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Let’s take a deeper look at some of the services we offer to help you get there.
Research
Research is probably one of the most important steps in the development of any new digital product, project or campaign. It involves a deep dive into understanding not just the user’s needs but also the market trends, competitors, and potential roadblocks.
Research can take many forms depending on the project goals, timeframe and budget. It may include user interviews, where we talk directly to people to understand their needs, frustrations, and desires. Surveys might be used to gather data from a larger group. We may also perform usability testing on existing products to identify areas for improvement.
Additionally, it’s about studying the market trends to ensure the product is current and competitive. It’s also about analysing competitors, because knowing what they’re doing right (or wrong) can give invaluable insights.
So this research phase is all about gathering as much information as possible to make informed decisions during the product development process.
UX / UI audit
This is all about evaluating the current state of a product (that being, your website, app or other digital product) to identify areas that can be improved for a better user experience.
We start by looking at the architecture and structure of your site. It’s like walking through a digital house - we check out if the rooms (or in our case, pages) are easy to find, if there’s a logical flow from one to another, and if people can easily find what they need.
We dive into your content. We’re on the lookout for any gaps or confusing parts. We also look for opportunities where you could provide more value, sort of like adding an extension to your digital house.
Then, we put ourselves in your users’ shoes. We map out the journey they take to reach their goals and spot any obstacles or annoyances they could encounter along the way. It’s like we’re planning the most efficient route for a road trip!
Finally, we take a good, hard look at your site’s design. Does it match your brand’s personality? Does it look slick and professional, captivating your audience’s attention and motivating them to reach their goal?
Systems audit
A Technical + Systems audit is a bit similar to the UX/UI audit, but here we’re really focusing on the tools, systems, and technology that make up your digital ecosystem.
Imagine it as us taking a look under the hood of your car. We’re checking out things like your inventory management platforms, CRM or marketing automation tools, online portals - you name it! We’re trying to see how all these parts are communicating with each other.
Our goal is to spot opportunities where we could collect better data, streamline processes, or just generally make the experience smoother for your users. And at the end of it all, we’ll give you some recommendations for new products or tools that could help achieve these goals.
Product strategy
Developing a Product strategy is all about planning and defining the direction your product will take and creating a roadmap for the journey it will take.
We start by diving deep into the market to understand the trends, opportunities, and competition. Next, we’ll create detailed user personas to understand who we’re building the product for. This includes their needs, motivations, and behaviours.
We’ll work with you to define clear, measurable goals for your product. What do you want to achieve? Increase user engagement? Boost sales? We’ll make sure we know where we’re heading.
Based on user needs and business goals, we’ll prioritise the features to be developed, and then turn this into a product roadmap - a timeline which maps out a series of releases highlighting which features will be developed and when.
Product strategy isn’t a one-time thing. We’ll continuously revisit and refine the strategy based on user feedback, market changes and innovative thinking.
Scoping + discovery
Scoping and discovery is an essential place to start for any development project. It ensures that your investment of time, energy, and resources aligns with what your target audience wants and needs and sets up your project for success from the get-go.
It may involve:
- UX/UI and systems audits of existing digital products and touchpoints.
- User research such as surveys, focus groups, or user testing to gain deep insights into user behaviour.
- Stakeholder workshops for collaborative brainstorming sessions aim to uncover the business goals and problems that need solving.
- Requirements gathering sessions to define and prioritise the desired features.
It's only once we've got a full picture of what you're aiming to achieve and the requirements you have, that we can recommend a tech stack, budget and timeline that makes sense for your project.
Digital consulting
When we talk about digital consulting, we’re essentially referring to our role as your strategic guide in the digital world. Whether it’s related to your business, a specific project, or a budding idea, we’re here to offer our expertise.
We’re like your fresh pair of eyes, ready to dive in and help you see things from a new perspective. We aim to innovate and develop digital solutions that address real problems and unlock growth potential.
And here’s the thing - many of our clients don’t even realise how much we can assist them with until we sit down for a chat. So, whether you’re seeking advice or simply need a sounding board for your ideas, our digital consulting services are designed to support you every step of the way.
User flows
A user flow map is a visual diagram showing the journey a user takes, from the moment they enter an app or piece of software, right through to their final interaction. It's like a big, detailed storyboard that captures every possible path they could take.
But these maps aren't just about users, they're also about data. They also map out everything that's happening behind the scenes - every trigger point, API call, system interaction, and the data being stored.
Just remember, these maps are essentially focused on the system - they're all about the individual screens and touchpoints. If you're looking for something that deals with customer emotions, pain points, and motivations, then you'd want a user journey map (which we usually create during the research phase of a project).
User and data flows are such an important part of the UX design process.We develop them hand in hand with wireframes, and keep checking them to make sure we've thought of every possible scenario or variable. This not only helps us create the best experience possible but also keeps our design and development efficient.
User Experience (UX)
User experience design, or UX, is actually quite a broad term. It involves many different elements (including user flows which has been detailed above), and these can change depending on the project.
It will often include the development of an information or system architecture, which is a visual map that represents all the pages, screens or technical components of the site, app or product.
When it comes to websites, content really matters in the UX process. We'll take a look at the content you already have and align it with your business goals and your website's purpose. Then, we craft the structure of your site so that your content tells a compelling story or guides users smoothly through your site.
No matter what we're working on, wireframes are always a crucial piece of the UX process. Think of them as the blueprint for your website, product, or software. They're visual guides that lay out the product's framework, giving a clear overview of the page structure, layout, content structure, functionality and intended behaviours.
We often work on user flows and wireframes side by side in a back-and-forth process. We use one to cross-check the other, making sure we've thought about all possible routes and variables. Paying attention to this level of detail during the UX stage makes the design and development stages significantly more efficient.
User Interface Design (UI)
User Interface Design, or UI, is an important subset of UX that focuses on the visual elements of a website, product or software. It's where we take the wireframes and bring them to life up with visual elements. But don't be fooled, it's not just about making things look pretty.
UI Design is all about thinking ahead and figuring out what the user might need. We aim to make sure that the interface is simple to navigate and each element is easy to understand and use.
Sometimes, we have detailed brand guidelines to stick to, other times we have more creative freedom. But no matter the situation, we always design with the brand strategy in mind and, of course, the end-user is always our top priority.
During the UI phase, we create a design system. This is like a style guide for all the visual components - think headlines & text, buttons, toggles, menus, icons, and any other elements users will interact with. This design system is our reference point throughout the project, ensuring we're both efficient and consistent.
Brand asset design
While we might not be brand specialists by trade, but between us we've got many years of experience in brand strategy and design. If you're looking to launch a brand - particularly a digital one - into market efficiently, we've got your back.
We distill our years of experience from big brand projects into a few key stages that'll give you a captivating brand proposition, a strategic brand framework, and a logo and brand identity that say "you".
Our design team absolutely love bringing branded assets to life. Whether it's social posts, sales documents, digital banners, reports, posters, flyers, booklets, or anything else you can think of, they've got it covered. They'll apply your brand with their expert touch to deliver sleek, attention-grabbing collateral. Trust us, they're good at what they do!
Prototyping + testing
Sometimes, we take our wireframes or designs and turn them into a prototype. Think of it as an interactive model or a super basic version of the product. It can be a great way to visualise its features, see how users might interact with it, and test out the overall user experience. Prototypes can be created up at any stage in the UX design process, and they're especially handy in the early stages when we're still figuring out the best path forward.
Often times, depending on the project or goal, we'll put our designs through the wringer with some user testing. This is where we put our designs to the test, gathering feedback and doing usability tests to see what's working and what needs a bit more tweaking. It's all part of making sure our designs are as user-friendly as possible.
Product roadmapping
Once we've nailed down a solid product design and blueprint, our next step is to create a product roadmap. A product roadmap is essentially a strategic plan that outlines the vision, direction, priorities, and progress of your product over time. It serves as a guiding document that keeps everyone from the development team to your internal stakeholders and customers aligned on the product's direction and progress.
Here's what makes up the backbone of our product roadmaps:
- Problem Statement: The core problem the product is aiming to solve.
- Vision: The overarching goal or purpose of the product.
- Milestones: Major checkpoints and achievements to hit along the way.
- Feature Set: The individual components or functionalities of the product that deliver value to the users, prioritised based on their impact and feasibility.
- MVP: A snapshot of the minimum viable product - what it looks like in its simplest, yet functional form.
- Release Plan: A timeline for when we're rolling out new versions or significant updates.
- Sprint Cycles: How we break down the work into manageable chunks.
- Metrics: The scoreboard - the key metrics we’re using to measure how well the product’s doing.
- Growth: A look at the upward trajectory we’re aiming for.
Website development
At Kodaa, we take care of your website from start to finish. From the initial planning phase, through design, content creation, right up to the development, we've got it covered. In the early scoping and planning days, we'll guide you towards the platform and third-party tools that align with your goals and budget.
Staying up-to-date with the latest in website platforms and tools is part of our DNA. We're comfortable working across a variety of platforms, but we do have our favourites. Why? Because they consistently offer the best in terms of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, security, and reliability.
For instance, if you're aiming for a content or design-focused site that looks amazing, is quick to launch, and easy to manage and scale, we often lean towards Duda and Webflow. If your project is more complex, maybe requiring multiple front-ends now or in the future, we might suggest going headless with platforms like Sanity or Squidex. And for those of you looking into e-commerce, Shopify could be the way to go.
When we hand over your site you can expect it to be fully functional and ready to go - live content, SEO optimised, beautifully executed across both desktop and mobile. All this is part and parcel of our website development process.
Digital product development
A digital product can be any kind of application that makes life easier and more efficient. From mobile apps that tap into your device's native capabilities, web apps that empower users to accomplish tasks through their browsers, SaaS products offering everything from business tools to personal finance, or online learning platforms, we've got the expertise to bring these ideas to life.
When it comes to app development, we take the role of product manager and collaborate with our long time app development partner, Applickable. This relationship plays to each of our strengths, allowing us to deliver unrivalled expertise across every stage of delivery.
As the brains behind the app's architecture and design, we know the user experience inside out. Having planned how every feature and component should work, our ability to manage the product development journey is unmatched. You can expect to deal with us as your guide every step of the way.
Product management
The role of product manager is pivotal in delivering a successful product. Product management isn't just about steering a product from concept to launch — it's about strategically guiding it through its entire lifecycle to ensure it meets market needs and delivers maximum value to both the business and its customers.
In our role as product manager, we act as the custodian of your product vision, driving its development from inception through to launch and beyond. What sets us apart is our close partnership with our development team and the technical strategy we bring to the table. This synergy allows us to excel in overseeing the development process, ensuring that the product aligns with its vision, strategy, and quality standards.
Our commitment doesn't end at launch. We typically stay on as product managers, continuously refining and enhancing the product based on user feedback and performance data. This iterative process ensures that your product remains relevant and valuable to users over time.
