Stage 1 · Lesson 2 of 6
The design process: discover, define, design, test, deliver
Most teams follow some version of the same loop. Discover: learn about users and the problem from interviews, data and . Define: write down the problem, who has it and what success looks like, often as a short .
Design: explore several ideas, then narrow them down with sketches, and . Test: put the design in front of real people and watch where they struggle. Deliver: hand it to engineering, check what gets built and measure the result.
The diagram draws this as two diamonds, where the options widen and then narrow, twice. Real projects loop back often. A failed test can send you back to define.
Common trapjumping straight to polished, high-fidelity screens, which makes you attached to one idea before you know it solves the problem.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come with the full roadmap. Unlock
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- GuideFreeInteraction Design Foundation (IxDF) Free Articles
Interaction Design Foundation · Beginner
Free articles on every step of the design process, written for beginners
- CoursePaidGoogle UX Design Professional Certificate
Google (Coursera) · Beginner · $49/month on Coursera (US and Canada)
A paid, structured course if you want deadlines and three portfolio projects; the free articles cover the same ideas
Keep handy
Also worth your time
A clear overview of the stages of a human-centred process, with the common misunderstandings
- Nielsen Norman Group ArticlesGo deeper
The largest free archive of research-backed UX articles; search it whenever a topic here raises a question