Transcripts
1. Intro: You just join a team
as a product designer, and before you even
log into Figma, the team already saying, Can you look at those ideas and draft some screens, please? Just mock it up real quick. Everything feels
urgent and somehow research is seen as a nice
to have part of the process. If that sounds familiar, you are in the right
place. Hi there. Welcome to this short
and practical class. Were to start as a
product designer, a step by step guide
with AI Power tools. I'm so happy you are here. My name is Kate, and I am a product designer with over
ten years of experience, often being the only
designer in the team, trying to make sense of how build clarity and still
create good experiences. So if you've ever join a project where you weren't
sure where to begin, the roadmap was already set or X wasn't even part
of the conversation, then yes, you are
in the right place. Let me tell you something
that took me years to learn. X is actually simple. It can look complex. You'll hear about journey
maps, interviews, frameworks, usability scores, and more buzzwords than you
can fit into a FID Jam file. But once you understand
where to go, and what to do next, everything clicks into place. And that's exactly what
this class is about. I'm here to give
you a clear step by step path so you can
confidently start any project, no matter the chaos around you. This class is split into
short focused videos, two to 3 minutes each, and together we'll cover how
to understand your project, who to talk to, what
questions to ask? How to plan research, even if you are
the only designer. Which you X methods actually
work in lean teams. How to advocate for X without making it
sounds like extra work, when and how to
test your designs, even if it's just
with the users. How to document and show
your progress to build trust and how to keep learning after the
feature is shipped. We'll also explore how you can use AI tools at every step from generating interview
questions to summarizing insights and even helping with usability test preparation. And yes, I'll include real example prom so you
can start using today. To help you apply
what you've learned, I've prepared a hands on course assignment
where you explore a UX challenge using
the methods we cover and a PDF summary
guide with all the steps, tools, and AI proms, so you never lost on
your next project. And a clean, simple UX summary template you can use to share your findings
with your team. I created this course
because I've been in those teams where
UX was a mystery. Research felt too big and I
didn't know where to start. But I learned how
to make it work, and now I want to
pass that onto you. You don't need to
know everything. You just need to
know your next step. So let's take it together.
2. Understanding the project: Welcome to step number one, and our first video
in this class. Understanding the project. Now, this might sound obvious, but too often designers
jump straight into Figma before they really
know what they're solving. You've probably been there. Someone drops a jury
ticket that says, design on boarding
flow, and you're like, Okay, on boarding,
for whom? And why? Let's fix that. What do first? So your goal at this stage is to get a clear understanding
of three things. What problem are we solving? Who's asking for it and why now and how clear or fuzzy is
the problem definition. This helps you decide how deep
your research needs to go, and it prevents you from
being the designer who builds a beautiful solution
to the wrong problem. We've all been there,
so no judgment. The first our point to
understand the project. Start by talking to
your product manager. And asking questions. What's the goal? What
triggered this project? And to the engineers? What constraints already exist? Are tech assumptions? To customer support
or salespeople, what are users
complaining about? And if you can, a couple of actual users or
even proxy users, you're not doing
full research yet, just trying to map the terrain, how to use AI for this step. So you can speed up a
lot here using AI tools. Here are a few things you can ask CHAPT or any AI assistant. Prompt, number one,
preparing your questions. I'm meeting with PM to
understand a feature request. Help me generate
thoughtful questions to uncover the problem
behind the feature. Or prompt number two,
summarizing stakeholder goals. Summarize this
meeting transcript in three main goals and three open questions to
explore in research, and the prompt number three, mapping the problem clarity. I want to assess how well we understand
the product problem. Create a checklist to
help me decide if we need more research or if we
can move into ideation. So that's step number one. Don't be afraid to ask why even five times
if you need two. And remember, understanding the real problem isn't a luxury. It's the foundation
of good design. In the next video, I'll
move into step number two, how to plan, indu research, even if you are a soul designer. And yes, even when everyone's around in Ship It fast
mode, you've got this. Let's get started
into the next video.
3. Class Project: Before we jump into
the step number two, I would like to give you an introduction to a course
project in this video. I think it's really
beneficial if you will start practicing while
we go through the class. So the project called Hicks
the Everyday Elin u XK study. Why? I want to share a course product task at
this point in the class as it will help
you to think about steps and problems based on
the example you will pick. Find an everyday experience around you that's frustrating, inefficient or unclear and redesign it using
a linux process. This can be digital, physical, or even a service. It doesn't have to be product
in the traditional sense. For example, some
creative examples. Redesign the andromrtEperience. Why it is so hard to
figure out the machines? Or fix the confusing process of ordering at a
local coffee shop. Too many choices, slow line, wrong drinks, improve the self checkout flow
at the supermarket. Too many beeps, not enough eggs. Improve the onboarding
experience for a free local app or service, a library app, a school,
portal, anything clunky. Redesign a common
digital product feature like booking a class at a gym subscribing from emails or finding a product filter
on ecommerce site. So download the PDF below the class called Project
fix the everyday, and follow the template while we are watching
the class videos. Let's continue to the next step.
4. Planning Your UX Research: In this video,
we're going to talk about how to plan
your UX research, even if you are the only
designer in the team. Now you've got
some context about your project and maybe your brain is already
full of ideas, but hold on before
you jump into Figma, let's slow it down just a bit. Because great design doesn't
start with the design. It starts with understanding
people and the problem. In this video, I'll help you to plan simple but
effective UX research. Understand how much research
is enough is crucial. I'll share real tactics for when you are the only
UX person in the room. Research starts with
a good question. You don't need a big fancy plan. You just need a clear question. Ask yourself, what do I really need to learn to
design with confidence? For example, what's
confusing users right now? What are they doing today
to solve the problem? What matters most to them? Write two to three
questions down. There are now your
research goals. You're halfway there. Big Alen research method. You don't need to run a five
week ethnography project. You just need to learn enough. And here are three
fast research methods that work when you are so. So first, friendly interview, talk to two to three
users or teammates, even informally, ask open
ended questions like, can you walk me through
how you do this? Or what's the most
frustrating part of that? MCR surveys also
works very well. Use type form, Google Forms or AI to draft a survey
in 10 minutes. Drop it into slack channel
or internal mailing list. Boom, you have a feedback. Wonderful. Do a secondary
research. Don't forget. Research has been done already, maybe in the past
by your teammates. Check past support tickets, app reviews or
online communities. So how much research
do you need? Here's the metal model I
would like to share with you. I really like it, and
I'm using that every day in my in my project. Imagine a little
quadrant when X is, how well do we know
the problem and y x High risky is the solution. You can ask yourself if you are at the
bottom right corner, new problem, risky feature, go deeper with research. But if you are at the
top left, clear problem, proven solution, lean on
what you already know. Just don't skip
research completely. You'll save yourself from that awkward moments
when a death ask. Why did we build this again? And let AI help
you plan research. Use AI as your research copilot. That's simple. Here's
a prop to get started. Something like I'm designing a solution for a
problem X Y that, suggest three FSUX
research methods, and five questions
I could ask users. You can also paste your
interview notes and ask, summarize key insights and
pain points from these notes. Research doesn't have
to be a huge thing. It just needs to move
you closer to a clarity. And remember, talking to two people is already
better than guessing alone. In the next video, we'll talk about turning all these into design ideas without starting at a blank figma page for an
hour. And yes, see you.
5. From Research to Design: In this video, we're going through a process from research to design and making
confident design decisions. Okay, you did the research. Yeah, good. You've talked to a few users, maybe run a quick survey, maybe even notice some
themes or patterns. And now you are starting
at your Figma file like it's about to design itself
because everything is clear. Yes, it won't. But
you've got this. In this part, we'll look at how to turn research insights
into design decisions. There is a simple framework to prioritize ideas and
how to stay focused, even when you are
flooded with input. From data to insights first, review your notes, quotes,
or survey answers. You are looking for
patterns, not perfection. Ask yourself, what problems
did I hear more than once? What confused or
frustrated people? What were they already
doing as a workaround? Highlight three to
five key insights. These become the fuel for your design and use
that technique. How might be? I really like it. It's very helpful in our
work as a UX researchers. This classic method helps you turn problems into
opportunities. Example, users forget to check the dashboard
every morning. We can ask, how might we remind users in a
non intrusive way? Don't aim for a
perfect solution yet. Just reframe the
problem as a challenge. It's like design yoga. Prioritize what to design first. There's always more
than one problem. How do you pick which
one to focus on first? Use a quick impact
versus effort matrix. High impact, low effort. Do it first. High impact, high effort, plant for it. Low impact maybe
skip it for now. And if everyone's arguing, bring them back to which of these solves the most
painful user need. You have your data,
you did the research, and AI can help you
explore solutions faster, like a brainstorming
body who doesn't judge. For example, based
on this problem, x Yt generate three
weeks design ideas that are low effort, but high value for
users, that's simple. Or you can paste your
how my te questions and ask suggest possible
feature ideas for this design challenge. Will AI give you
the final solution? No, but it might give you
a sketch of an idea or direction or unlock
your next direction so you know where to go. You don't have to design
everything at once, start small, solve one real user pain and
test the heck out of it. We'll cover that
in the next video. You are not just
designing screens, you are solving human problems. Keep that at the
heart of your work.
6. How to Test Your Idea: In this video, we are going to cover the validation
of your ideas. So validate before
you celebrate, how to test your idea
without a laboratory. You've sketched an idea, maybe even build a prototype. It feels like you nailed
it. You know everything. But before you
start celebrating, let's double check with the
people who actually use it. We will cover why even a tiny usability test is better than
guessing how to run a quick test with
almost no setup and using AI to help you
prepare and evaluate. What good enough
validation look like? Why testing matters? Even the best designers can't predict how people
will actually behave. That's why real feedback it's a lot more than
personal opinion. Always, you don't need
a full research lab. You just need a
clickable prototype, even a Figma link
or sketching PDF, and a few people, three to five is great and a curious mindset. If you test with
three people often, it catches 80% of
usability issues. Next, what to ask and what
to observe. Keep it simple. You are testing task, not feelings as
example could be, can you find how to
do a certain task? Or what would you click on here? Or what do you think this
screen does and look for confusion or wrong guesses
or the moments where am I. You are not testing the user, you are testing the design. No need to defend anything. Just learn and use AI to
help you with preparation. AI can be your assistant
and the prompt write a usability test
script for a feature that helps user and
La with the task. Summarize usability test notes and highlight top
usability issues, or suggest three ways to improve this prototype if users
struggle to complete a task. You can also paste
real users quas into AI and ask for the team
detection or pain points. And what if you can't find
users? You're asking yourself. No worries. Try this. Ask a teammate who hasn't
seen the design before, or even your family. Pose in a slag or discord group, in a UX group or startup
or niche communities. Test with someone non technical, friends, even your kids. You learn a lot. The
goal is not perfection. The goal is direction. Visibility testing is
like brushing your teeth, fast, simple, and keeps things
from getting ugly later. Even small tests help you make big decisions
with confidence. In the next video,
we will talk about documenting your work and
making visible to your team, even if you are the
only designer around.
7. Documenting and Sharing UX Progress: In this video, we are going to cover how to show your
work and documenting your research and you progress because you've
done the research, you've sketched the flaws, you've tested your idea, and now your work is quietly living in higma waiting for
someone to discover it. But they probably won't. It's time to show
your work loudly but clearly we will cover
why visibility matters, especially for UX
designers and teams. What to document and
how to keep it simple, and how to create
clarity for developers, product managers, and
any stakeholders. Also, using AI to summarize, explain, and speed up things. But why should you
show your work? When people don't understand
what you are doing, they assume you are
not doing much at all. That's not fair, but it's
true in a lot of companies. Making UX process
visible, build the trust, reduce last minute changes, and helps others see the
why behind your designs. Remember, design is not
just what it looks like, it's why it looks like that. So the second is what
exactly you need to share. You don't need a 60 page
report or presentation. Think you snapshots. Here is a simple format. The problem, what
we are solving, the insights, what we've
learned from users, solution, key flows
or components, and the next steps, what we
are testing or developing. Format doesn't matter. Google Doc, notion, confluence, loom video, just
keep it short and simple. And add screenshots and quotes from users human love visuals. Also, of course,
let AI help you to be heard and be faster. Don't want to write
a UX summary. Let AI help, really. I'm using that as well. Here are some proms summarize this research into
three key insights for a product manager or turn this design explanation
into a slack update or write a UX case study intro
for this Pigma prototype. And a bonus trick, paste your messy notes
into AI and say, organize this into
a clear update for my team with bullet points. You don't have to
be a copywriter. You just need clarity and how to share your work even
when nobody asked. This part is the key, especially in teams
where X is still new. Try a weak design
drop in slag or a ten minute what I'm working on them during
a team meeting. A visual update in
your ticketing tool, Jira or linear or any other. Don't wait for
permission to share. You are not braining,
you are collaborating. The best UX work doesn't
speak for itself. It needs you to speak for it. Don't just design, lead,
share and explain. In the final video, we'll look at what to
do after a feature goes live and how to build
feedback looks like a pro.
8. You Shipped It! Now Learn From It: And in this video, we
will cover the last step. So you shipped it and
now learn from it, and congrats. You did it. You designed a thing,
worked with your team, ship it to the world, and it didn't break production. Wow, that's already a win, but we are not done yet. Shipping is just one
part of process. Now it's time to switch gears from design and build
to listen and learn. The real test of our design happens when real people
use it in real life. On different devices,
probably while walking their dog or
half watching Netflix, you might think, well, it's shipped.
Shouldn't I move on? No, this is your golden
moment to gather feedback. Measure the impact and spot what is refining
and improving. We don't just design to ship, we designed to help
users succeed, and that doesn't
stop at deployment. Here's what I usually
check after lunch. Usage data. Are people
using the new feature? Which flows work and
where do users drop off? That's simple. Support
tickets or feedback. What are users complaining
about or asking rapidly. Behavioral patterns,
use tools like Hotjar, full story or
Analytics dashboards. And, of course,
the team feedback. Ask developers and
product managers what they're here too. They are on the frontlines. Also, there is a protip. Set yourself a
calendar reminder. Check feature feedback two weeks after release, for example. You thank yourself later. This is where AI becomes
your copilot again. Try proms like that. Summarize 50 lines
of support feedback into top three issues
users are facing. Cluster hots sessions, notes
into three usability themes. Rewrite this research summary as a two minute team update. This helps you turn cows
into clarity without spending hours on documentation.
Here is the truth. Sometimes you need to change
things even after lunch. Maybe a user flow feels clunkier or call the action
button just isn't working. That doesn't mean you fail. It means you are
paying attention, and that's exactly
what GoodUX is about. Design is an iterative process, not a one shot masterpiece. So before you turn off to
the next shiny feature, pause and ask, what did
we learn from the launch? What would I do
differently next time? Or what are one to two small
improvements I can propose? Even just talking about
what worked and what didn't with your team
helps grow the UX culture. It builds trust. It shows that design
isn't a black box. It's a continuous practice. I'll see you in the next
final video where we wrap it all up and reflect
on your U X journey.
9. Wrap-Up: You've got these designers. Here we are at the
end of this course. If you made it this far, I want you to pause for a second and just
appreciate yourself. Also, I want to say, thank you. You took the time to
invest in your own growth to explore how to start strong as a UX or
product designer, how to talk to your
team, plan research, use AI like a pro and
most importantly, how to keep going even
when things get messy. That's not easy, I know. If no one told you lately,
you are doing great. Let's quickly look back
on what we've covered. Where to start when you
land on a new project. Who to talk to and how
to map the unknown, how to plan your research, even when you are
a solar designer. Using AI as your
brain storming body, node summarizer,
feedback analyzer, advocating for research
and adjusting based on the level on
uncertainty, testing early, even with scrap
usability sessions, documenting and sharing your
process with your team, and finally, learning
after you've ship because the work
never stops at Dunn. You didn't just watch a course. You now have a full
repeatable process you can use again and again. To help you keep practicing, I've prepared a PDF summary
guide with all the steps, prompts, and practical
advices we've covered. Think of it as your UX
project kick Start tool kit. Something you can return to every time you're about
to begin a new project, or feeling like stuck. It includes the first
step UX summary format, practical AI prompt templates, your course challenge task, so you can keep
building a project and a couple of my favorite
UX reflection questions. U isn't about
knowing everything. It's about knowing where to start and being brave
enough to ask questions. You won't always
have clear answers, perfect flows, or the right
color on the first try. You will make mistakes. That's okay. That's the job. We learn, we adapt, we go again, and when in doubt, talk to your users, thank you so much
for being here. If you found this class helpful, feel free to share
your takeaways. Tag me on social
or dropper review. I will be very, very thankful. Please add your projects and your ideas
under this course. I will review them and
give you some feedback. Keep practicing, stay
curious and don't forget. You've got this, see you
around and help designing. Oh
Katerina Liebich Blik, UI & Product designer | UX researcher
