As we explained in our previous post the Discovery Phase of a new project is an important part of the project planning process. It involves researching and gathering information about the project to determine its feasibility, scope, and potential challenges.
Typical Deliverables
The most typical deliverables of a Discovery Phase can include:
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Project Charter: The project charter is a high-level document that outlines the purpose, scope, and objectives of the project. It also includes information about the project's stakeholders, timelines, and budgets.
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Business Case: The business case is a document that provides a detailed analysis of the project's costs, benefits, and risks. It helps to determine whether the project is worth pursuing and provides a framework for decision-making.
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Feasibility Report: The feasibility report assesses the technical, operational, and financial feasibility of the project. It identifies potential risks and challenges and provides recommendations for how to mitigate them.
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Requirements Document: The requirements document outlines the functional and non-functional requirements of the project. It helps to ensure that everyone involved in the project has a clear understanding of what needs to be delivered.
UX-related Deliverables
HelloWorld teams focus a lot on the usability and the usefulness of any new product having constantly the end-user in mind, so apart from the above they run a thorough UX analysis to help stakeholders evaluate their idea and steer the wheel towards the right direction before the Development Phase starts.
These are the UX-related deliverables HelloWorld experts work on during the Discovery Phase:
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Personas analysis: Personas analysis is a user-centered design technique used to develop a better understanding of the intended users of a product or service. Personas are fictional characters that represent different user types or user groups, based on data and research.
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User-flow diagrams: A user flow diagram is a visual representation of the steps a user takes to complete a task or achieve a goal within a product or service. It maps out the user's journey from start to finish, including all the touchpoints and interactions they have with the product or service.
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User stories: User stories are a tool used in Agile software development to describe a feature or functionality of a product or service from the perspective of the user. User stories are short, simple, and focused on the end goal of the user, and they are typically written in a specific format that follows the formula:
"As a [user], I want [goal], so that [reason]."
The user story format helps to ensure that the focus remains on the user and their needs, rather than on the technical details of the feature or functionality.
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Low fidelity clickable prototype: A low fidelity clickable prototype is an early-stage design prototype that is created using simple and rough sketches, wireframes, or other low-fidelity design tools. The prototype is designed to be clickable, which means that the user can interact with it and simulate the experience of using the final product.
Despite their simplicity, low fidelity clickable prototypes can provide valuable insights into the user experience of a product or service. By testing the prototype, stakeholders can identify potential issues and dead-ends early enough and use this useful information to evaluate even better whether their idea worths pursuing or not and even have a better picture about the end result.
Conclusion
Overall, the deliverables of the Discovery Phase provide a solid foundation for the project. They help to ensure that everyone involved in the project is on the same page and that there is a clear understanding of the project's goals, objectives, and requirements.
Apart from that, deliverables such as the User Stories or the Clickable Prototype, prepare the ground for the next phases of the project, since they help professionals that will be involved down the road, grasp fast what we are trying to build and why.
By completing these deliverables, we can help to ensure that a new project is well-planned, feasible, and has the best possible chance of success while minimizing risk.
Cheers!!
