Uncovering user needs, behaviors, and pain points to inform design decisions.

Core Methods

• Ethnographic Studies, Contextual Inquiry, Diary Studies, Remote Usability Testing.

Principles

• Empathy over Assumption: Data-driven decisions beat personal bias.

Primary Roles

• UX Researcher, Research Ops, Cognitive Psychologist.

The aesthetic and functional application of typography, color, and layout.

Core Methods

• Style Tiles, Moodboarding, High-Fidelity Mockups, Visual Audits.

Principles

• Gestalt Laws: Proximity, Similarity, and Continuity guide visual grouping.

Primary Roles

• UI Designer, Visual Designer, Brand Designer.

Designing the fluid dialogue between users and the digital interface.

Core Methods

• State Transition Diagrams, Micro-interaction Mapping, Wireframing.

Principles

• Fitts’s Law: The time to acquire a target is a function of distance and size.

Primary Roles

• IxD Designer, Motion Designer, Product Designer.

Organizing, labeling, and structuring content to support findability.

Core Methods

• Card Sorting (Open/Closed), Tree Testing, Sitemap Mapping.

Principles

• Cognitive Load: Minimize the mental effort required to navigate.

Primary Roles

• Information Architect, Content Strategist.

Creating functional representations of a product to test concepts.

Core Methods

• Paper Prototyping, Click-through Wireframes, Logic-based Simulations.

Principles

• Fail Fast: Validate flows before writing production code.

Primary Roles

• UX Designer, Creative Technologist, UX Engineer.

A library of reusable components guided by clear standards.

Core Methods

• Atomic Audits, Tokenization, Pattern Documentation.

Principles

• Single Source of Truth: Aligning design and code via unified variables.

Primary Roles

• Design Systems Designer, UI Engineer, Systems Architect.

Connecting design output to business viability and user market fit.

Core Methods

• Lean Canvas, SWOT Analysis, Value Proposition Mapping.

Principles

• Viability vs. Desirability: Balancing business needs with user wants.

Primary Roles

• Product Manager, Lead Designer, UX Strategist.

Using language as a design material to guide and inform.

Core Methods

• Voice & Tone Audits, Microcopy Testing, Content Modeling.

Principles

• Clarity over Cleverness: Simple language reduces friction.

Primary Roles

• Content Designer, UX Writer, Copywriter.

Planning and organizing people and infrastructure to improve service quality.

Core Methods

• Service Blueprinting, Customer Journey Mapping, Ecosystem Maps.

Principles

• Co-creation: Involving all stakeholders in the design process.

Primary Roles

• Service Designer, Experience Researcher.

Ensuring products can be used by people with the widest range of abilities.

Core Methods

• Screen Reader Audits, Contrast Ratio Testing, Keyboard Navigation Tests.

Principles

• POUR: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust.

Primary Roles

• Accessibility Specialist, Inclusive Design Lead.

Applying learning science to enhance the user’s mastery of the product.

Core Methods

• Learning Path Mapping, Scaffolded Onboarding, Knowledge Gap Analysis.

Principles

• Zone of Proximal Development: Challenging users just enough to learn.

Primary Roles

• Instructional Designer, EdTech Specialist.

Optimizing the people, process, and craft of design at scale.

Core Methods

• Workflow Auditing, Toolstack Consolidation, Skill Matrix Mapping.

Principles

• Operational Excellence: Removing friction from the design workflow.

Primary Roles

• Design Ops Manager, Program Manager.