A Quick Checklist…
If you’re reading this blog you probably agree that well designed software matters and is more than worth the investment. Chances are as well that you are paying some heed to it and have made some investments already.
If you have not or don’t know if you’re investing in well designed software, answer the checklist below to see how close you are to being a leader through design. Simply place a checkmark in the space next to the components that apply to you and your team.
- You have UI/UX designers on staff or regularly use an outside design groups
- UI/UX designers are involved at the very start of a software project, before requirements are laid out
- Your designers and other members of your team talk to users regularly and before recommending solutions
- Designers are NOT told what screens are needed and/or how to design them but rather told the problem instead
- You study your competition not just in terms of what they offer but how they offer it
- Software designs are tested through prototypes before they are built
- Designers are regularly involved in testing of the software as the developers build it
- You track metrics on your software, how it’s used, and share those with the design team
If you scored a 6 out of 8 above, you’re doing pretty well and likely ahead of your competitors but still have some room to improve. If you’re in the 3-5 range you’re not doing half bad but could stand to invest further. If you only scored between 1 and 3, you’ve at least started but need to go much further to truly embrace a design culture and be able to trounce your competitors.
