User experience is integral to creating digital products around user expectations. So much so that it features in each phase of product creation — from discovery and ideation to design and user testing, and on to code and release. Its impact is so great that it even remains an active ingredient in the end product, contributing to your user’s overall satisfaction.

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But despite its prominence, some of us are still hazy on the details of leveraging Design Thinking for the UX Process. For instance, what is a UX strategy, and how does it contribute to UX design?

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A good digital experience project needs a strong UX strategy to ensure that it follows a user-centric approach, as well as aligns with the company’s vision. UX strategy includes developing a killer design brief. By defining every aspect of the user experience before initiating the design phase, you’re giving your team direction for all aspects of the design. This means fewer misunderstandings, and less rework and resource wastage during the design process.

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In UX design, we create delightful experiences through the implementation of the strategic brief. User experience design seeks to improve the usability, accessibility, aesthetics and interactive elements of a web or mobile user interface in order to enhance user satisfaction.

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Although there are no hard and fast rules to apply Design Thinking to the UX process, you can leverage the 6-step approach below. Every section of this article will focus on one step, showcasing a non-comprehensive list of activities or deliverables.

Please keep in mind that this is an iterative process, not a linear one! Every activity of each phase provides meaningful feedback that should be leveraged for continuous improvement.

[Bonus content, you can find more about the original design thinking 5-step approach at dschool.stanford.edu]