to meet the needs of today's user.
We work with your engineering team to deliver the files they need to build
the system, and we do our own QA review of each piece, we're with them every
step of the way. We work to ensure the system being built matches the approved
design...and we also listen. If something comes up, we're there to adapt
the design as needed, while still keeping the core integrity of the project
alive.