Lean UX In UX/UI Design

So...I've said it a million times...I am not a coder. I became interested in code by way of hacking. A not so young script kiddie, I was playing around, making my browser do cool things. This was the way I learned programming...in code snippets. So while I'm not a programmer, I have built my fair share of websites.

Coming fresh into UX/UI design makes me certain of one thing. This role is definitely an indispensable part of the development process and Lean UX is a relevant framework UX'ers could benefit from in the course of their design process. After all, UX'ers are designing the interfaces with an idea of how it ideally should work. Coders help to actualize a UX'ers inspiration. That's why I feel the benefits of using Lean UX:

1. offer an opportunity to fully actualize the UX designer's vision when they initially designed the product

2. offer a cleaner, clearer design process

3. requires less time and resources spent on getting the product right the first iteration

UX is all about user-interaction, right? Well designers are also consumers of the same products we build. And who can say they've never used a product and said, "Wow, this would be so much better if..." It's that aspect of UX'ers being consumers themselves that makes them an invaluable asset in the development process. UX'ers possess the skills and the know how to communicate their ideas, skills other consumers may lack. At times UX'ers are even able to interact with companies directly, and they can have a measurable impact.

Lean UX comes into the picture by adding a process that in the long run benefits the user, client, and designer. How? Rather than rushing a buggy app to market, this gives the team working room to space out the addition of features. Instead of cramming everything into a project all in one go, the Lean UX process user's provide the client and designers with valuable feedback in between design sprints. Features are added and prioritized over time. Also, bugs that might kill the app's reputation are minimized over time.

These are just a few of the benefits of implementing Lean UX in UX/UI design. With UX design becoming ever more popular, UX/UI designers need effective strategies for moderating and streamlining the work flow within teams. While there's always more than one way to "skin a cat", Lean UX offers intelligent options to the designer that are, at least in my opinion, well worth looking into.