In Content

In Content

Using Lean UX to define and create a Minimal Viable Product

Overview

In Content is a content management system that was created to handle company content and translations. The aim was to focus on a MVP (minimum viable product) through Lean UX. The multidisciplinary team (One Product Manager and four Developers) worked using Agile development.

The project was being used to create an internal content product and to investigate a new framework. As a result we broke the requirements into two, technical and general.

Technical Requirements

  1. Use Lean UX and Agile best practices.
  2. We wanted to explore the possibilities of implementing a new front-end framework. As a team we decided to use the Foundation 5 framework.
  3. To be lean we choose to use the out of the box resources Foundation offer. Resources such as grids, buttons, navigation constructs, iconography, plugins and more.
  4. Create a MVP that can be iterated on.
  5. The software should be responsive to desktop and tablet.
  6. Allow content to be updated using web serves.

General Requirements

  1. Translations should be marked and handled by the system.
  2. A master content area was to be developed.
  3. The MVP base languages were US English, British English, German, Italian and Spanish. Many more can be added in future iterations.
  4. An audit history should be included.
  5. String states should be clearly defined.

Process

With a solid holistic overview of what was needed I begin with whiteboard sessions. These sessions were collaborative. Here to effectively create an MVP we identified the riskiest aspects. This allowed me to work out foreseen problems and pivot to alternative solutions that worked.

To evaluate the framework I utilised it’s out of the box functionally with best practice UX in mind. I choose a foundation Grid that suited. From the grid I was able to define the relevant breakpoints for a responsive design.

UX Process Examples
UX Process Examples

The IA was defined using flows. The flow was validated using paper prototyping. An lo-fi prototype was then created. From this lo-fi interactive prototype (created in UX Pin) I were able to text and adjust the design accordingly. The final MVP was then built directly into the Foundation 5 framework.

Technical Conclusions

Tech Approach

Involvement

I lead this design from the get go. From the early kick off meeting I gathered requirements and controlled the scope. I followed through the design process from the discovery phase to testing to the MVP design.

MVP Round Up

The In Content MVP is in use today. It is proving to address the company content and translations needs successfully. As with any minimal viable product there are some kinks that need to be addressed as we iterate.

The use of Foundation 5 was also a positive. We will continue to use this framework for both the existing product and future endeavors.

Minimal Viable Product

To show the future view of the product I created a conceptual visual design. This is something the team will aspire to.

Skills: User Experience Design
Client: Inhance Technology