As a UX professional, your job is to deliver the best user experience within the time and budget available.

The planning phase is crucial to achieving this goal. It’s all about understanding the project’s constraints and working out the best approach to get you the insight you need to deliver the outcome you want.

UX Planning work for proposal purposes can be challenging, especially when faced with issues like a lack of information about budgets or limited access to clients to ask questions. However, the beauty of UX projects is that there is always something you can do to add value, regardless of the budget. A low budget may call for a more light-touch, “guerrilla” approach, while a larger budget may allow for more extensive user research.

Remember, the budget is always a key piece of information that can be useful in helping with planning. If you charge by a daily rate, it determines the time you will have on a project, which in turn will determine the approach you take. If you can, always try to get an idea of the budget to avoid re-cutting proposals and save both you and your client time.

In many ways, the planning of UX projects can become a design challenge in its own right. You have an outcome to achieve, and it’s up to you to choose the right tools and techniques to get you there. The planning phase is where it all begins, so take the time to understand the project’s constraints and work out the best approach to deliver the best user experience possible.

When it comes to UX projects, involving users in the design process is key. But what if your client won’t share their budget? Have a few different options to present to suit different potential budgets.

Typically, UX projects consist of three phases: research, design, and validation. The research phase helps you learn about your client’s business, objectives, users, and competitors. The design phase defines scope, features, and functionality. The validation phase tests whether your design works with its intended audience.

Constraints like budget and time availability may require adjusting your approach. But regardless of the constraints, focus on delivering the best user experience that meets the project objectives.

If you can justify why you might need more time and budget, you’ll be more likely to get it. So challenge yourself to involve users as much as possible and deliver great results.