How we use User Experience Design workshops to accelerate and de-risk digital projects

There is always a degree of uncertainty with any digital project at the start.

There are many possible solutions and often, many stakeholders - each with different expectations. The purpose of a User Experience Design workshop is to clarify all those assumptions (e.g. 'People need my solution') and expectations (e.g. I expect this to be built in 3 weeks and cost $2,000), and ultimately, bring all stakeholders from both sides of the fence onto the same page.

At Mudbath, our User Experience Design workshops are customised to each client. However, this is a typical format that works well:

1. Business overview - 20 minutes

Who you are and what you do. 

Here we're looking for as much context as we can get to make sure the designs make sense in the wider business and service landscape that you're operating in.

2. Objectives - 20 minutes

Establishing what you want to achieve from this project.

This helps us prioritise and design for your major objectives to be met as early in the release schedule as we can.

3. Personas - 40 minutes

Our proto-persona activities explore who your audience are - e.g. what are their demographics, behaviours (how they use technology etc), needs and objectives.

4. Information Architecture (IA) - 20 minutes

We'll explore the best way to structure the content on your website.

5. Sketching - 30 minutes

We sketch on paper to generate ideas quickly. This allows our clients to visualise possible solutions to the project and give collaborative feedback early and often.

At the end of the workshop, we'll summarise everything we have discussed and leave the meeting with tangible assets and a clear path forward to bring your idea to life.

We recommend a User Experience Design session prior to any development work. This de-risks the market and technical assumptions, and makes the development work move more quickly as their scope is so clearly defined.

As Abraham Lincoln said, 'If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six sharpening my axe.'

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Mudbath is a 40+ person digital product agency based in Newcastle, NSW. We research, design and develop products for industry leaders.

Ready to sharpen your axe before chopping down the digital tree? Get in touch.