Work More Closely With Development Teams Using Conceptual Models

Build Relationships with Developers, set Expectations, & Achieve a Higher Output Quality

What?

By leveraging conceptual models, designers can enhance their collaboration with development teams. This approach facilitates the establishment of a detailed implementation strategy early in the process. It significantly improves the output quality, offering a promising path to improved teamwork and a more successful project outcome.

When?

Low-quality implementation can be challenging and may strain team dynamics. Conceptual models are particularly valuable in these situations, as they address consistency issues between design and development before work begins. This method is beneficial when such problems are recurrent. However, if your development team consistently delivers as expected, conceptual models may not be necessary.

How?

Simplify collaboration by outlining high-fidelity designs in your preferred format. This process should take no more than five minutes and focus on the following key aspects:

• Accessibility: Ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
• Alignment: Confirm element alignment.
• Attributes: Define margins and paddings.
• Classes: Set global styles.
• Framework: Identify the development framework.
• Groupings: Organise elements into containers.
• Properties/Markup: Specify necessary properties or markup.

Fig 1.1 — Conceptual model produced in Figma, a collaborative interface design tool, for the cinch ‘shop by type’ card component. Figma allows for real-time collaboration, version control, and easy sharing of design files, making it an ideal platform for creating and sharing conceptual models.

Why?

Pre-Build

When designers and developers are aligned, the implementation approach is well-defined, promoting clarity in design thinking.

Build

Reducing assumptions through conceptual models allows developers to focus on generating more effective inquiries. While ad-hoc questions are acceptable, the clarity provided by conceptual models can significantly minimise their frequency, streamlining the process.

Post-Build

Adhering to the pre-agreed strategy during visual quality assurance (VQA) as facilitated by conceptual models reduces change requests, accelerates sign-offs and release timelines, and promotes a sense of efficiency and productivity.

Summary

So, while conceptual models are optional, they can make a significant difference in your collaboration with development teams. They can help you build better relationships, set clear expectations, and achieve higher-quality output. Have you faced challenges with development output quality? I’d like to hear about your experiences and whether you’ve tried a similar approach.