Flowcharts
Resources
The Project Starts Here
A client comes to you with a project idea, and you're interested. Now what? Before you can create a prototype, you need to figure out crucial information.
For this demo, your client wants to create "Pixafood", an Instagram-like service for foodies. Users can post photos, tag restaurants and dishes, and discover recommended places. Restaurants benefit by having their dishes featured and recommended; they can reach out to Pixafood users to use their photos on social media.
We need to make sure that we are on the same page as the client. A few questions to consider:
- Do users create accounts or log in with social media?
- Do restaurants get accounts too?
- How can restaurants request to use a photo?
- Are they required to credit the user?
- Are photo feeds public or can only registered users/restaurants see them?
- How are photos organized and searchable?
- By restaurant?
- By type of cuisine?
- By custom tags?
What is a Flowchart?
A flowchart is a diagram that shows a process or set of steps. It combines simple drawings (boxes and arrows) with short descriptive text to depict a series of actions (or possible actions).
We use flowcharts to...
- Organize the design
- Communicate with the programing team
- Test a user's ability to navigate
- Cheaply asses the project
- Break the work up
- Find problems with the design
Where to Begin
Start with the first screen that a user will see. Think about your questions; many of those will introduce a new screen. Figure out how you want users to interact with the information, then create arrows and connections to define a "path" through your application. Use page descriptions and vague shapes to show what goes where.
- What are the requirements and needs of the app?
- What is the first screen?
- What device(s) are you designing for?
What to Use
UX is a very flexible field, and you'll often have the opportunity to choose the best tool for the job. From low-tech to high-tech, there are many ways to work. View the slides for any method you are interested in: