UXD: User Experience Design
Document Type
Code: UXD
Name: User Experience Design
Domain: Product & Service
Abstract
This specification defines the User Experience Design document type within the BSpec 1.0 Universal Business Specification Standard. It establishes normative requirements, structured templates, and implementation guidance for organizations documenting user experience design within the product-service domain. This specification enables systematic, machine-readable documentation that supports strategic planning, operational execution, and organizational alignment.
Purpose and Scope
The User Experience Design document defines comprehensive user experience strategies, interaction patterns, and design specifications that ensure products and services deliver intuitive, accessible, and delightful user experiences aligned with user needs and business objectives.
Document Metadata Schema
yaml
---
id: UXD-{experience-area}
title: "UX Design — {Experience Area}"
type: UXD
status: Draft|Review|Approved|Implemented|Deprecated
version: 1.0.0
owner: UX-Designer|Design-Team
stakeholders: [product-team, engineering-team, research-team, brand-team]
domain: product
priority: Critical|High|Medium|Low
scope: experience-design
horizon: current
visibility: internal
depends_on: [PER-*, CJM-*, USE-*]
enables: [FEA-*, REQ-*, QUA-*]
design_stage: Research|Concept|Design|Prototype|Implementation|Evaluation
experience_type: Web|Mobile|Desktop|Voice|Physical|Omnichannel
user_segments: [Persona identifiers]
accessibility_level: AA|AAA
design_system: {design-system-id}
success_criteria:
- "Design solutions address validated user needs"
- "User experience metrics meet targets"
- "Design consistency is maintained across touchpoints"
- "Accessibility standards are met"
assumptions:
- "User research accurately represents target users"
- "Design solutions are technically feasible"
- "Users will adopt new interaction patterns"
constraints: [Technical and business design constraints]
standards: [Design and accessibility standards]
review_cycle: sprint-based
---Content Structure Template
markdown
# UX Design — {Experience Area}
## Design Overview
**Purpose:** {Why this UX design exists}
**Scope:** {What experiences are covered}
**Design Vision:** {Aspirational experience vision}
**Success Definition:** {What good UX looks like}
## User Research Foundation
### User Understanding
- **Primary Users:** {Key user segments}
- **User Segment 1:** {Description}
- **Goals:** {What they want to achieve}
- **Pain Points:** {Current frustrations}
- **Behaviors:** {How they currently work}
- **Context:** {Where and when they use the product}
- **User Needs:** {Validated user needs}
- **User Mental Models:** {How users think about the domain}
- **User Expectations:** {What users expect from the experience}
- **Usage Patterns:** {How users interact with similar products}
### Research Insights
- **Research Methods Used:** {Interviews, surveys, observations, etc.}
- **Key Findings:** {Important insights from research}
- **User Quotes:** {Meaningful user feedback}
- **Behavioral Patterns:** {Observed user behavior patterns}
- **Unmet Needs:** {Gaps in current solutions}
## Experience Strategy
### Experience Principles
- **Principle 1:** {Name}
- **Description:** {What this principle means}
- **Rationale:** {Why this principle matters}
- **Application:** {How this applies to design decisions}
### Experience Goals
- **Usability Goals:** {Ease of use objectives}
- **Emotional Goals:** {Desired emotional responses}
- **Business Goals:** {Business objectives through UX}
- **Brand Goals:** {Brand experience objectives}
### Success Metrics
- **User Experience Metrics:**
- **Task Success Rate:** {Percentage of successful task completions}
- **Task Completion Time:** {Time to complete key tasks}
- **Error Rate:** {Frequency of user errors}
- **User Satisfaction:** {Satisfaction scores and feedback}
- **Engagement Metrics:**
- **Time on Task:** {Engagement depth indicators}
- **Return Usage:** {Repeat usage patterns}
- **Feature Adoption:** {Feature usage rates}
- **User Retention:** {Long-term usage retention}
## User Journey Design
### Current State Journey
- **Journey Stage 1:** {Awareness/Discovery}
- **User Actions:** {What users do}
- **Touchpoints:** {Where interactions happen}
- **Pain Points:** {Current frustrations}
- **Emotions:** {User emotional state}
- **Opportunities:** {Improvement opportunities}
### Future State Journey
- **Journey Stage 1:** {Awareness/Discovery}
- **Desired Experience:** {Improved user experience}
- **Design Solutions:** {Specific design interventions}
- **Success Metrics:** {How improvement is measured}
- **Implementation Notes:** {Key implementation considerations}
### Journey Orchestration
- **Cross-Channel Experience:** {How experience spans channels}
- **Handoff Points:** {Critical transition moments}
- **Consistency Requirements:** {Experience consistency needs}
- **Personalization Opportunities:** {Where to customize experience}
## Information Architecture
### Content Strategy
- **Content Principles:** {How content supports user goals}
- **Content Types:** {Different types of content needed}
- **Content Hierarchy:** {Information prioritization}
- **Content Lifecycle:** {How content is created, maintained, retired}
### Navigation Design
- **Navigation Principles:** {How users move through the experience}
- **Navigation Patterns:** {Specific navigation approaches}
- **Wayfinding:** {How users understand where they are}
- **Search and Discovery:** {How users find what they need}
### Information Organization
- **Mental Model Alignment:** {How organization matches user thinking}
- **Categorization:** {How information is grouped}
- **Labeling:** {How elements are named}
- **Relationships:** {How information connects}
## Interaction Design
### Interaction Principles
- **Principle 1:** {Interaction principle name}
- **Description:** {What this means for interactions}
- **Examples:** {Specific interaction examples}
- **Guidelines:** {Rules for applying this principle}
### Interaction Patterns
- **Pattern 1:** {Interaction pattern name}
- **Use Case:** {When to use this pattern}
- **Behavior:** {How the interaction works}
- **Variations:** {Different versions of the pattern}
- **Guidelines:** {Rules for using this pattern}
### Microinteractions
- **Trigger:** {What initiates the microinteraction}
- **Rules:** {What happens during the interaction}
- **Feedback:** {How the system responds}
- **Loops and Modes:** {How the interaction continues or changes}
## Visual Design
### Design System Integration
- **Design Language:** {Visual design language used}
- **Component Library:** {Reusable design components}
- **Style Guidelines:** {Typography, color, spacing rules}
- **Brand Integration:** {How brand is expressed visually}
### Visual Hierarchy
- **Hierarchy Principles:** {How visual prominence is used}
- **Typography Hierarchy:** {Text sizing and styling}
- **Color Hierarchy:** {Color usage for organization}
- **Layout Principles:** {Spacing and alignment rules}
### Accessibility Design
- **Accessibility Standards:** {WCAG 2.1 AA compliance}
- **Color Accessibility:** {Color contrast requirements}
- **Typography Accessibility:** {Readable text requirements}
- **Interaction Accessibility:** {Keyboard and screen reader support}
## Prototype and Testing
### Prototype Strategy
- **Prototype Purpose:** {What the prototype will validate}
- **Fidelity Level:** {Low, medium, or high fidelity}
- **Prototype Scope:** {What parts are prototyped}
- **Testing Plan:** {How prototype will be tested}
### Usability Testing
- **Testing Objectives:** {What we want to learn}
- **Test Participants:** {Who will be tested}
- **Testing Methods:** {Moderated/unmoderated, remote/in-person}
- **Test Scenarios:** {Realistic usage scenarios}
- **Success Criteria:** {What constitutes successful testing}
### Design Validation
- **Validation Methods:** {How design quality is assessed}
- **Expert Review:** {Design expert evaluation}
- **Heuristic Evaluation:** {Usability heuristic assessment}
- **Accessibility Audit:** {Accessibility compliance check}
## Implementation Guidelines
### Design Handoff
- **Design Specifications:** {Detailed implementation specs}
- **Asset Delivery:** {How design assets are provided}
- **Developer Collaboration:** {How designers work with developers}
- **Quality Assurance:** {How design quality is maintained}
### Responsive Design
- **Breakpoint Strategy:** {How design adapts to screen sizes}
- **Mobile-First Approach:** {Mobile-first design considerations}
- **Touch Interaction:** {Touch-specific interaction design}
- **Performance Considerations:** {Design impact on performance}
### Technical Constraints
- **Platform Limitations:** {Technology platform constraints}
- **Performance Requirements:** {Design performance impacts}
- **Browser Support:** {Supported browser requirements}
- **Integration Constraints:** {System integration considerations}
## Design Operations
### Design Process
- **Design Workflow:** {How design work flows}
- **Design Reviews:** {Design review and approval process}
- **Design Documentation:** {How designs are documented}
- **Version Control:** {How design versions are managed}
### Design Tools
- **Design Tools:** {Software tools used for design}
- **Collaboration Tools:** {Tools for team collaboration}
- **Prototyping Tools:** {Tools for creating prototypes}
- **Testing Tools:** {Tools for user testing}
### Design Quality
- **Design Standards:** {Quality standards for design}
- **Design Reviews:** {Design quality review process}
- **Design Metrics:** {Metrics for design effectiveness}
- **Design Improvement:** {How design quality improves}
## Measurement and Optimization
### UX Metrics Framework
- **Behavioral Metrics:** {What users do}
- **Attitudinal Metrics:** {What users say}
- **Outcome Metrics:** {Business results from UX}
- **Benchmark Metrics:** {Comparison with standards}
### Data Collection
- **Analytics Setup:** {How user behavior is tracked}
- **User Feedback:** {How user opinions are collected}
- **Usability Testing:** {Ongoing usability evaluation}
- **A/B Testing:** {Experimental design validation}
### Optimization Process
- **Performance Baseline:** {Current experience performance}
- **Optimization Opportunities:** {Areas for improvement}
- **Experiment Design:** {How improvements are tested}
- **Implementation Plan:** {How optimizations are deployed}
## Design Evolution
### Design Maintenance
- **Design Updates:** {How designs stay current}
- **User Feedback Integration:** {How user input drives changes}
- **Technology Evolution:** {How design adapts to new technology}
- **Business Evolution:** {How design supports business changes}
### Future Considerations
- **Emerging Technologies:** {New technology impacts on UX}
- **User Expectation Evolution:** {How user needs may change}
- **Competitive Landscape:** {Market changes affecting UX}
- **Innovation Opportunities:** {Areas for UX innovation}
## Validation
*Evidence that UX design delivers intuitive, accessible, and effective user experiences*Quality Standards
Bronze Level (Minimum Viable)
- [ ] Design overview with purpose, scope, and vision
- [ ] User research foundation with understanding and insights
- [ ] Basic experience strategy with principles and goals
- [ ] All required metadata fields completed
Silver Level (Investment Ready)
- [ ] Comprehensive user journey design with current and future state mapping
- [ ] Information architecture with content strategy and navigation design
- [ ] Interaction design with principles, patterns, and microinteractions
- [ ] Visual design with system integration and accessibility considerations
- [ ] Prototype and testing strategy with validation methods
- [ ] Implementation guidelines with design handoff and technical constraints
Gold Level (Operational Excellence)
- [ ] Advanced design operations with comprehensive workflow and quality management
- [ ] Measurement and optimization framework with behavioral and outcome metrics
- [ ] Design evolution strategy with maintenance and future considerations
- [ ] Real-time UX monitoring with automated optimization recommendations
- [ ] Continuous user research integration with design iteration
- [ ] Cross-platform experience consistency with design system maturity
Common Pitfalls
- Designing without user research: Making assumptions about user needs
- Inconsistent experience across touchpoints: Different experience quality across channels
- Ignoring accessibility: Designing only for able-bodied users
- Over-designing for edge cases: Optimizing for uncommon scenarios
Success Patterns
- User-centered design process: Start with user research and continue validation throughout
- Cross-functional collaboration: Close collaboration between design, product, and engineering
- Iterative design and testing: Rapid prototyping and testing cycles
- Design system consistency: Consistent design language and patterns
Relationship Guidelines
Typical Dependencies
- PER (Personas): Personas provide user context and design targets
- CJM (Customer Journey Maps): Journey maps inform experience design strategy
- USE (Use Cases): Use cases define functional requirements for design
Typical Enablements
- FEA (Feature Specification): UX design guides feature interaction and interface design
- REQ (Requirements Specification): Design solutions drive usability and interface requirements
- QUA (Quality Specification): UX design informs quality standards for user experience
Document Relationships
This document type commonly relates to:
- Depends on: PER (Personas), CJM (Customer Journey Maps), USE (Use Cases)
- Enables: FEA (Feature Specification), REQ (Requirements Specification), QUA (Quality Specification)
- Informs: Product development, interface design, user testing strategy
- Guides: Interaction patterns, visual design, accessibility implementation
Validation Checklist
- [ ] Design overview with clear purpose, scope, vision, and success definition
- [ ] User research foundation with user understanding and validated insights
- [ ] Experience strategy with principles, goals, and measurable success metrics
- [ ] User journey design with current state analysis and future state vision
- [ ] Information architecture with content strategy, navigation, and organization
- [ ] Interaction design with principles, patterns, and microinteraction specifications
- [ ] Visual design with system integration, hierarchy, and accessibility standards
- [ ] Prototype and testing strategy with validation methods and usability testing
- [ ] Implementation guidelines with design handoff, responsive design, and technical constraints
- [ ] Design operations with process, tools, and quality management
- [ ] Measurement and optimization framework with UX metrics and data collection
- [ ] Design evolution strategy with maintenance and future considerations
- [ ] Validation evidence of user experience effectiveness and accessibility compliance