DesignOps

If you have an existing product, we’ll evaluate it to understand the offering and how it serves business objectives and project goals. This includes an assessment of usability, clarity, and ease of task completion, use of design elements, and more. The output includes a prioritization matrix that considers not only the impact of a recommended change, but also the effort.

Our first task is to establish a strong understanding of your business, vision, and project goals. To do this, we’ll meet with your various internal teams in a series of workshops, from product to marketing to sales to data & analytics and more.

Through a combination of user interviews and analytics, we will develop a picture of who your users are, and what needs and goals they have.

It is important to understand the players that exist in the space and what their value proposition is to inform your competitive advantage. Looking at the similar products in the market is necessary to determine which features are table stakes and where the opportunities lie.

At this point we’ve defined each feature that needs to be added or updated, but deciding the order in which to tackle these features is just as important. A prioritization matrix is a great framework to objectively decide priorities. Each feature is plotted on the matrix according to its estimated value (the benefit to the user or your business) and effort (what it takes for your organization to deliver the feature). Features in the upper-left are Quick Wins – the low-hanging fruit to be tackled with top priority. Features in the lower-right are Time Sinks – initiatives that should be fully deprioritized.

Using the insights gathered from our design research, we begin organizing, structuring, and labeling content. An effective information architecture is one that makes it easy for users to find information and complete tasks.

Building off the feature prioritization, we will build out a design roadmap for the project. The roadmap lays out the design tasks in detail for each 2-week sprint to provide clarity to you on what will be completed and by when. The roadmap is designed to be a living document that will evolve to reflect updated priorities over time.

We will create personas as a consolidation of expansive customer archetypes that are most likely to use your product. Expanding beyond who your users are, we’ll look to define their user stories – how they use the product and why. This exercise will articulate all the touchpoints, while surfacing possible pain points and opportunities.

We will provide all required hand-off assets using Figma, a cloud-based digital design and prototyping tool. This is a useful repository for both specs and annotations, which will help the product management team to define acceptance criteria.

We create schematic drawings to define page layouts and interactions. It is important to consider key interactions at a wireframing fidelity to remove the bias of visual aesthetic and focus solely on the intended user journey.

Effective, usable products account for all the ways elements interact with each other. We will also consider the ways in which motion and animation design can improve the experience and bring the product to life.

We believe users are a critical asset to the design process. By engaging real users with user testing we gain insights not likely to be offered by stakeholders or project team members. In addition to usability testing and interviews, we can engage users to provide valuable feedback on wireframes and perform user acceptance testing (UAT).

The interface’s visual design is our first opportunity to pull new users in. We draw upon the findings of the discovery phase to produce a beautiful, engaging, and easy-to-use interface that reflects the tone of the brand.

If the need arises, we can produce videos of advanced in-product animations to convey design intent to the development team. We can also create highly polished videos of the interface in action for use in marketing material to succinctly convey a value proposition and attract users.

We design and test prototypes in order to learn, iterate, and improve our clients’ products. By testing prototypes of varying fidelity we can test hypotheses and identify new questions, pain points, or opportunities long before our solutions are launched.

The component library documents the repeatable UI components, principal UX patterns, and rules guiding their usage.

The UI style guide brings cohesion to your product’s interface by setting the standards for typography, color, and responsive grid systems, serving as a key for your development team.

We don't design products in isolation, our goal is to co-create with you, ensuring that every solution aligns seamlessly with your needs and aspirations. To do this, our approach is centered on collaboration and flexibility, ensuring that we align with your goals and preferences for the project. We offer various engagement models, from project-based to full-scale team augmentation, adapting to your specific needs. We prioritize open communication through weekly syncs and constant availability via email, Slack, and Teams. Being a remote-first company with a global team, we accommodate your preferred time zones for seamless communication and coordination.

Absolutely! We cater to companies of all sizes, from large enterprises to budding startups. Our bread and butter is working with innovative businesses regardless of their funding stage or team size. Our tailored approach to product strategy is particularly beneficial for startups in their conception or early stages. We've collaborated with innovative startups such as RealBricks, AcuityMD, Huma.AI, and Vendr to help bring their MVPs to life with web and mobile applications designed for success.

We’re one of the few UX/UI agencies that focus on designing business-to-business applications and products. Our unique approach integrates logical reasoning, creative innovation, and close collaboration with our partners, ensuring that our strategies are not only visually captivating but also performance-oriented. We prioritize Product Strategy, a crucial yet often neglected stage, to meticulously craft optimal user experiences that yield tangible results and set our clients apart from their competitors.

While our expertise is in designing for B2B products, we love working on consumer-facing products too. Our track record includes successful collaborations with companies like Flo Health, GeoJam, and PS, where our methodical approach to UX design has driven measurable results.

The timeline and cost of our services are tailored to the specific scope and complexity of your product. We offer transparent pricing through a time & materials model, allowing flexibility around evolving priorities. Our approach focuses on thoughtful design rather than rushed deliverables, planning a roadmap in 2-week sprints for agile progress tracking. We also offer flexible pricing options for longer partnerships to ensure continued value and support. Get in touch to discuss your product’s needs, and we'll provide you with a personalized quote and detailed proposal.

While our specialization is in UX/UI design, we work closely with your development teams to ensure a seamless handoff process. We bring valuable insights and best practices to facilitate collaboration between design and development. Additionally, we offer specialized DesignOps frontend services and have established relationships with trusted development agencies to provide quick onboarding and support if needed.

The cost of conducting a comprehensive Product Strategy (SPARK) depends on several factors, including the complexity of the product, the scope of the strategy, and the depth of research required. At Neuron, we prioritize the significance of Product Strategy and typically recommend dedicating 3 to 4 weeks to this crucial phase. This time frame allows for thorough exploration and alignment of business goals, user needs, and market opportunities. For an estimate tailored to your specific needs, please reach out to us.

SPARK is our proprietary, tried-and-true methodology used for conducting product discovery, research, and strategy. SPARK stands for Strategy, Planning, Audit, Research, and Knowledge. It encompasses a comprehensive approach to aligning all stakeholders with business objectives, user needs, and market dynamics. Once completed a SPARK Guide is delivered to the Client, serving as the project's north star. It articulates the vision, objectives, and requirements for both your business and your users.

Developing a roadmap involves prioritizing features and initiatives based on business goals, user needs, technical feasibility, and market trends. It typically begins with defining the product vision and goals, conducting research, and then creating a timeline of milestones and deliverables broken out into 2-week agile sprints. Our roadmaps are dynamic documents that evolve over time based on feedback and changes in priorities.

At Neuron, we conduct UX Audits of digital products to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. It typically includes heuristic evaluations, user testing, analytic evaluation, and competitive benchmarking. The goal is to gain insights into user pain points, usability issues, and overall alignment with business goals.

Product Strategy plays a pivotal role in ensuring the success of product adoption by harmonizing business objectives with user needs and market dynamics. It serves as the cornerstone for decision-making, guiding the prioritization of features and the allocation of resources to maximize return on investment (ROI) while delivering exceptional value to users.

Yes, we can provide UX/UI design services tailored to your specific requirements even if we’re not involved in the Product Strategy. If you already have a clear product strategy or vision we can help bring that vision to life. However, if not, integrating Product Strategy into the design process often leads to more coherent and impactful outcomes, and helps ensure we’re designing the right things. It allows us to better understand your business goals, target audience, and competitive landscape, thereby ensuring that our designs are aligned with your long-term objectives and resonate with your users.

The time and cost of designing your UX and UI depend on various factors such as the complexity of the project, the scope of work, and the level of customization required. We offer tailored solutions to meet your specific needs and budget constraints. For a detailed assessment and accurate estimate, contact us to discuss your project in further detail.

Our UX/UI design process yields a range of deliverables aimed at guiding the development of intuitive and visually compelling digital experiences. These include wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, UI and branding style guides, and design documentation for developer hand-off. Each deliverable is meticulously crafted to provide clear direction for implementation while ensuring alignment with your brand identity and user preferences.

At our core, we specialize in designing user experiences for workplace tools, wherever work happens – web apps, mobile apps, tablet apps, and desktop software, along with cutting-edge AI solutions and embedded technologies. Whether you're launching a new product or refining an existing one, our team has the expertise and creativity to bring your vision to life while prioritizing usability, aesthetics, and functionality.

Our collaboration and communication style as a design partner is deeply rooted in fostering a design-focused environment that encourages creativity, feedback, and iteration. We engage in regular design reviews, inviting active participation from all stakeholders, including development and product teams, to ensure alignment with project goals and technical feasibility. Our approach emphasizes transparent communication, timely updates, and a collaborative spirit aimed at delivering exceptional user experiences.

DesignOps refers to the practice of streamlining and optimizing design processes within an organization to improve efficiency, collaboration, and the overall quality of design outcomes. At Neuron, our approach to DesignOps involves establishing workflows, tools, and automations within Figma that support designers and developers throughout the entire design process, enabling them to focus more on creative tasks and less on administrative overhead.

Team augmentation involves seamlessly integrating external talent with your in-house team to address skill gaps or accommodate heightened project demands. Our perspective on team augmentation is highly adaptable, aligning closely with your specific needs. Typically, we deploy our seasoned designers to bolster your ongoing design endeavors, ensuring prompt completion of high-quality deliverables.

The cost of implementing DesignOps varies depending on factors such as the size of your organization, the complexity of your design processes, and the scope of the services required. We offer tailored solutions to meet your specific needs and budget constraints. For a detailed assessment and accurate estimate, contact us to discuss your DesignOps requirements in further detail.

A design system is a centralized collection of reusable components, patterns, and guidelines that help maintain consistency and coherency across digital products. It serves as a comprehensive reference for design decisions, ensuring visual and functional harmony while expediting the design and development process.

At Neuron, seamless integration of design and development is our forte! We bridge the gap between your design system and codebase, fostering a fluid collaboration between our teams for unparalleled consistency and efficiency. This entails meticulous documentation of design guidelines, crafting reusable UI components, and their seamless implementation through tools such as Storybook. By synchronizing design and code, we streamline development workflows and uphold design integrity throughout your digital product ecosystem.

Neuron has been recognized as a vendor for ITS81 Category 3, specializing in user-centered design and development. Our approach focuses on creating intuitive, accessible digital solutions tailored to the needs of your organization and its users. With a proven track record of delivering impactful digital transformation projects for public sector entities, Neuron prioritizes collaboration, inclusivity, and measurable outcomes. We partner closely with your team to understand your goals and implement strategies that not only meet compliance standards but also exceed user expectations.

Getting started is simple. Contact us today here or email our specialist ryan@neuronux.com to discuss your digital transformation goals. Our team will walk you through the ITS81 contract process, help you identify the right services for your needs, and guide you toward a seamless implementation. Together, we’ll create a user-centered solution that makes a difference for your organization and its stakeholders.

ITS81 is available to a broad range of public sector organizations in Massachusetts. This includes: State Agencies and Departments: Modernize websites, service portals, and digital tools for enhanced user engagement. Municipal Governments: Transform how cities and towns interact with their residents through streamlined, accessible platforms. Educational Institutions: Improve applications, portals, and communication systems for public schools, colleges, and universities. Public Health & Safety Organizations: Enhance digital resources for public health agencies to better serve their communities. Non-profits: Expand digital presence, streamline operations, and improve access to services for the audience they support. If your organization falls into one of these categories, ITS81 is a powerful tool to elevate your digital presence. It’s worth noting that executive agencies must use COMMBUYS to access ITS81.

User-centered design goes beyond aesthetics—it ensures that digital platforms are functional, accessible, and enjoyable for all users. For public sector organizations, this approach directly translates into better engagement, improved service delivery, and greater accessibility for diverse communities. Prioritizing user needs also fosters trust, reduces frustration, and creates lasting positive impacts for both constituents and government employees.

Our offerings under ITS81 are designed to cover every aspect of user-centered digital transformation. Key services include: User Research & Usability Testing: Conduct in-depth analysis to identify user needs, pain points, and opportunities for improvement. UX/UI Design: Develop interfaces that are visually engaging, intuitive to navigate, and aligned with organizational goals. Prototyping & Visual Design: Rapidly create interactive prototypes to test concepts and refine designs before development. Accessibility Enhancements: Ensure compliance with WCAG 2.2 standards, making platforms usable for all audiences, including those with disabilities. DesignOps & Workflow Optimization: Optimize internal design processes to accelerate project delivery without compromising quality. These services are tailored to address your unique challenges, ensuring you get the most value from the ITS81 contract. You can explore more about our capabilities through our case studies and particularly what we achieved with The City of Everett.

ITS81 is a statewide contract established by the Massachusetts Operational Services Division (OSD) to provide public sector entities with access to cutting-edge IT project services and GIS solutions. This contract is designed to support government agencies, municipalities, and other public organizations to modernize their digital platforms, improve accessibility, and create more user-friendly digital experiences. By streamlining access to select IT vendors, ITS81 simplifies the procurement process and ensures projects meet high standards in usability and accessibility.