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Iterative Design

What is iterative design?

Iterative design is a process of designing a product in which the product is tested and evaluated repeatedly at different stages of design to eliminate usability flaws before the product is designed and launched. In other words, iterative design is a process of improving and polishing the design over time. An example of iterative design is Wikipedia, where users can add missing information and correct mistakes that have been made by former contributors.

What are the steps of iterative design?

Typically, in iterative design a product such as an interface is developed in cycles. First, a draft interface is created. This initial interface is then tested by a small group of users. Any problems are noted and analyzed, and after that the design is refined to eliminate these problems. This cycle is repeated a few times until the design is ready to be implemented.

Why is iterative design important?

One of the main reasons iterative design is important is that it allows teams to reduce usability issues and thus ensure a good user experience of the product they are developing. On the other hand, developers can reveal these flaws at the early stages when the cost of eliminating mistakes is minimal. Wireframing and prototyping tools can be very useful in iterative design.

Related terms

• Rapid Prototyping
• Prototype
• Brainstorming

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