Archetypes are user representations based on research. They synthesize qualitative data into actionable profiles. Unlike assumption-based personas, ar...

Coding qualitative data helps teams find patterns in research. This 90-minute exercise moves teams from raw data to structured insights. Participants ...

Cognitive Walkthrough is a usability evaluation method. Evaluators step through tasks as a user would. It focuses on the actions users take to accompl...

Comparative Analysis systematically reviews existing products, services, or experiences that address similar user needs. This exercise analyzes user e...

A Content Audit is a thorough inventory and analysis of all content users encounter on a website or within a product. This exercise catalogs pages, do...

Content Highlighter Testing is a fast usability method. Users highlight text, marking clear parts in one color and confusing parts in another. This ex...

Turn your work into a testable hypothesis. This focuses effort on achieving specific goals. It shifts thinking from just building to ensuring impact.

A Design Pattern Library is a collection of reusable UI components. It's the foundation of a design system. This exercise helps teams identify pattern...

This exercise, from 18F, gets everyone designing together, regardless of role or drawing skills. It turns abstract ideas into visuals teams can discus...

Dot voting is a fast way to make decisions democratically. It cuts through endless debate. People vote with dots to show what matters most. This revea...

Heuristic Evaluation finds usability issues fast. Experts review an interface against usability principles. Teams use Nielsen's heuristics or custom c...

Hopes and Fears surfaces team expectations and concerns. Use it at project kickoff or during major transitions. Participants write down their hopes (d...

An Interface Audit is a systematic review of a digital product's visual and interactive elements. This 180-minute exercise catalogs styles, colors, ic...

Participants list individual priorities on cards, then organize and prioritize them as a group through voting. This exercise helps find consensus, esp...

Lean Coffee is a meeting format that democratizes discussion. Participants write topics, vote to prioritize, and discuss in timeboxes. This ensures me...

Mental modeling visually represents how users think about a domain or system. This 90-minute exercise maps user knowledge against designs to find gaps...

Multivariate testing helps you discover the most effective combination of page elements. Unlike A/B testing, which focuses on single-element variation...

Prototyping makes ideas tangible. Test these representations with users before development. This 240-minute exercise covers prototype fidelity, from p...

Stakeholder and user interviews are semi-structured conversations. Talk to people with direct knowledge of your project. Unlike surveys, interviews al...

Stakeholder Influence Mapping visually represents people affecting your project's success. It positions them by power and interest. This 45-minute exe...

Observe users interacting with a product or service, asking them to verbalize their thoughts aloud. This reveals friction points and unexpected uses.

Style Tiles help you get feedback on a solution's visual direction. It's a great way to validate designs with real users.

Wireframing translates strategy into interface blueprints. In this 180-minute exercise, teams focus on structure and user flow, avoiding visual design...

Design principles guide product development decisions. In this 2-hour exercise, teams create memorable, actionable statements like "Earn people's trus...

The "Five Whys" exercise identifies the real causes of problems, not just the surface symptoms. By repeatedly asking "Why?" (at least five times), tea...

Journey mapping visualizes a user's end-to-end experience with a product or service. It captures actions, thoughts, emotions, and pain points across a...