At Swipe, we’re often approached by clients with a digital product in mind – a mobile app, a website, or perhaps something more complex. While they may have a general vision, they often lack the specific details needed to bring their idea to life. This is where the art of collaboration and beautiful client relationships begin.
The “one-sentence client brief” is a common starting point, and it’s both a challenge and an opportunity. We find that these initial, often vague ideas can be incredibly inspiring. When a client comes to us with a rough sketch of their vision, it sets the stage for creativity. It allows us to delve deeper into their goals, identify potential pain points and explore various avenues for execution. It gives us the chance to shape the brief into something incredible.
The goal of Swipe’s discovery offering is two-fold:
At Swipe, our approach to gathering product specifications involves the following processes and outputs.
Taking the time to talk to actual users before jumping into solution mode is invaluable. This step gives us crucial insights into their pain points and core objectives. We gather this information through direct conversations or by analysing existing user interviews. Without this critical step, we risk making assumptions that lead to a product that misses the mark.
Next, we create flow diagrams to map user navigation and interactions. These visual representations help clarify the flow and ensure a seamless, intuitive user experience. Flow diagrams are particularly great for seeing how everything fits together, providing a clear overview of a product’s structure. They also serve as a key communication tool between our team and the client, ensuring everyone is aligned on how users will interact with the product.
Once the user journey is mapped, we move on to lo-fi wireframes. These basic layouts are all about functionality, not aesthetics. At this stage, we focus on detailing what should be on each page and prioritising the most critical elements to ensure they appear at the top. It might not be pretty, but it’s essential for aligning all stakeholders on the core design elements.
At this stage, we focus on designing the UI of the product, aiming to cover the majority of the site’s pages. To bring the product to life, we prototype the solution, allowing users to engage with the design as if it were fully built. This is also when we like to put the prototype in the hands of some users to observe how they interact with it. As we always say: “It’s cheaper to make mistakes in design than in development.”
To ensure a smooth transition from design to development, we create a strategic brief that aligns both the design and technical setup. It covers key design principles like usability, accessibility, and responsiveness, while outlining the technology infrastructure - whether the project requires a custom solution or an off-the-shelf platform. We also assess major third-party integrations, such as payment gateways or analytics. Additionally, scalability needs are factored in to ensure the product can grow with your business. This brief ensures both design and tech teams are aligned for a secure, scalable, and integrated product.
As you can see, our discovery process does not result in a traditional business requirements document, which we consider outdated. As technology advances and the need for high-quality products increases, we believe organisations must re-look how they communicate product requirements to various stakeholders. And we believe we’ve perfected this with our product discovery outputs.
If you’re ready to bring your digital product vision to life, Swipe is here to help. Our expertise, combined with our collaborative approach, ensures that your project is delivered on time and within budget, and exceeds your expectations. Contact us today to learn more about how we can partner with you on your next digital venture.
Co-founder and Head of Product