4 Steps of UI/UX Design Process

By Mārtiņš Zemlickis

There are 100+ different UX methods for each situation. Over time, people develop their approach, and below, you will find my four steps on how I tackle projects. Each stage has multiple actions to not hide any part of the process. Some of the steps reflect the Double Diamond used in Design Thinking.

This framework has evolved through years of working on enterprise projects and collaborating with cross-functional teams. It's structured yet flexible enough to adapt to different project constraints and organizational needs. For more context on my experience applying this process, see my professional background.

1. Research & Define

The first thing is to gather all possible insights about the potential market, business, product alternatives, and customer opinions or feedback. Then explore any data acquired by current or target customers, analyze potential opportunities, and get new ideas. Doing qualitative research with users is the best way. Facing real users and asking for dialog will allow you to dig deeper to understand the needs and pains.

This phase sets the foundation for everything that follows. Poor research leads to solutions that look good but don't solve real problems. I've seen too many projects fail because teams skipped or rushed through this critical phase.

Key Activities:

  • Understanding and defining the target audience
  • Exploring pre-existing data if there is such
  • Define what is the main problem and tasks that should be tackled
  • See how the main problem aligns with the user's existing pains
  • Exploring market and alternatives
  • High-scope draft of possible solutions and journeys

The research phase requires balancing depth with practical constraints. In enterprise environments, you might have limited access to end users but rich internal data. In startup contexts, you might have direct user access but limited historical data. Adapt your research methods to your specific situation while ensuring you truly understand the problem space.

2. Ideate & Design

Once you have all ideas, a simple plan, and a somewhat clear picture, you can start by creating the first wireframes and designs for the main flow. Don't forget to keep the technical team in the loop to make solutions technically feasible. Always ask developers what they will need later to implement your design to understand what you need to deliver in terms of assets. Maybe you will get new input about the problem and more ideas about possible solutions.

Design Process Steps:

  • List basic steps for each major flow and action
  • Create basic flow using simple basic UI elements for major scenarios
  • Understand what parts of flow you want to test with potential users
  • Try to create a working prototype for those flows in design software
  • Gather feedback from developers about implementation
  • Always create a simple component or symbol library, so it's faster to implement changes in your designs

Starting with creating style and overall looks is the first step, as the interface is fundamental to providing the overall user experience. I believe that it's similar to meeting people; the first thing is the outfit (appearance) and only then the substance. But we have to remember not to get married to a particular single style, and function should guide visuals towards the right approach and complexity.

For example, a smaller website with a few informative pages won't need extensive design documentation and libraries. On the other hand, an enterprise website with multiple products will need such comprehensive systems. Scale your design approach to match project complexity and team size.

3. Validate & Test

Once you have a prototype ready, it has to go through testing. Customers will be the ones paying money for using your product. Depending on specifics, this phase could hold multiple ways of ensuring that the built product will be perceived well and the experience will be understandable. I love doing user/customer interviews to gather qualitative data about audiences' tasks, pains, and habits. If speaking to the primary target group is problematic for various reasons, you can use your colleagues and acquaintances if you are starting and want to practice.

Testing Framework:

  • Write script for user interviews
  • Set tasks that are possible to do via prototype
  • Prepare an analysis/note table that is quick and easy to use while interviewing
  • Gather a list of participants, arrange a time, and set the testing device. Don't forget about GDPR or NDA, if such is necessary
  • Test your own prototype multiple times and give your colleagues to try as well. Follow through the script so it matches tasks and the overall direction of discussion
  • After the interview gather all notes and do short summary. Revisit the recording if necessary. It is highly recommended to do it right away to not miss any detail. Especially if there are multiple interviews in a row
  • Once all data is in place, discuss results with the rest of the team and agree on what things should be improved. Proceed to adjust the design and prepare things for handoff

The thing that is not that common is to use such interviews as a marketing touchpoint to gather the first user base for the service or product. Creating an interview script with the rest of the team is mandatory to shape it with the best intentions. Always keep questions open and tasks simple.

All acquired data is stored and gathered in a form that all team members can access and read repeatedly. Having a particular way of filtering feedback is a great way to focus on things customers put higher than the rest. To make sure the business isn't tackling something that customers don't even want to use.

Another tip is to make recordings, not just notes. You will always be able to check people's non-verbal expressions that might lead to new findings. Remember, it is still a test, and you have to be critical of every piece of info that comes from testing. Analyzing all data is your job as a designer, and you must figure out what changes should be implemented to solve problems better.

4. Handoff & Production

After analyzing interview data, it will be clear what adjustments are needed. Making adjustments in components and screens is mandatory before giving resources to the rest of the team. First, a clear flow must be visualized to understand back-end logic and a simple UI kit with main screens and states for front-end development. Both of these you should already have while working on prototypes. So just adjust and deliver.

If the project is more extensive with longer timelines, using design sprints is advised. Experts at Google Sprints at AJ Smart constantly try to improve this approach, and they have a great YouTube channel with more details on few-day sprints. Those will add more structure to teamwork, further build the product, and improve quality over time.

Handoff Checklist:

  • Make sure that all screens are using elements from component library
  • Set screens in logical order so it's easier for developer to follow
  • Adding simple documentation and commentary is advised
  • In the end, jump in a quick call and show everything to developer, to make sure you got everything that is needed
  • While others work, keep your communication channels open to support your colleagues in development process if necessary
  • Always do quick retrospective to understand what could be done more by you to make developer life easier! Remember developers are your friends and your biggest help!

The most common question is how to prepare my design files so developers would understand. Ask them. Each developer is different and has its strong side and weaker side. Coming together will help you understand the development process, and devs will tell you what is needed and in what form. You can do this at the start of the project to have more clarity and work with their criteria in mind.

Splitting the whole user journey into smaller flows with descriptions in each step will help tremendously. Look at that as simple documentation. Plus some simple interactive prototypes will help to explain the feeling. Do both, and you have a killer workflow!

Making the Process Your Own

People come to the UX field from different occupations, and there is no single right way of doing things. Almost everybody tries things and fails and tries something more to succeed. Please find the best ways to communicate with the team and involve them to get new ideas and better team spirit.

Key principles that make any process work:

  • Always research and think about technical implementation
  • Talk with other people and find solutions together
  • Always believe your process and work towards tangible results

The key is to find a process that works and makes sense to you. The Double Diamond is a great way to start as it structures the process in a few basic steps.

What is your process? What was the moment you knew how to steer and control the outcomes? The beauty of design work is that every project teaches you something new about refining your approach. Stay curious, stay systematic, and always focus on solving real problems for real people.