UX Design — My workflow, tools and resources

My hunt to find the perfect UX workflow
Spoiler alert, there is no perfect combination of apps and techniques that form the ideal UX workflow. Let’s not let that stop us trying though.
In this post, I intend to list all the tools, resources and articles that I rely on as a UX Designer and UX Instructor. As I discover and try new tools, I’ll keep this post updated to reflect my current workflow.
Disclaimers:
1. This post is not an extensive list of all possible tools, just the ones I use regularly.
2. This post is also not intended to suggest that any differing lists are inferior or in some way wrong. There are 1000s of possible tools and workflow combinations, and this post is equally about me trying to find where I can update and improve as it is for others to do the same.
If you’re interested in some context on me as a UX designer, check out my LinkedIn account. Also feel free to get in contact through the regular channels (Twitter/Email) with any questions or suggestions.
For this article, I have split the UX process into 7 parts:
- Strategy & Ideation
- Discovery & User Testing
- Content & IA
- Wireframe & Visual Design
- Prototype & Develop
- Communication, documentation & productivity
- Learning & Best Practice
- Full Reading List

Strategy & ideation
Resources
Two great templates for kicking off your project and gaining consensus around the problem that needs to be solved:
https://medium.com/@jboogie/the-lean-ux-canvas-d4da53263c40
https://ucdc.therectangles.com/
Books
http://www.gv.com/sprint/
http://www.nointerface.com/book/

Discovery & user testing
Apps
https://lookback.io/
https://www.optimalworkshop.com/
https://www.loop11.com/
https://dscout.com/
Resources
http://www.userfocus.co.uk/articles/usability_test_plan_dashboard.html
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/desirability-reaction-words/
Books
https://abookapart.com/products/just-enough-research

Content & IA
Apps
http://www.xmind.net/
https://www.grammarly.com/
http://www.apple.com/au/imovie/
http://www.claritygrader.com/

Wireframe & visual design
Apps
https://www.sketchapp.com/
https://www.invisionapp.com/craft
https://sketchpacks.com/
https://thenounproject.com/
http://dustinsenos.com/littleIpsum
Resources
Printable sketching templates:
Printable sketch sheets for UI &UX designers
Grids & responsive design:
The Best Sketch Bootstrap 3 Grid Template: Free Download
Intro to the 8-point Grid System
Style guides & CSS:
Stock photography
Sketch App Templates and Plugins:
UX Interface Patterns:
UI Inspiration:
User Flow (Examples):
Fonts:
Colour Pallets:
Accessibility:
"Learn More" Links: You Can Do Better
Resources
Jquery libraries
Apache2
Start/ Stop and Restart Apache 2
Books
Inclusive Front-End Design Patterns

Communication, documentation & productivity
Apps
Resources
Books

Learning & best practice
Sites to get emails from
Online courses
Hi, I’m Ben. By day, I’m the Founder & Head of Product Innovation at Beaker & Flint, where I help organisations design and deliver amazing customer experiences. By night you can find me running a trail or tinkering with code.
If this post sparked a question or idea you want to run by me, I’d love to chat it over with you. Reach out via the comments below or start a conversation via email here.
Social

Reach Out!
Ready to find the perfect fit for your project?
Do you need a world-class team to help you deliver your digital product? We’ve got just the people for you.