1) Research Before Designing

Conducting research before starting any design is the first thing we do when starting a new project. By using a discovery-led approach, we ensure we are building the right product for the client and users, prioritising the most important features and reducing rework. We identify a target audience and create user personas for the product, and also conduct a competitive analysis for our new endeavour to identify any recurring trends in that particular sector. 

2) Putting People First

Putting people first in our designs is a core principle we follow at Rocketmakers. We design, and strive for accessibility throughout all of our projects. We do this by adhering to the W3C Accessibility Guidelines. While designing any of our products we always have empathy and compassion for any of our potential users, we understand that not everyone's the same, and we all have different abilities so we keep this in mind at all times. 

3) Usability 

Making sure our products are easy to use is essential to us. When designing our products we make sure that they are easy to learn and remember, effective at their purpose, making it easy for users to recover from errors and creating an enjoyable and engaging experience for them.

4) Collaboration

Collaboration is an essential part of our design process at Rocketmakers. Everyone is keen to look at each other's work and lend their opinions to one another. Getting a fresh perspective on your work can help to alleviate tunnel vision and think outside the box, therefore creating a stronger design overall. 

5) Using a Design System to Unify Designs

Using a design system can help to unify your design by setting rules such as standards, style guides and components. This practice will allow your design to have consistency, by creating your brand identity and sticking with it. Design systems can also help your work efficiency. Work efficiency can be improved by having core components that will be used in multiple areas of your design, such as a navigation bar or buttons. 

6) Paying Attention to Detail

Paying attention to detail is a core skill that every designer on our team has. Having the ability to identify small areas that could be improved upon is what makes a design stand out. Without attention to detail, this could lead to a design losing focus and minor or major information being left out.

7) Feedback from Clients 

Having an open line of communication with our clients allows us to gain an understanding of what is working and what could be improved upon when we are designing for them. This feedback allows for us to get to the route of any improvements that need to be made and therefore creating a stronger product for our clients. 

8) Hierarchy to Help Focus our Designs

By using hierarchy in our designs we can focus on the features that require the most attention for the user. We create hierarchy in our designs by using colour, size, alignment, proximity, repetition and white space.

9) Making Text Legible

Choosing a typeface that fits both the aesthetic of the product, and works well in multiple sizes and weights is a core principle that we follow at Rocketmakers. The reason behind choosing a typeface like this, is to increase readability and usability of the product. When designing any of our products, we take care in choosing the right size, line height and colour contrast for each typeface. Having a suitable typeface that meets all of these elements is a key part in taking our work to that next level. 

10) Using the Right Colours

Colour theory is one of the most important aspects of design. Using the right colours and combinations can portray various different meanings to your product. Having an understanding of colour theory can impact the mood and emotions of your users, therefore making sure we choose the correct colours for each product is a vital part of our design.