AM+A

Design

Our Approach

Visual communication is the essence of user-interface (UI) and information-visualization (IV) design. Good UI and IV design establishes an effective connection between human beings and machines. Here’s how we do it:

The approach begins with the discovery phase, when we listen to our clients and gain a thorough understanding of their particular requirements. We then clearly define the project’s challenges and effort requirements before recommending solutions. When designing, we determine and simulate the end-user experience without losing sight of your business objectives. We deliver our work in the form of screen designs, prototypes, guidelines, and specifications that result in real, workable business solutions that are understandable and maintainable.

UI Design Defined

The role that AM+A plays in the development process is constantly evolving, which reflects both a fast-paced industry and the increasing importance of the usability and appeal of products and services. For clarity and guidance in our development efforts, we describe all user interfaces using the following components:

Metaphors
Ideas conveyed through words, images, sounds, and even touch

Mental Models
Organization of data, functions, tasks, roles, jobs, and people at work, play, or on the way

Navigation
Movement through a mental model via buttons, menus, dialogue boxes, windows, lists, and directories

Interaction (feel)
Input, status display, and feedback techniques

Appearance (look)
Perceptual characteristics (visual, verbal, acoustic, tactile)

Working With Our Clients

We provide user-centered solutions on projects ranging from start-up ventures to business applications launched by some of the largest companies in the world. We work closely and collaboratively with our clients, supplementing their skill sets whenever necessary.

4-D Solutions

Discover

Every client and project is unique. To find distinct solutions, we must find what is special about a client’s challenges. We identify the unique aspects of a client’s project by closely analyzing and quickly absorbing complex marketing, engineering, and end-user requirements.

Define

We analyze the research and write a needs analysis report. This document defines the project objectives, methods, schedules, budgets, and responsibilities, and it serves as the plan for the remainder of the project. The report defines:

Design

AM+A approaches designs in short, iterative stages. At each stage we identify with the client the appropriate review process, which ranges from project team reviews to usability evaluations. Early designs are simple and present high-level organization and structure. Successive versions are rendered in higher fidelity and cover a broader scope. As a result, we quickly achieve high quality designs that are informed by the continual learning process from one iteration to the next. Depending on the project, the design phase includes concepts, prototypes, and evaluations.

Concepts can include:

Rapid prototypes can include:

User evaluations can include:

Deliver

AM+A provides complete, clear, and well-designed deliverables. Our prototypes make for powerful story selling presentations to users, engineering personnel, marketing personnel, business partners, potential investors, and journalists. These prototypes also serve as “construction models” to guide development. Products that we have produced are quality-assurance tested in alpha, beta, and golden master stages. Our deliverables can include: