About the flow chart in product design

Because work needs to learn to draw a flowchart, after trying to fondle admiringly.

A lot of benefits, one is able to organize their own thinking, the second is greatly reduced and RD communication costs.

It appears that flowcharts are more often found in the developer's detailed documentation, and the product department's colleagues are less likely to use them. From the point of view of the work, a clear step flow diagram is more intuitive than the PRD text description.

1. Common symbols:

2. Description:

1 The drawing of the flowchart does not have the rigid stipulation, can let the person quickly understand as the goal. In general, the use of rectangular table processes can also be understood as an action, diamond-shaped table judgment, arrow table flow. This is not a special explanation, if the flowchart is more complex, it is best to define the meaning of each symbol and maintain consistency throughout the process.

2 as an analytical process tool, the flowchart shows a logical relationship that shows how the work is done. Different from wireframes and prototypes, so it doesn't need to be too fine.

3) Review is very important. In addition to whether the process itself is correct, it is also necessary to consider whether the existing is the best solution, if some of the steps can be simplified.

4 evaluation of a system design is good or bad, not to see the normal logic, but to see the exception branch processing. For example, online shopping, the payment has not been successful but the bank card money has been deducted, then need to design a replenishment process.

5 do not expect to put everything in a diagram, each flow chart has its main line, the other side can be another.

3. Case: Taobao new user Registration process

Text Description:

New user registration is divided into three steps, fill in the account information--> verification account information--> complete registration.

Account information includes the member name, password and authentication code, in which the member name is to be within 5-20 characters, the password must be within 6-16 characters and cannot use letters, numbers or symbols alone.

There are 2 kinds of authentication methods: Mobile phone, mailbox ... (BlaBla continues to describe), saying, RD will be sleepy, a little bit out of the fog. and PM in understanding ambiguity is not easy to find.

Flowchart：

By drawing a flowchart, you can comb through the main steps. It's easy to think about every action and find out where the doubt is.

For example

Q1: The user chose the mailbox authentication, why will after filling out the mailbox pop-up prompt box, requests to walk the handset verification process, but did not adopt the traditional mailbox authentication way?

Q2: Forced to fill in the mobile phone number, in addition to the benefit of Taobao collection of user data, what is the role?

Q3: For potential users, the mobile phone as a prerequisite for registration, whether the threshold is too high? Why not adopt a step-by-step approach, that is, the user will naturally fill in the mobile phone number after the purchase behavior.

Q4: When the user changes the mobile phone number, how to deal with?

After the successful registration, Taobao account name to fill in the user name (can not change) and mobile phone number, Alipay account name also for mobile phone number. So, if the user for non subjective reasons for the number (such as cell phone loss, etc.), Alipay account needs to make the corresponding changes?

Seemingly do real name certification, Alipay account that is mobile phone number does not allow changes. To change the need to remove Taobao account and Alipay account of the relationship, the lifting of the operation and meet certain conditions. For those who have lost their mobile phone and do not want to use the original mobile phone number to do Alipay account name of the user (after all, and money-related, prudent point good), and quite troublesome.

As above, is a little something that comes to mind when drawing a flowchart. Most obvious.

May also say is not reasonable, I do not know how to deal with these logic taobao internal, I can see the information and ordinary users no difference, so the above process analysis estimates how many still have some problems.

Anyway, thinking processes are much more important than using tools.

Often people struggle with the contradictions between products and technology, the number of unprofessional origins will encounter this problem. If you stand on the other side of the point of view, with the other language and his communication, the result will be very different.

The flow chart is the language, at least, I have tasted the sweetness, you can also try.