We start by asking questions…
Understanding the client is key for us, and that is where the role of a UX designer begins. From the very first meeting, we have the opportunity to observe:
- how the client approaches the project,
- what their motivations are,
- what their concerns are,
- and the personalities of the people who will be working with us on the project from their side.
Depending on the size of the project, further meetings or workshops follow, where we aim to get to know the client more deeply, uncover more about their business domain, and understand their internal processes. And not just those directly related to the e-shop, website, application or marketing. We want to uncover the impact of their processes on the overall customer experience. We are interested in things like how order fulfilment, warehousing, logistics, customer support and similar functions operate.
…so we know what we will be doing
Understanding the client is also important for deciding whether we will take the route of gradual incremental changes (CRO) or a radical website overhaul (redesign). Or whether broader changes to the client’s business processes are needed (service design).
We look to the past. We try to uncover what worked for clients before, find out why, and — where the situation allows — build on previous successes. We always adapt the design process based on our understanding of the client, so that it is efficient and cost-effective for them.
We draw from other sources too
We analyse and contextualise all the data gathered from getting to know the client. We supplement this with additional inputs. We look at Google Analytics data, go through customer support communications, and carry out a basic customer base analysis.
This is often where the most interesting part of the work begins. We uncover genuine problems associated with the existing solution and start identifying where the potential for improvement lies. And the same rule applies here — it does not have to be problems directly related to the client’s website. A designer can in most cases also propose and recommend changes to the client’s internal processes, if they find that a given process is hindering the success of the client’s service. It is not always possible right from the start, but once the client trusts our work, they let us advise or guide them towards a solution.
We do not skip the customers either
At Proof & Reason, we follow the principles of Human-Centred Design and pride ourselves on always making decisions based on data. Ideally from primary research (directly from customers). That is why most of our UX designers are also researchers. Alongside generalists, there is also room for those who are more research-oriented and less drawn to the design side — or vice versa.
But we all recognise the value and importance of research. On projects, our task is to define research objectives, identify what data we need and what methodology we will use to gather it. Beyond the research strategy, we are also responsible for execution, evaluation, and preparing the output that we or the client will work with further.
Not every client, however, has the budget for primary research. In such cases, we base our decisions on studies and best practices from trusted organisations, industry firms and research agencies — such as the Baymard Institute. We always look for ways to back our decisions with data.
Design is just one part of our overall process
Of course, as UX designers we also design — from simple paper wireframes to interactive prototypes to realistic-looking graphic mockups.
What is important, though, is that the work of a UX designer at Proof & Reason is not just about design. We do not receive a ready-made brief — we prepare it ourselves. We are partly researchers, business analysts, strategists and marketers. This gives us a high degree of autonomy, responsibility, room to grow, and above all the opportunity to drive real progress for the client’s business.
We embrace variety
Most of the projects we work on as designers at Proof & Reason are long-term. Launching a project is just the beginning. The designer helps build the project roadmap for the coming years and, together with the client, prioritises the tasks needed to keep the website competitive and continue improving its business performance. We build a more personal relationship with clients, work together and share knowledge and experience that moves the whole project forward.
The projects we work on fall into three groups:
- E-commerce projects (B2C and B2B) — for example Nazuby.cz, Top-obaly.cz, Zážitky.cz.
- Lead-generation projects — for example S-Power.cz.
- Content websites and portals — Private sector (e.g. E.ON Distribution, now EG.D) and public sector (e.g. Czech National Agency for International Education or KarlovyVary.cz).
We build complete teams for projects
As designers, we work on projects alongside teams of experienced project managers, data analysts and full-stack developers, who approach their work with the same breadth of perspective that we do.
The project team at Proof & Reason is led by Martin Beňo. He has years of hands-on experience in e-shop operations, online marketing, web development and sales.
The development team is led by Lukáš Lefner. A full-stack developer who has worked at a number of product companies, where he focused on building complex backend solutions. He now applies that experience to developing large e-shops and ERP systems.
We collaborate with developers on projects practically from day one. They challenge our ideas and proposals. Having an in-house development team also means we as designers have the assurance that what we design will actually be built and will work as intended.
Together with data analysts, we look at the client’s Google Analytics, determine what we want to measure, and evaluate data the client has from other sources (such as CRM, order history, customer support insights, etc.).
