Resolving UI Decisions with Decision Trees: A Practical Guide
Imagine finally putting an end to the never-ending discussions about UI decisions. Decision trees offer a systematic approach for design teams to document their design choices effectively. By using decision trees for UI components, you can streamline the decision-making process and avoid confusion and misunderstandings.
Here are some practical examples of decision trees for UI components and how to use them effectively:
1. B2B Navigation and Help Components: Doctolib
Doctolib’s design system includes decision trees for B2B navigation paths, photography, PIN input, UX writing, and more. These decision trees provide clear examples of UI components and their usage, making it easier for design teams to make informed decisions.
2. Decision Trees For UI Components: Workday
Workday’s Canvas design system features decision trees for notifications, errors, loading patterns, calls to action, and more. Each decision tree includes context-related questions to consider before making a decision, along with detailed examples and guidelines.
3. Form Components Decision Tree: Lyft
Lyft has created a detailed decision tree for form controls, helping their team choose between radio buttons, checkboxes, and dropdowns based on the user’s selection requirements. This decision tree simplifies the process of selecting the right form component for the task at hand.
4. Choosing Onboarding Components: NewsKit
NewsKit offers an Onboarding Selection Prototype in Figma, which helps designers choose the right onboarding components based on their intent and user experience goals. This toolkit streamlines the decision-making process for creating effective onboarding experiences.
5. Design System Process Flowcharts: Nucleus
Design teams like Nucleus use process flowcharts to document the process of adding new components to a design system. These flowcharts provide a clear outline of the design system’s contribution, maintenance, and overall design process.
By making decision trees visible and incorporating them into your design process, you can establish shared standards across teams and streamline decision-making. Document your decisions in decision trees, turn them into posters, and make them visible in design workspaces to resolve UI decisions effectively. Customizing decision trees for your project’s specific needs will help improve collaboration and efficiency within your design team.
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