What we do | Design

In detail

Much like building a house, a good design approach separates visual design from architecture. The architect draws how the building is structured, how it flows, and where everything sits. Decorators work with that architecture to make the space come alive.

With interface design, we are the equivalent of architects. We help to structure how everything works and flows, and then work with visual designers to finalise the creative layer.

Wireframes set the architecture, and creative layer sets the look and feel

 

Our design services

We provide a range of services that help you design your interface and bring it to life. Specifically, our design services include:

• Information Architecture
  This is the structure of information (pages, menu items, content chunks) within the design. Our consultants are trained Information Architects who help you to structure information in the most logical fashion, according to user need. If users can quickly and easily navigate, they will succeed far more often.
• Wireframing
  Much like an architects drawing, a wireframe is a structural image of the design. It shows the components involved and where they fit, but does not show exactly how they will look in the finished design. Wireframes are an essential component to any successful design project.
• Prototyping
  The most effective way to user test is to build a prototype of the design and to take that into testing. Whereas it might take many weeks or even months to build the final product, a prototype can be created in days, and sometimes even in hours. This means that the design can be tested for a small fraction of the cost of building the product. More importantly, when improvements are found - as they always are - there is almost no cost in including them in the final product. Prototyping can save tens of thousands of dollars in rework costs.
• Functional Specifications
  Many of the problems that creep into the final design come from miscommunication. Functional specifications are build templates, documents that bring together the IA, the wireframes and a full description of how everything should work. This allows the build and documentation teams to begin work, knowing exactly how everything will come together. Having a functional spec available for a project saves vast amounts of time and rework later on.
• Creative design
  We work with creative designers who plug in to our wireframes and functional specs, to design the creative layer. This includes logos, images, colour and font schemes and other brand/content imagery.

 

If you want to know more about our design services, please contact us.