Ideate and Visualize Features

UX designers have a unique set of skills that help bridge the mental gap between words (such as requirements) and images (such as site maps and wireframes). As much as people may talk about requirements and argue over language, often they won’t really get onto the same page until they can see the concept represented visually.

On the other hand, if you go into specific visual details too quickly, you risk focusing the conversation on smaller details (say, whether a choice in a form should be a radio button or a drop-down option) before you resolve the big questions (such as whether your users should have to fill out that particular form in the first place).

There are many conceptual design techniques you can use throughout the process that help visualize context, flow, and story in a way that engages others before detailed design begins in earnest. These techniques will also bring out the need for features that can be added to your requirements document before prioritization occurs.