UI Design Cycle

1. Requirements Analysis

• Determine the goals for the website from the perspective of the user and the business.
  
• Determine the user needs and target usability requirements.
  
• Evaluate existing versions of the site.
  
• Perform a competitive analysis.
  
• Perform user interviews and surveys.
  

2. Conceptual Design

• Sketch out a site design and architecture at an abstract level.
  
• Conduct a task analysis to find critical features.
  

3. Mockups / Prototypes

• Rapidly create visual representations (mockups) or interactive representations
  (prototypes) of the site.
  
• Evaluate usability through focus groups, user tests, and walkthroughs.
  
• Use the evaluation results to create more mockups or improve the prototypes.
  
• Repeat this process (design iteration) until the design and usability goals are met
  

4. Production

• Create the final product.
  
• Evaluate functionality through testing, quality assurance, usability
  testing, and field testing.
  
• Use the evaluation results to improve the product.
  
• Repeat this process (production iteration) until the business goals are met.
  

5. Launch and Maintenance

• Launch the website.
  
• Maintain and refine with user feedback.
  
• Use the feedback to create new requirements, and begin major design improvements (system iteration).