Incorporating the Lean UX methodology for developing products requires avoiding overcommitment to the initial design iteration as the return on investment would be minimal. Instead, a product with a basic feature set should be designed based on available assumptions, after which user feedback should be gathered promptly for maximum efficacy.
During the design cycle, inefficiencies and waste can be caused by scope creep, change requests, and stagnant research involving gathering user requirements, conducting research, and documentation. These problems could require teams to restart from scratch, leading to significant waste of time and effort. Adopting Lean UX approach can mitigate these risks, enhancing the efficiency of the design process.
The Lean UX methodology involves the following processes:
- Formulate hypotheses and assumptions.
- Collaboratively plan and develop a Minimum Viable Product.
- Evaluate
- Repetition and Iteration.
Assumptions and Hypothesis in Lean UX
Unlike the conventional user experience (UX) process that first entails identifying and documenting user issues before initiating the project development, Lean UX distinguishes itself in several ways. Rather than defining specific criteria, the issue description is used to develop testable hypotheses based on assumptions.
As an example, we expect that simplifying the mobile user enrollment process will cause a higher percentage of users to complete it. Our proposition’s effectiveness will be verified if we can demonstrate a 30% improvement over the current completion rate.
In this document, our aim is to expound on the consequences of a particular belief and examine individuals who are most affected by it. Our primary purpose is to present compelling evidence that supports our claims.
Developing a Prototype (MVP)
Constructing fundamental principles of the product that are deemed effective, evaluating them, incorporating the ones that meet the criteria, and abandoning the ones that do not make the cut constitute the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This process aims to establish a product foundation that is both efficient and effective.
In such scenarios, heroism isn’t necessary. A sizeable percentage of your ideas and concepts are expected to be ineffective when evaluated. Lean UX encourages designers to promptly move on to the next idea.
One potential option is to develop low-fidelity prototypes that are interactive for users and feature several screens to complete a task.
Evaluation
Once an MVP has been implemented, there are numerous approaches to assess whether a feature achieves the intended outcomes.
The following are some examples:
Observation – By observing people using a product, you may obtain an understanding of the setting and patterns in which they are using it.
Analytical Methods – Lean-Agile teams can integrate analytics such as Fullstory and GA directly into the app to validate early use cases.
A/B Method of Testing – The A/B testing (or split testing) method is employed to compare the relative success of two different website versions. It involves the use of prototypes, mockups, or fully implemented stacks to compare the alternatives. Each variant is then launched to a target audience for a specific period. Teams can use quantitative results collected through analytics to gain insights required to overhaul, adjust, rethink, or abandon a project based only on qualitative data and user feedback.
CONCLUSION
Advantages of Lean UX include:
Encouraging collaborative workflows and promoting agile teams can result in faster progress through the design stages. This reduces the time required for material preparation, resulting in shorter project durations. Click here to learn more about the importance of collaboration among distributed teams.
Incorporating user research and testing at the initial stages of the design process enables organizations to make better decisions about product selection. This methodology follows an iterative cycle of formulating assumptions, testing with users, and refining assumptions based on the feedback. The cycle continues until the best design and product choices are identified.
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