Draft a Conceptual Plan

The Essentials To Planning a Design Project

Conceptual plans are the blueprints for any design project. Conducted early in the design process, they can include any number of documents and exercises that will be helpful in communicating ideas to all stakeholders and instrumental in insuring a quality end product and user experience. The primary goal for is to map out the project using a user-centered (target audience) approach. Planning documents should try to be style/design independent, with a focus on the user’s (target audience) experience, goals, & tasks to help determine the best possible presentation structure and content hierarchy.

Conceptual Deliverables

Conceptual plans may vary from project-to-project and medium to medium. Below are a few of the most commonly used deliverables for web, print, and motion graphic design projects.

Web Projects

Key Deliverables:

• Site Map(s)
• Lo-Fi UX Wireframes (e.g. Figma Shared Prototypes)
• Design System / Style Tiles / Stylescapes
  • Color Studies
  • Type Studies
  • Other Studies (images/media styles, illustration styles, moodboards, etc)

Mobile App Projects

• UX Map (eg App Map, User Flow Chart, Journey Map)
• Lo-Fi UX Wireframes (e.g. Figma Shared Prototypes)
• Design System / Style Tiles / Stylescapes
  • Color Studies
  • Type Studies
  • Other Studies (images/media styles, illustration styles, moodboards, etc)

Print Projects

Key Deliverables:

• Sketches
• Lo-Fi Wireframes/Diagrams
• Design System / Style Tiles / Stylescapes
  • Color Studies
  • Type Studies
  • Other Studies (images/media styles, illustration styles, moodboards, etc)

Motion Projects

Key Deliverables:

• Writing/Planning related:
  • Synopsis
  • Outline
• Pre-Visualization related:
  • Storyboards
  • Story Reel

Other Considerations

Related Deliverables:

• Content Strategies
  • User flow charts
  • Content language (nomenclature) options and writing styles (high risk? low risk? informal? formal?)
  • Content docs, maps, and matrices
• Visual Studies:
  • Mood Boards
  • List of Potential UI Components and Design Patterns
  • Visual and Technical Tests (as many as needed to help define the visual style)

Related Resources and Reading

• How to Begin Planning: A Guide to Conceptual Project Planning (Lesson)
• Usability.govmethods:
  • Develop a Project Plan
  • Project Management Basics
  • Kick-Off Meeting
  • Website Requirements
  • User Design Basics
  • User Research
  • Heuristic Evaluation/Expert Review
  • First Click Testing
  • Online Surveys
  • Focus Groups
  • Individual Interviews
  • Contextual Interview
  • Personas
  • Scenarios
  • Use Cases
  • Task Analysis
  • Content Inventory
  • User Centered Design Process Map
• Usability Guidelines from HHS.gov Web Standards and Usability Guidelines
  • Establish User Requirements
  • Understand and Meet User’s Expectations
  • Set and State Goals
  • Consider Many User Interface Issues
  • Set Usability Goals
• From User Focus UK
  • The User Researcher’s Field Guide to Psychology
  • User Journey Mapping
  • Desk research: the what, why and how
• Brief Box
• Typography-related resources (e.g. for Style Tiles)
  • FOUT (“Flash Of Un-styled Text)
  • Google fonts
  • Typekit (by Adobe)
  • Font Squirrel
  • CSS Font Stack
  • Type Wolf
  • Unsplash – royalty free photos

Author Notes

This was written specifically to help aspiring web designers as they aim to:

• Define and plan for client-based projects in a clear, concise, and organized manner.
• Apply best practices for user centered design using user research methods and guidelines.
• Communicate project-related goals, deliverables, issues, and concerns to both clients and internal team members (co-workers).