Sketching UXLow-Fidelity Method; High-Fidelity Results

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

Sketching is Hot in the UX World

UX people love to talk about sketching• We probably talk about

sketching more than we actually sketch, but that’s another story…

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http://newlitcollaborative.ning.com/profiles/blogs/visual-literacies-and-the-depiction-of-war

There’s No Shortage of Resources

There are books

There are articles

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

There’s even software

There are paper templates

Like gardening or yoga, UX Sketching is an ever-popular subject

When is Sketching UX Typically Done?

Discovery Phase• Capture information• Idea generation• General non-directed exploration

Design Phase• As first iterations of UI patterns• Explore alternate scenarios

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

A Few Secrets about UX SketchingThere is no “right” way to sketch UX• There’s no wrong way either• Relax. Ignore the experts. Do what feels

comfortable to you.

Sketching UX = idea generating & problem solving• Focus on the thinking, not making a

pretty picture• Don’t sweat the details

Sketching UX: It’s not just UI• It more than the screen, it’s about the user

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

It’s More than the Screen; It’s about the User

Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

Use sketching to imagine in what context your design will be used.

What will the user need to do?

What’s the personas behind the Personas?

Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

Use sketches as a jumping off point to define user types, tasks and goals

UX Sketching & Collaborative Design

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Quick sketches can be especially useful during collaborative design sessionsParticipants use sticky notes to add definition to personas

More Examples

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The Benefits of Sketching UXEvery Picture Tells a Story, Don’t It?• Low cost• Quick to create• Ideal for narrative, i.e. creating “paper

prototypes”• Suitable for testing, refining – and discarding

– potential solutions• Great for defining personas & user stories

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

But to everything there is a seasonSketching has limitations• Abstract• An artifact, not a deliverable• Good to convey intent, but not details• Lacks clarity• Contextual

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015

Thank you!

© Rob Fitzgibbon 2015