Get Started with Lean UX

If you are new to the world of User Experience (UX), you might have come across different types of UX. Unless you are from a Computer Science background, you are likely to have not heard of Lean methodology and its applications in UX. So, you might ask, "What is Lean UX?" "How does it work?". This article answers these questions and briefs the Lean UX process.

What is Lean UX?

Lean UX is a methodology that helps designers create quality, user-centric products. It uses a process in which multiple teams collaborate to constantly iterate and develop products with users' focus at the center.

Like most design management systems, it too has many modular parts that help get the best user insights as soon as possible. The Lean UX process differentiates itself by taking a minimal approach involving constant collaboration and opportunities for more exploration. It is more of a mindset than just a process, and hence, it follows a very holistic approach when all team members follow it wholly. With that said, here's a brief insight into how it works.

How does Lean UX work?

The following activities are categorized as Lean UX steps:

1. Hypotheses, assumptions, and results

Lean UX differentiates itself by focusing on product outcomes and how they may impact the end-users. Apart from that, people involved in the process also make assumptions based on the information known about the end-users. Beliefs are of four types: users, user outcomes, professional outcomes, and features.

All these assumptions are used to build hypotheses. These hypotheses are a great way to know users' needs and want, and it also serves as the pillars of the rest of the process.

2. Designing

This is the phase where the product is designed. All the hypotheses formed in the earlier part of the process are evaluated here. For instance, a team might test how many people click on the register button, which can help measure a product's reception and design.

No one should feel left out during this part of the Lean UX process. Everyone must feel free to submit their impressions and feedback to achieve a design done collaboratively.

3. Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

A Minimum Viable Product or an MVP is the most basic form of a product. This product has enough detailing to learn about the customers with the least possible effort. Wireframes, prototypes, and mockups are some of the most common examples of MVP.

This MVP is built based on assumptions and hypotheses. A proper insight into MVP's reception will help designers get ideas about the points addressed in iterations.

4. Researching and learning

This Lean UX step is all about the validations. Most business goals and customer success questions are addressed in this process. Researching and learning in this UX is all about continuous and collaborative processes. Qualitative research that's baked into every small iteration and happens in the presence of cross-functional teams plays an essential role in product development.

Users, too, are a part of this process. Intuitive mediums like interviews, surveys, conversations, and many more help designers validate the information collected in hypotheses. These steps keep on repeating until a satisfactory product is formed.

This wraps up the process of Lean UX. While it might seem simple and easy to execute at first, one must always ensure that the users are at the center of the design process, and this ensures that outcomes are fruitful and make UX engaging for end-users.

If you wish to know more about Lean UX, check out the course on ProApp. This course covers everything that you need to know from scratch. Core topics like applications, foundations, principles, and pro tips are the highlights of this course. So, what are you waiting for?

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