The first stage of cooperation with the client is the Product Discovery phase, during which we define the target group of the application, set the business goals of the solution and the functionalities it should have, and conduct UX research with potential recipients of the application. The analysis of user expectations and needs, taking into account the planned functionalities of the solution, will help design the application in such a way as to maximize its effectiveness.
During the Product Discovery phase, we use modern UX tools and methods, including:
It is one of the first steps in the process during which we gather requirements and formulate hypotheses about the challenges typical of a given customer segment. The questions we answer during this process include: What are the expectations of the given customer group? How can the app help you solve them? In subsequent stages, we confront our assumptions with reality. We make sure that our hypotheses are bold, thoughtful, and verifiable.
This is the stage at which we verify the previously formulated hypotheses regarding the needs and expectations of potential application users, confronting them with the users’ opinion during Individual In-depth Interviews (IDI). One of the most important activities at this stage is the preparation of a questionnaire and direct contact with the users, during which we ask questions confirming the previously formulated hypotheses. The main advantage of IDI is the ability to obtain credible arguments to support or disprove our research theses.
During this stage, based on the knowledge gathered during the user research stage and information about the goals of the application, we define the so-called Minimum Viable Product (MVP), which is the first working version of the product. We prepare visual sketches of the application, and on their basis we prepare mock-ups with a degree of detail tailored to our needs. In other words, we define the details of the basic functionalities of the designed solution that will satisfy the needs and expectations of future users with minimal effort on our part during the application design phase.
The prepared clickable prototype of the solution, reflecting our design idea, is handed over to users for UX research. Research methods are selected according to the group of users, and their goal is to test the intuitiveness of the solution and the ease of its use in the context of achieving the business goals set by the company ordering the application. This is done by determining the users’ behavior and experience while using the prototype, e.g., whether they wander around looking for the right icon during testing, whether they get frustrated, cannot return to the home screen after clicking on the logo, or whether redirections to subsequent application functions are designed in the right, logical way. The testing phase provides a basis for prioritizing application fixes, focusing on the highest priority critical errors.
Using the developed MVP sketch, at this stage we compare our hypothetical product to competing products. This gives us a basis for determining whether our product stands out from similar solutions. Against this background, we make a decision on the possible development of the solution with additional functionalities that will make the product more attractive.
At this stage, our product is analyzed in terms of the business model. Strategy tools such as Business Model Canvas/Lean Canvas allow us to design a business model for our application, discuss the model, and implement any necessary corrections. When we are satisfied with the UX, we proceed to the preparation of the graphic design by the UI Designers team.
One of the last steps in creating our product is passing the collected materials and conclusions to the User Interface Designers team preparing the final graphic design. These people are in charge of the graphic representation of our idea and adapting it to the requirements of modern systems and devices.
IDEACTO’s study conducted in 2021 indicates that a common concern clients have about implementing UX/UI services is the lack of knowledge about such services on the client’s side (63%), increased costs (65%) or project implementation time (51%), and lack of potential benefits (26%). But are these concerns justified?
“In my opinion, the key is to look at UX/UI services through the right glasses. According to the research published by Startup DevKit, 42% of startups fail due to not meeting the ‘product-market fit’ requirement. I believe that the aforementioned risk can be mapped to any IT product, not only startups. That is why I think UX/UI is not about increasing cost, but about reducing the risk of not reaching the market or persona/user with our product. It is a recommended investment on the client’s journey from an idea, through the creation of an MVP, its validation, testing, to the development of an app that will generate a revenue stream for the product owner.”
We have successfully completed dozens of UX/UI projects. Contact us to learn how we can increase the success of your application using UX/UI tools.
Hicron’s contributions have been vital in making our product ready for commercialization. Their commitment to excellence, innovative solutions, and flexible approach were key factors in our successful collaboration.
I wholeheartedly recommend Hicron to any organization seeking a strategic long-term partnership, reliable and skilled partner for their technological needs.
After carefully evaluating suppliers, we decided to try a new approach and start working with a near-shore software house. Cooperation with Hicron Software House was something different, and it turned out to be a great success that brought added value to our company.
With HICRON’s creative ideas and fresh perspective, we reached a new level of our core platform and achieved our business goals.
Many thanks for what you did so far; we are looking forward to more in future!
Hicron is a partner who has provided excellent software development services. Their talented software engineers have a strong focus on collaboration and quality. They have helped us in achieving our goals across our cloud platforms at a good pace, without compromising on the quality of our services. Our partnership is professional and solution-focused!
The IT system supporting the work of retail outlets is the foundation of our business. The ability to optimize and adapt it to the needs of all entities in the PSA Group is of strategic importance and we consider it a step into the future. This project is a huge challenge: not only for us in terms of organization, but also for our partners – including Hicron – in terms of adapting the system to the needs and business models of PSA. Cooperation with Hicron consultants, taking into account their competences in the field of programming and processes specific to the automotive sector, gave us many reasons to be satisfied.
