The concept of design is inherent to VTEX. It is a concept that is deeply embedded in our culture, and into every facet of our innovations. We see design as innovation in action; it is what enables us to propel forward, to develop new ideas and to take our existing ideas further. Design, in the VTEX world, is part of our core, and this has enabled us to design products for the fast-paced, constantly evolving world of digital commerce that always remains current.
Our tenets for design development include:
- Investigate
- Ideate
- Validate
- Build
- Improve
The Process: Investigate
Our process starts with the definition, which we achieve by asking a lot of questions to build the direction. We see issues and challenges as part of the overall big picture, and instead of becoming overly frustrated by them, we opt to accept their existence while formulating solutions. Asking the right questions leads us to the right answers, resulting in a cyclical, organic process.
Once we have the problems very well defined, and everyone on the team is on the same page, we proceed to the next.
Analysis: Ideate
How do we solve problems? This stage is all about our approach to the issues that arise, and the overall idea here is experimentation. We aim to focus on the different directions and angles of the issues at hand so that we can tackle them as needed. Bringing a variety of different points of view into the fray allows us to take a holistic approach to the issue, solving it from the perspective of unbiased consideration. It is especially in our aim to examine the problem through the lens of those directly affected, which enables us to begin our sketches towards solving it. We take our efforts of prototyping from there.
Validate
The validation phase enables us to look at the solutions we have formulated, and then proceed with deciphering what works, and what doesn’t. Testing, getting feedback, running betas; this stage puts the ideas into action to get a true feel for what is functional towards the overall big picture. Feedback is essential at this stage, and you bet there are times when we use that feedback in ways that forces us back to the drawing table to reconfigure our initial ideas. Starting from scratch can present some frustration, but that’s what enables us to produce products that our customers need.
Build
This is our favorite stage! We love the process of being able to put our minds to the test, and building the actual product. Our team of designers and developers work exceptionally hard to create the best features; it’s not our aim to reinvent the wheel. We’re all about creating quickly and shipping out as soon as we’re able, getting our products into the hands of our customers as quickly as possible.
Improve
There is always room for improvement. Even when something is great, there leaves a great amount of room to improve upon it. We don’t settle for what is “good enough,” we aim to perfect, sharpen, and develop what we offer into even better options.
And that sums up the basis of VTEX Design; an intrinsic component to who we are, and what we strive to achieve in our operations as a cutting edge software company. These ideas which encompass creativity and a desire to create new avenues is what we thrive upon, and enables us to drive the digital commerce industry further into the future. We enjoy every stage; from brainstorming to developing to perfecting; it’s our purpose.
