Your favorite/recommended exercises throughout the Design Process

Design Thinking
#1

Hello and good afternoon!

I have a question for all of you who have gone through the design process (Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test) and would love some input…

I’m currently a bootcamp student who has finished up the “first phase” of my coursework. As I move ahead I’ll be working on capstone projects to build a portfolio which I’ll ultimately use to apply for jobs.

While doing so I want to push myself and expose myself to as many different tactics/methods of completing the “Design Process.” I feel this will be good for my growth as well as stand out within my portfolio as opposed to having the same sequence for all projects (research, interview, cards sort, etc…)

SO, as experienced designers working through the Design Process yourselves, what are some of your “Go-To’s” and favorites in each step? Do you have any that work better when used with another corresponding exercise? Are there any that I should DEFINITELY have a good handle on? Any I should avoid? And lastly, are there any methods that work better for a team of 1 doing all the work with a limited budget themselves?

I have a fairly strong list of exercises to use as I work but wanted to hear from the professionals who have had hands on experience and may be able to offer some insight.

Thanks in advance!

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#2

I think it’s great that you have interest in the design process and know the importance of being able to pick up wherever you are in the product/service lifecycle. I think that empathy mapping can be a powerful tool to help the more analytical folk who don’t get as much a chance to talk to users understand user needs and also feel more buy-in to the design improvements proposed. It’s also a great way to think about user needs and sort the data you get more users or from other sources. That’s been my favorite exercise so far because I like seeing the ah-ha moment in others plus it helps us come to a common understanding. Plus it’s fairly easy and quick to do. NNgroup has a good article on it as well!

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