Creating a UX Case Study in One Week

Introduction

• Importance of creating a case study regardless of experience level.
• Can be useful for:
  • Interns or those transitioning into UX.
  • Experienced designers looking to showcase specific skills.

Framework Overview

• The framework focuses on crafting, designing, and formatting a case study in one week.
• Assumes familiarity with Figma and the design process.

Phase 1: Discovery and Research

• Key elements to address:
  • Why: Define your goal for the case study.
  • Who: Identify your audience (users, customers).
  • Context: Understand the company and use cases.
  • Constraints: Define the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) due to time limits.
  • Personal Interest: Align the case study with personal interests to make it unique and relevant.

Example: Google Design Exercise

• Project to design an experience for students to browse and propose new student organizations.
• Audience: Students.
• Focus on simple, real-world problems.

Phase 2: User Research

• Conduct user interviews to understand needs and pain points.
• Aim for 2-3 interviews to gather qualitative data.
• Document assumptions to validate through user feedback.

Key Research Activities

• Secondary research on psychological behaviors.
• Compile business goals and user needs from interviews.

Phase 3: Problem and Strategy Definition

• Analyze research to identify problems and propose features/solutions.
• Create a mission statement and outline goals based on user pain points.
• Keep this phase concise, ideally within one day.

Phase 4: Design

• Begin sketching and wireframing ideas based on research.
• Consider user journeys and edge cases.
• Create mid-fidelity wireframes, focusing on key parts of the app.
• Depending on time, decide on high-fidelity mockups or prototypes.

Design Process Tips

• Highlight primary user journeys and document flows.
• Be strategic about high-fidelity designs due to time constraints.
• Use existing company branding to expedite the design process.

Final Day: Story Crafting and Presentation

• Spend the last day crafting the narrative of your case study.
• Choose the format (website, slide deck, etc.).
• Include learnings and potential next steps.

Conclusion

• Reflect your identity and design values in the case study.
• Adapt the process to fit your style and objectives.
• Resources available for further learning (e.g., Adobe Case Study video).
• Importance of showcasing who you are as a designer.