What is the concept of a Design Review Committee?
Our Clients rely on Buraq IT Station for user interaction details, crafting trendy and engaging experiences, and pushing dots to boldly go where they’ve never gone before.
In the past, individual team members or groups often gave feedback to improve the user experience. This feedback typically involved swapping design elements, adjusting layouts, and refining the product’s flow. Recognizing this recurring cycle earlier this year, I decided to assemble a group of creative individuals. This group includes graphic artists, designers, app/game enthusiasts, product strategists, business analysts, and a QA lead. We named this group the Design Review Committee (DRC).
Mandate
The DRC reviews wireframes, designs, and non-functional requirements thoroughly and ensures they include all mandatory features and standards outlined in the project scope. The committee also provides clear, precise feedback on necessary improvements. In addition, the DRC formally submits this feedback to the relevant authority for review.
Furthermore, the committee integrates developers’ feedback into the wireframes and designs to ensure consistency across the project. The DRC tracks all submitted designs and records review statuses and decisions in an organized format. They also monitor the latest trends to ensure designs stay up to date.
In addition to their review role, the DRC develops and maintains Design Guidelines Standards for the entire company.
Responsibilities
The DRC has full authority to approve, reject, or conditionally approve the following deliverables related to all Buraq IT Station projects:
- Wireframes
- User experience based on target audience and market
- Logos, Themes & Designs
- Graphics, Images, Icons
- Alpha / Non-Functional Builds
- Functional Builds
When the DRC rejects a design, they provide clear reasons for the rejection and offer formal feedback or a list of suggested changes. For conditionally approved designs, the committee provides exceptions and specific conditions, such as client preferences or unique project requirements.
How it works
The DRC meeting quorum consists of permanent members and project-specific members, who are key stakeholders in the project under review. The committee provides an initial review to the Project Manager or Owner within 48 to 72 hours of submission. Additionally, based on the current workload, the DRC conducts meetings three times a week. I often chair these meetings to ensure every sprint receives a thorough review before submission to clients, delivering a polished and refined product.
Importance of DRC for our clients
Our clients receive regular design updates throughout every step of the project, starting from inception. The DRC advocates for users, ensuring that their needs are met and that they can perform tasks faster than industry benchmarks. This advocacy ensures that the final product holds significant value for users.
The DRC’s involvement spans from market research to user interviews, design standards verification, testing, and documentation. When we intertwine user advocacy with engineers’ technical expertise and the business development team’s market insights, we create a product that’s both sustainable and meaningful. That’s exactly what the DRC does for our clients.
The DRC tackles issues such as improving mobile user experience, optimizing food ordering processes in our delivery app, and simplifying navigation for chaotic content. These challenges push the DRC to empathize with users facing various obstacles, leading to innovative solutions. As a result, we continue to lead in Florida and stand out as one of the most innovative development companies in North America.
