In the product design first skilled use the pencil do not rely on axure

In the area of Internet products, Axure has become a necessary tool for product managers, product designers and interactive designers, and, to some extent, Axure helps us to establish a minimum-benefit model that is easy to authenticate with the needs of the user, and also helps us conceive the details of the interaction, making the front-end and developers easier to understand But on the other hand, axure kidnapped our thinking, so many product managers and designers have developed a "no axure not design" abuse, ignoring the user stories, functional specifications and information architecture, and even into the "for the use of axure with the wrong", resulting in a lot of waste of resources and product of the mishap. So, the product manager who is fascinated by axure: do not turn on axure until you are proficient with 2B pencils.

Self-monitoring is obsessed with axure

1. Product managers who like to open axure when they start designing products usually have some common features:

2. Master Axure or axure full of awe;

3. Believe in the details of the supremacy, that Axure can replace the PRD completely;

4. Like to implement complex interactions or refine prototypes through axure and achieve a sense of accomplishment.

5. Maintain the latest version of the axure, often bubble axure professional community;

6. Rarely use pencil and whiteboard for communication;

In line with the 3, you can say that you are in high speed growth, but if 5 are consistent, you should adjust your focus, otherwise you will deviate from the original intention of Axure prototype tools into the details, resulting in limited visibility or communication, and even caused the failure of products and projects.

A clear understanding of the position of Axure in the product design process

It must be acknowledged that different companies, different organizational structures and positions have a different understanding of the "right product design process". But we can still cite the 5 levels mentioned in his "User Experience Essentials" by the father of Ajax, Jesse James Garrett, to reach some consensus:

Product levels that different roles should focus on:

1.BOSS and product owner to solve the strategic layer problem first;

2. Product Owner or Product Manager to solve the scope of the problem;

3. Product Manager to handle the structural layer problem;

4. Product Manager Lead product designer or interaction designer, design frame layer;

5. The interface Art Designer according to the frame layer design performance layer.

Here, the controversy arises, some people think that in the structural layer, should use axure design prototype, I think this misunderstanding is also the root of axure abuse.

Interaction design does not equal the use of interactive interfaces in Axure design prototypes

I know it's a bit of a detour, and it's a little far away, but I have to say that most people don't really understand how interaction design interacts with the design interface, and most of the product teams are almost suspended at the fabric level.

User interface is the natural embodiment of the result of interactive design, but it can't be said that interaction design is user interface design. The starting point of the interactive design is to study the human's mental mode and behavior pattern when they are interacting with the object (dialog), and on the basis of this research, design the interactive ways of the artificial objects to meet the three levels of human need to use artificial objects (usefulness, usability and emotionality). From this point of view, interaction design is the design method, and interface design is the natural result of interactive design. At the same time, interface design is not necessarily driven by conscious interaction design, however, interface design naturally includes interactive design.

We look forward to future human-computer interaction can be achieved early, but for the current Internet products, interactive design steps include:

1. User Research

2. Conceptual Design

3. Create a user model

4. Create an Interface process

5. Development of prototypes and usability testing

It is obvious that using axure to design a quick prototype should be done after the overall work of the interactive design is completed, that is, the design of the frame layer.

However, I do not mean to belittle axure, because in the framework layer, Axure widget components, interactive action can easily draw the site's interface, navigation, and even details of the information elements. and the ability to quickly generate interactive prototypes to communicate with both the demand side and the project team. In some agile teams, axure prototypes can indeed be used instead of PRD.

Product structure layer design, please pick up your 2B pencil first

In the face of the structural layer of abstraction, please do not lose heart, 2B Pencil is your ultimate weapon to overcome difficulties, remember, to use 2B pencils. Because the 2B pencil soft hardness moderate, evenly spread, the price is cheap, the toughness is good and easy to wipe, regardless of examination or sketch are very good choice:)

When the scope of demand has been relatively clear, please pick up the pen, the product blueprint to draw out. Usually for a website, you need to build an overall information architecture blueprint, that is, the site's main pages and hierarchical associations. Remember, only when you believe you have a 2B pencil sketch of the information architecture is what you want, otherwise do not worry to use tools to beautify.

For complex functional processes in the Web site or for software products, you need to portray a more specific conceptual model through UML (Unified Modeling Language).

Mapping ideas to paper to improve communication efficiency

Use a pencil to outline blueprints or processes to improve communication efficiency. Pick up the 2B pencil and spend 10 minutes on the paper with brainstorming or range discussion, as soon as possible with boss or team members to confirm that the most important thing is the structure layer, there is no unique.

I have seen too many product personnel, including myself, who have often made similar mistakes: in a vain attempt to use a computer-aided design program, it is graceful to draw the information architecture or flowchart. Even skip this step, directly using the Axure line block diagram. The terrible thing about this mistake is that you are so busy and so hard that you can't get the identity of the rubbish. More frightening is, in the face of your seemingly perfect icon or wireframe, Boss was you fooled, and then you put the whole team of development resources, spent a few months to develop a pile of garbage out.

If 80% of the product failure in the demand phase, I can say 80% of the demand failure, is not with 2B pencil communication and very 2B with software communication. You can simply draw a simple website structure or core functional logic for 10 minutes, and then communicate fully with the leader, exposing the problem as much as possible, and optimizing or even overthrowing the redo. Otherwise you will be deeply immersed in the Web interface and the details of the interaction of the mire, and ignore the product's real core value. Remember, the need to cut off is not a disgrace, waste of resources is the biggest disgrace.

Unified opinion with Whiteboard

If sketching a 2B pencil is the brain of a product project, then the whiteboard is the heart of the product project, especially for agile teams. Whether it's a brainstorming or agile story in a range, or a more detailed blueprint or process in the design of a structural layer, you need to draw the idea, and you might want to talk about it on the side of the drawing. If you are familiar with this, you can write on your resume that you are good at communicating.

Use tools to archive structure layers

So far, your product planning should have been in line with the concept of leadership, but also to win the support of architects. Very good, you just need to use Visio to draw it out, you can insert the requirements document. Although there are some problems with Visio, I think it is still the best modeling tool to describe the structure layer, not because of how powerful it is, but simply enough.

Perhaps rose tools are more powerful, but you are not a developer, not a architect, to recognize your role, for product managers, Visio UML tools and Web site overall design has been able to meet the needs of the structure layer, not to be complicated by the tools of their own thinking. Of course, if you use Mac,omnigraffle is undoubtedly your best partner.

In the frame layer, start the design of the low Fidelity model

Finally from the abstract to the concrete, you can be paranoid continue to install B hand-painted

But most product managers will choose Axure as a quick prototyping tool.

Balsamiq mockup is also a good choice, in short, this stage you need to design products of the minimum real model. But never entertain yourself and get bogged down in details. Because you need to make another round of communication based on the low Fidelity model, if the conditions allow, it is best to conduct a usability test.

You need to take the leadership, team, party A and even the mother of the idea of comprehensive consideration, the minimum real model to optimize the adjustment, and constantly improve to form the product deliverables can be archived. For different teams, you have several options:

1. Agile Small Team: directly based on axure development;

2. Matrix Project group: The low-fidelity model is made into a high-fidelity model, and as far as possible to improve the interactive details, easy delivery ued or art design;

3. Cross-business or outsourcing: More upfront usability testing is needed to prevent changes. And as far as possible to improve the description and annotation information, output Word and other archives.

Summarize

As I mentioned earlier: "The right product design process" is a pseudo proposition, the best fit is. But we are not difficult to find, communication through the whole process of product design, because the design is not narcissistic, not to entertain themselves. This is not so much a trick to use 2B pencils, but to call the product managers and designers more efficient communication. If you have the same or different ideas, welcome to talk to me on Weibo, as to what stage to use.

Article: Http://www.hanjunxing.com/use-pencil-before-axure