So, Why Hire a Web Designer Versus The DIY Tools Out There?

Designers, more specifically UX/UI designers, have a special set of skills (shout out to Liam Neeson). It's more advanced than making things pretty which, side note, never say that to a designer. It's about getting into the minds of your users.

What information do your users find valuable? And how will they find it? It's about understanding your users -- accurately anticipating their needs so you can deliver the most frictionless experience from discovery to sale.

So while platforms like Squarespace or Unbounce have the tools to build a site, you still need someone who understands the foundation of user experience and best practices. It's the difference between a site like this:

And sites like this:

*Designed by yours truly, Lisa.

Double Diamonds Are A Designer's Best Friend

One method designers use is called the 💎Double Diamond Process💎. This design-thinking exercise is organized into a problem and solution space guided by divergent and convergent thinking. Our lead UX/UI designer Lisa Sills breaks down why the Double Diamond Process is so valuable.

Diamond #1: The Problem

Discover Phase (Divergence)

It starts with a business need. Our goal as designers is to reframe that business need into a user or customer need. This is accomplished through divergent thinking. We explore a number of possible pain points and user challenges to land on an initial hypothesis to explore -- there is no wrong answer. With internal and external research (subject matter experts, audience surveys, competitor audits, etc.), a set of ideas emerge. From there, it's time to refine, refine, refine.

"Take the initial problem statement and reframe it into a user need."

Define Phase (Convergence)

In the second phase, convergent-thinking, we take the research and planning from phase one and start to narrow our focus. It's time to refine our discoveries into key findings. We organize and prioritize our research and identify opportunity areas for design focus.

At the end of Diamond 1, we have our focused problem statement. In simple terms, it's the problem we need to solve. Collaboration between the business analyst or product owner, development team and client is critical here -- everyone needs to align before moving onto the solution.

"Cross-team collaboration is critical."

Diamond #2: The Solution

Develop Phase (Divergence)

Once the focused problem statement is defined, it's time to develop solutions. Just like the first phase of the problem space, we're going to brainstorm, whiteboard and sketch as many design concepts as possible -- no wrong answers here. Collaboration within the development team and with the client is key to uncovering meaningful and achievable solutions. Once we've identified which solutions could deliver the highest impact for our users, it's time to narrow down.

"Exploration with the client is a key activity here."

Deliver Phase (Convergence)

The final phase is Delivery. Here, we validate or invalidate solutions by prototyping, testing and then repeating. What hits the mark? What could we improve? Once internal refinements are complete, the design solution is shared with the client for stakeholder review and sign off. And voila! You’re ready for the next steps.

"Refine, refine, refine the design."

Next Steps...

The design is handed to the software development team for implementation on your website or app. The QA (quality assurance) team performs user testing to ensure everything looks good and works properly. Finally, the end product is delivered to the client.

Value Of The Double Diamond Process

It's easy to get overwhelmed when you have one goal and too many routes to get there. The Double Diamond Process provides a structure to keep you in perpetual focus. And the best part? It’s not exclusive to design! This is a universal tool to help anyone think methodically. So next time you're faced with a problem, try the Double Diamond Process and watch the magic happen.