Client review is probably one of the most crucial things in the design and delivery process. In the Topcoder competitions, you will find that there are two phases of client reviews in every challenge.
The first review is called the checkpoint review phase. In this process, the client provides their feedback to all initial design submissions made by designers in the first round/checkpoint phase. The goal of this review is to ensure designers make the correct progress on their designs and that they are meeting client expectations. The feedback then will be shared with designers and they will try to improve their design and complete all the requirements before the final judgment happens.
The second review is the final review phase. This happens when all design submissions are sent to the client who judges them as a complete proposed solution with consideration on the UI design quality, UX flow experience, and the design presentation and interactions.
Both phases have their own prizes that are awarded to designers that participate in the challenge. To be able to win both phases, you need to offer a design that stands out both in appearance and design usability. In this article, we will provide some tips on how to make your design outstanding for client review.
In each phase of the challenge (round one or two), there are screen or feature requirements that need to be provided for client review. It is really important to fulfill the required screens for each phase because the client will be more interested in checking a complete set of screens that show the solution instead of just seeing one or two beautiful UI screens without a clear context on how the design can solve their problem. So, push yourself to create a design that meets the requirements requested in each phase.
A good user flow is one of the keys to winning the client’s attention. Topcoder challenges usually provide a Marvel App prototype link where designers can upload their design and adjust the interaction so the client can check on how the design will work in real life. Here are some Marvel app tips to create a better user flow that will attract client interest:
Provide comments to show how the elements of your design work
Provide a clickable hotspot so the client can simulate how the design should flow from one page to another
Make a Presentation Screen at the beginning of your prototype in the Marvel app
Make a user flow diagram and sitemap to guide the client
Author: Ramotion
Break your design elements into modular parts. Try to make each element in your design a module that has “center of gravity”. With the centralized information, your design module will look more balanced even though there are many design elements in that section.
Author: Ramotion
To be able to use the same consistent elements throughout your design, you’re going to need to create a GUI KIT or small design system that you can use when designing. If the client has branding guidelines available already, then use their guidelines strictly. This means in any available area such as text size, colors, icons selection, etc, you need to use their guidelines. A consistent design style will make it easier for a human brain to understand your design flow because they can adapt to the design layout faster and have their focus more on the flow. For example, in mobile apps design, onboarding instructions that represent the design style of all applications will help new users to more easily interact with the system created. Thus, the bounce effect (or uninstall) by the user can be reduced because the user immediately knows how to use your application.
Adding unique elements in your design is something that you need to consider so your design will look different. Try to think of elements that can make users linger playing with your application. For example, if you are creating a property or residential website try creating elements such as 3D view to see the whole house. Try to make solutions that have not been thought of by others or utilize the latest technology that might apply to the product you are designing.
These five simple tips are easy tips that you can implement right away so your design will look more attractive to the client. Once the client engages with your design, you will get a lot of benefit from user feedback and therefore have a higher chance to be selected as the challenge winner.