Design should never just be an afterthought

Picture a very typical product development scenario (or nightmare). You're deep in the throes of product development, you've been working on it for months, and you're finally starting to see some progress. The design is coming together, the functionality is there, and you're starting to get excited about the finished product.

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But then a problem arises that you didn't anticipate. As you start to look at it more closely, you realize that the product design doesn’t meet expectations, the user experience is lacking, the visual design unappealing, and overall it just looks like a mess. The design needs a major overhaul, you're forced to go back to the drawing board, the timeline is pushed back, and you're left feeling frustrated and disappointed.

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This is a familiar scenario for many product teams. And it's a direct result of failing to put sufficient thought into the design upfront. All too often engineers are expected to design as they code, which is a recipe for disaster. When design is treated as an afterthought it shows.

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At this point, you can't just scrap the entire project and start from scratch, so you try to salvage what you have and make the best of a bad situation. But the danger here is finding yourself in a never-ending cycle of redesigns and rework. The product will never be truly finished, and it will always be a step behind the competition.

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On the other hand, if you treat design as a critical part of the product development process, you can avoid these problems. By investing the time and resources into design upfront, you can create a product that is much more likely to be successful.

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How to put design first

There are a few things you can do to make sure that design is given the attention it deserves:

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Hire a design team: If you don't have in-house designers, consider hiring a team of freelance designers. This will give you the resources you need to create a high-quality design. It is a good idea to hire a ready-made team who are already used to working together. So they can then act as an embedded resource that slots easily into your wider team.

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Build a prototype: A high fidelity prototype is a great way to test out your design and get feedback from users. This will help you to make sure that the design is user-friendly and meets the needs of your target audience. It also works as a great communication tool to get everyone on the same page about the design. It's a guide for how the product should look, feel, and function.

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Dedicated design time: Make sure to set aside dedicated time for design. This is time that should be used solely for working on the design of the product. It doesn't have to take a long time. Efficient design sprints can be completed in as little as one or two weeks, and will increase the chances of meeting your overall product development timeline.

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Communication: Good communication is essential for any project, but it's especially important when design is involved. Make sure to keep the lines of communication open between the design team and the rest of the product development team. This can be achieved through workshops which incorporate all stakeholders, and laser focus on the design process and objectives.

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The importance of design can't be understated. By putting design first, you can create a product that is more user-friendly, visually appealing, and overall more successful. So don't wait until the end of the project to start thinking about design. Make it a priority from the very beginning.

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At nuom, design is at the heart of all that we do, because we understand that good design is essential to creating a great user experience. We take the time to understand our users and their needs, and we use that knowledge to inform our designs. Through design sprints, workshops and prototyping, we iterate on our designs until we create something that we're proud of.

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