What to expect from a web 3 design agency? What kind of processes do we have in place for a design project? What kind of input is expected from the client? I am writing this article to answer just that kind of questions. We’ll go through the somewhat ideal different steps with an example project where we’ll do a total overhaul to the UI/UX. This kind of a project is something that we at STRGL really thrive on. It’s truly exhilarating when we get to reimagine the whole design. We recently did this very successfully for Orb on their V2 version. We think it is essential that a product has its own distinct identity and it isn't just a clone of some other successful platform or product.
We at STRGL have worked with many different web 3 projects and protocols in the past years. We’ve honed our processes and realized that in order to get best results with complex systems, like many web 3 projects are, it’s essential to work more as an extension to the existing in-house team and keep a constant dialog open with the client. For example it is easy to build a website for our client with just the initial spec and to work in a more traditional and separate fashion but when we are talking about overhauling complex web 3 UI/UX things become more delicate and close co-operation is in order. Communication and trust is essential. We know design and the client knows their product. STRGL is not just another UI Agency producing layout after layout by the spec. We are experts in visioning and building products. For the best result the client needs to trust our vision as well.
Okay then. What could the process look like when we take a 10km view? It might be something like this:
- Client brief
- Research
- Analysis
- Ideation
- Testing
- Iteration
- Polish
- Launch
- Performance
Lets break down the process piece by piece.
Client brief
So what does the client want from us exactly? Maybe they just want some small part of their UI redesigned? Total overhaul? Do they have a brandbook ready? What does it look like? The brief determines the scope of the project and the requirements for the possible research phase. Some clients have a very clear idea of what they want and need exactly and some might be more unclear on their needs. Both are totally fine. We like to have some creative room either way so mutual trust and respect is in order for the best result.
Research
Primary-, secondary-, market- or customer research. What kind of quantitative data is available? What is the target audience? Do we have a pool of ideal customers that we could interview? We like to do our homework and let the data tell us its story. Often it is also beneficial to conduct different levels of qualitative surveys to support our research and validate different hypotheses or bring totally new insight that isn't evident otherwise. The planned scope of the project and the time and resources available greatly determine the length and thoroughness of this phase. We have a whole research division dedicated to this and we have conducted research projects also for many public institutions in the EU.
Analysis
What is essential and what is just noise? What insight have we gained from all of the data? What hypotheses do we want to validate? We have to find the beef of the matter.
Ideation
Now that we have refined our research data, we have to make conclusions based on it, and validate our findings further. What are the current best practices for different things? How can we get to where we need to be? “How might we…” That is the question.We start to have a clear image of the goal post is. Now is the time to figure out how we get there. How do we put this whole ensemble together in the best way possible? What do we need to do in practice? We draft out the plan. A lot of time is spent on ideation and different design experiments.
Testing
Now we build prototypes, wireframes and concepts and validate them with our client and the target audience to make sure we have it right.
Iteration
Design takes a lot of iterations to get it just right. The cycle goes something like: ideation -> UX -> UI + branding -> Prototype -> test -> Iterate.
Polish
Almost there! Making the rounds with final tests, audits and vigorous efforts to poke holes into everything. Does it work seamlessly? It does. Good! Looks like launch day is getting closer and closer. Remember to never ship on Friday afternoons to guarantee the peace of mind for everybody. Monday or Tuesday is probably better.
Launch
Lets go! We did it! The final result is out. Now you can lay back and adore the beautiful result of all this hard work. Hopefully you didn’t launch on a Friday. Now is a good time to spread the word on all social media apps.
Performance
Often some minor tweaks need to be made as testing is testing and production is production. We are also carefully following all metrics and performance to see how we are doing.
Great! Now you have at least an approximate understanding of what a design process might ideally look like. We at STRGL have our own distinct methodology and best practices so the process might look different with some other actors. We are proud of our work and we wanna make sure we achieve superb results. This is why we endorse close co-operation with our clients’ teams and trust between us and the client. We might pass on some projects where we feel like we don't have the necessary creative control to achieve the best results. We always have our own reputation as a design agency on the line.
Thank you for reading! Feel free to browse our public references and don’t hesitate to contact me in design- or any other matters!