Building a dynamic UX toolkit for your design.

Design is life, yes we all agree. The most important part of product design is the usability and accessibility of the product. This not only creates an all-inclusive product but also makes you a better designer.

Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have a dynamic toolkit that portrays the brand's guide. However, all designers need to have this toolkit to reduce the cognitive stress in design (excerpts of Building a Second brain by Thiago Forte).

Generally, the UX toolkit needs to have the following components:

• User Interview
• Mappings
• Wireframing
• Testing
• Usability and accessibility guides
• Prototyping
• Error mitigation.

This article will be focused on the mappings, in subsequent articles other components will be explained in detail. meanwhile, you can get started with your toolkit this free resources

The core of mapping in UX contains empathy map, User journey Mapping, Experience Mapping, and Service/Product Blueprint.

An empathy map helps you to understand the user's mindset. It is used to articulate your preconceived ideas of the solution and the users. It creates a shared understanding of the solution. The components of an empathy map help position the user at the core of what he says, does, feels, and thinks about the problem and the proposed solution. It is a 1:1 mapping that is, it is for each persona or user type.

A user Journey map helps you focus on a specific interaction with the product. It visualizes the processes a user goes through to achieve a goal tied to the product. It simply compiles a series of goals and actions into a timeline. Thoughts and emotions of users will also be included in the timeline. It is also a 1:1 mapping just like an empathy map.

Experience mapping is like the combination of user journey and empathy maps for different user types. It also visualizes the end-to-end experience an ideal user will go through while using the product. It is split into 4 lanes; phases, actions, mindset, and emotions.

Product blueprint is majorly an integral aspect of a product manager's workload. It is ideal for you as a designer to come up with a blueprint for each product you are working on. It aids your UX writing skills and also helps you create an all-inclusive product. A product blueprint helps visualize the relationship between the users, features of the product, and the processes of the product.

Now let's build our first UX toolkit component.

Create a folder on Google drive or a page in Notion UX toolkit.

Create a sub-folder or a sub-page in notion titled Mapping.

In the mapping page, add the 4 types of mapping outlined above as a subpage. In each subpage, to get a heads up with a fictional use case. I will recommend this UX challenge. Tools and other resources are available.

Design is about building a system that solves problems for a wide range of users regardless of the attributes or features.

I will appreciate your suggestion on the next UX toolkit component to write on.

Connect with me on Linkedin .

Cheers.