Portfolio piece · Competent · Lesson 42 of 99 · about 3 weeks
Project: an end-to-end product design case
After this you have a complete, defensible design project of your own scoping, backed by evidence at every stage.
Why it matters
Brief: find a real problem with real users you can reach, and take it from ambiguity to a tested, accessible, systematised design. Required: (1) a written problem statement with a stated user, constraint and success measure; (2) at least five research contacts (interviews, contextual observation or an analysis of existing complaints and reviews); (3) synthesis producing findings you did not expect; (4) a journey map or service-level view showing where the problem really sits; (5) information architecture validated by a card sort or tree test; (6) at least two structurally distinct concepts, with a written rationale for the one you killed; (7) high-fidelity screens built on your own variables and components, meeting WCAG AA; (8) a prototype covering the primary task, one error path and one empty state; (9) two rounds of usability testing with documented changes between them; (10) a stated measurement plan. Constraints: no dark patterns; the design must work for someone using it in a hurry on a bad connection; and you must be able to name one thing you got wrong. It is good when the reviewer finishes it knowing what you decided and why, rather than only what you made.
How to use this resource
Reference at each stage to check your method matches your question. Consult it; do not read it through.