Digital Product Design
Let’s go back a few years, to 2010, specifically — the year Big Human was founded. Back then, we called ourselves a digital product design studio. We built brands and products, for both clients and ourselves. Fast forward to the present, where “design, technology, and branding company” better describes who we’ve become — but digital product design is still at the heart of everything we do. It’s our specialty.
Overview
While our team may have evolved over the decade-plus of Big Human’s lifetime, we continue to define digital product design the same way: It’s design centered around solving a user’s problems and needs. Think of it as an art that balances creativity and functionality and incorporates engineering, business, and content needs. Digital product design is how we bring your idea to life in the form of a mobile app, web app, dashboard, marketing website, or a one-off custom website.
We know we’ve nailed a digital product design project when the final iteration is functional, beautiful, and meets (and often exceeds) the client’s expectations. Our vast and varied experience designing for mobile, desktop, and tablet has left us with a shared passion for designing for real people with real needs. When Netflix needed a centralized website to share all of its company news and assets, we delivered. When pet technology company Whistle’s new website required a reskin and a reorganization, Big Human answered the call and elevated the customer’s entire user journey.
From custom style guides and illustrations to high-fidelity designs and user testing, our digital product design services ensure our final assets and ensuing handoff feel intuitive and result in more efficient, effective products.
How We Approach Product Design
Digital product design that solves problems.
If there is one golden rule in Big Human’s approach to digital product design, it’s this: It’s always about the end-user. That means your clients and your customers. If your product doesn’t address their needs, then it won’t be a successful product. We create interactive, accessible experiences that are both functional and accessible.
Accessibility is paramount.
Speaking of accessibility, we design our digital products to function for as many people as possible — including those with low vision, hearing impairments, physical or motor disabilities, and dyslexia. Accessibility also means understanding a product’s different language capabilities, as well as gender, racial, and ethnic diversity among audiences.
Digital products with impact.
At Big Human, we care about designing things that aid in the greater good. We pride ourselves in creating beautiful software, apps, and websites that not only bring value to the user, but also have the ability to bring about positive changes to humankind as a whole. Subdial, the first-responder alternatives app we invented in 2020, is the perfect example of a digital product with a positive impact.
A forward-thinking mindset.
Our digital product designers and strategists keep the target market and current user top of mind while simultaneously thinking of how the product may need to evolve in the future. It’s the only way to build products with longevity and a positive ROI.
Functional, interactive high-fidelity designs are part of the Big Human package. This aspect of the product design process helps communicate to our (or your) developers what actually needs to be created, as well as how it should look, feel, and act.
There’s no magic formula for creating an eCommerce digital product, but our experience designing digital products across industries ensures we’re well-versed in designing and developing shops and marketplaces with custom functionality and integrations.
The type of digital design and custom architecture solutions you can expect from Big Human not only create a user experience that isn’t just appealing to the eye, but also one that is enjoyable to explore.
The visual directions and style guides we provide clients may include some form of iconography, illustration, or photography to tell your narrative in the most engaging way possible. See some past examples of our custom icons here.
Product Design Process
Big Human is a digital product design agency with a portfolio of UX/UI work featuring exceptional aesthetics and pitch-perfect user experiences. Plus, that same solutions-based approach we take to, well, everything? That applies here, too. We’re not just designing and developing digital products; we’re helping to build better businesses. Here’s what a typical engagement may look like.
Discovery & Research
The first part of an engagement is something we typically call “discovery.” Here, we meet with stakeholders to understand their goals, needs, and pain points. We’ll also take a deep dive into competitors and adjacent industries to find inspiration and begin to formulate potential product design directions.
Defining the User Journey
As we wrap up the discovery phase, our designers will begin to identify the user story — outlining features, functionality, and user flows. It’s at this point that we’ll consider the overall structure of the digital product (often illustrated as a site map) as well as any development needs or additional content strategy.
Design & Iterate
Digital product design comes to life through wireframes. The Big Human process is all about high contact with low formality, so we keep the client informed and involved as the design progresses.
Validate, Test, Repeat
Design, learn, optimize, repeat. Our interactive design prototypes and high-fidelity designs help us test usability and functionality in order to validate our design thinking and approach.
Our Work
Digital Product Design at Big Human
A Big Human-designed digital product is one built using a client-first approach and one that always considers both the brand and the user. If you’re interested in designing the next world-changing product — or one that will take your company to the next level — we’d love to learn more.
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