The Iterative Design Process

If you learn anything from this course, it should be the Iterative Design Process. It is one of the most important frameworks that is the default of the industry. In iterative design, you simply design and create something, test it, and then make it better. In general, iterative design consists of 4 different phases.

• Research
• Ideation
• Prototyping
• Testing

This is in general - now if it is the last iteration before you are to release the game/deploy the prototype, then you have a 5th phase and that is Deploy.

By following the iterative design process, you will not only save money, but also time in the development of the game. This approach helps identify and address issues early, reduces the risk of costly errors, ensures the final product better meets user needs, and adapts to changes in requirements or market conditions. Ultimately, it leads to more effective, user-centered, and high-quality outcomes.

Research

Research is the first phase in the design cycle; in this phase, we either research in the usual way of research such as playing games, reading articles, and educating ourselves in a specific topic– or, our input is going to be the results from the previous iteration.

Ideation:

The phase where creative ideas and solutions are generated through brainstorming and conceptualization to address user needs and design challenges. Generally speaking, ideation has two phases, 1) divergence where we create as many ideas as possible without a judgment and 2) convergence where we go through all the ideas and choose the best and most feasible one.

Prototyping

The creation of tangible models or simulations of design concepts, ranging from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity functional prototypes, to explore and refine ideas.

Low-fidelity prototypes can be as simple as a set of post-its that represent a certain experience, whereas a high-fidelity prototype would represent something that resembles a nearly finished product. It is important to know when to use which; although low-fidelity prototypes may not be very pleasing to the eyes, they are extremely flexible and robust. This means that you can change them with ease and avoid throwing away days or weeks of work on details. High-fidelity prototypes are rich in details and take a much longer time to build. This means that hi-fi prototypes are more appealing and more suited for showcasing. However, they are also much less robust and flexible, and consequently, they are more suited for later stages in a product’s development cycle.

Testing

The process of evaluating prototypes with users to gather feedback, identify issues, and assess the effectiveness of design solutions. Testing is one of the most important phases of the iterative design; it is where we take a look at our work and document its shortcomings and problems, as well as its strengths and advantages. Moreover, this phase provides us with invaluable data that is used as research material for the next iteration.