Finding a designer is crucial, but understanding your project is more important.
Understanding your project clearly is key to communicating effectively, and aligning it with the team could reduce unnecessary confusion. This is what you should have done and before have a conversation with the team.
Welcome to the project owner documentation. This guide will help you define, plan, and communicate your project effectively to attract designers and collaborators. Follow the steps below to prepare your project for team collaboration.
Make it concise and informative.
Write a description of your project or product. What does it do? (1 paragraph)
What are the pains you have identified? What solution will you provide through this project?
What statistics did you find? How many interviews have you conducted? Provide any data you have. Cannot find the answer yet? Ask your designer and let them plan for you.
What is your roadmap for this project? What are your expectations after you develop and launch it? What does the post-launch phase look like to you?.
Who are your target users? Who is your primary user? Secondary user?
What will you do after you have a team? What are the next steps to move the project forward?
The project should be completed within (number) months. What will you do next after completion?
Use this timeline tracker to plan and monitor the progress of your project. Organize your tasks, assign owners, and track completion to ensure your project stays on schedule.
Assign the priority level to each task (S = Super important, A = Important, B = Moderate, C = Low).
Break your project into major phases (e.g., Research, Design, Development, Testing).
Briefly describe each task or milestone.
Add any relevant notes or links to resources.
Include links to any project documents or files.
Assign team members responsible for the task.
Track the task's current status (e.g., Not started, On process, Done).
The design process is a structured approach used to solve problems and create effective solutions. It ensures that the project meets the needs of its users while delivering a functional and appealing product. By following the key phases of Discovery, Define, Development, and Delivery, you’ll be able to systematically build your project with clarity and purpose. Below is an overview of each phase:
The discovery phase is the foundation of your project. During this phase, you gather all relevant information to understand the problem, user needs, and opportunities. This is where research and analysis take place.
In this phase, the insights gathered during discovery are synthesized into clear problem statements. It’s about defining the scope of the project and brainstorming possible solutions.
In this phase, you transition from concept to execution. Here, you refine the design and start developing prototypes or the actual product. It involves both design iteration and technical development.
This is the final phase where the project is prepared for launch. It involves final testing, implementation, and delivery of the solution to users.