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User Experience Design with slashwhy

We are your development partner for custom software and support you with holistic UX services.

We support companies in developing software with a consistent user centered focus, from the initial analysis through concept and design to implementation in real world use and continuous evaluation.

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Our understanding of user experience design

  • Problems with software often arise because it was developed without a sufficient understanding of users, their tasks, and their needs. The result is unclear interactions, complicated workflows, high error rates, or simply a poor user experience. This leads to frustration and, in many cases, low adoption.

  • With user experience design, our goal is to create a positive experience for your users. Software should work reliably in everyday use and help people complete their tasks efficiently. UX designers explore workflows, processes, and requirements, and translate them into concepts that fit real usage scenarios and are technically feasible.

  • As a UX design partner, we help companies systematically integrate human centered design into software development. To achieve this, our UX designers work closely with product owners, experts from different areas of your company, and of course our developers.

  • We often begin with user research to understand who the users are and what their context of use looks like. We combine these insights with business and technical requirements. This is often followed by an analysis of the existing solution to uncover usability issues and identify opportunities for improvement. Based on these findings, we define requirements and create sustainable concepts for implementation that align with your business goals.

  • Our UX design services work seamlessly together. We support users throughout their entire journey, from user research, requirement analysis, and information architecture to navigation concepts, prototyping, user interface design, and UX testing. These deliverables create a shared foundation for development and implementation, whether the product is desktop software, a mobile app, an HMI, or a voice based interface.

Interested? Then explore this page to learn more about the holistic UX process at slashwhy.

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Our UX service portfolio

All the building blocks for an outstanding user experience

We cover all the building blocks that are essential for a user centered experience. From analyzing user needs through user research, to developing sustainable concepts with prototyping, all the way to visual design and validating solutions through UX testing.

For you, this means one central partner for all UX topics. We do not think in isolated services, but in holistic solutions that work in practice. This ensures that your ideas become intuitive, successful, and truly user centered digital products.

User research with slashwhy

User research is a core part of our UX work. It helps us gather requirements, validate assumptions, and support companies in building a deeper understanding of their target groups and contexts of use. Depending on the challenge, we apply qualitative and quantitative methods to answer specific questions. Interviews and observing users in their everyday work through job shadowing, for example, help us understand user needs and expectations towards software. At the same time, they uncover blind spots and reveal opportunities to improve workflows and processes.

Prototyping with slashwhy

UX prototypes are a powerful way to validate ideas through user testing and refine interactions throughout the UI design process. We help companies make concepts testable early on through prototyping. In the early stages of product development, we use low fidelity prototypes. They are ideal for developing user flows, navigation concepts, and information architecture. In later phases, we work with interactive high fidelity prototypes that realistically represent content and interactions. Whether on paper or as clickable prototypes in Figma, prototypes allow us to gather detailed feedback from users, stakeholders, and development teams before concepts move into implementation.

User interface design with slashwhy

The user interface of a software product is the point where users interact with it, whether on the display of a large machine, on a smartphone out in the field, on a laptop in the office, or through voice commands in a smart home. We design user interfaces, including GUIs and VUIs, for companies across a wide range of industries. With UI design, we combine intuitive usability, accessibility, and a strong visual appearance. We place special focus on clear interfaces and high usability. At the same time, we follow established design guidelines and adapt them specifically to the requirements of the product and the devices it is used on.

UX testing with slashwhy

With regular UX testing throughout development, we help you systematically evaluate and improve designs. This allows us to identify usability issues and comprehension problems early and address them before they become costly. Depending on the requirements and context, we conduct classic usability tests either under controlled conditions or directly in real usage environments. For example, we use eye tracking glasses to create realistic test setups and gain deeper insights through the analysis of gaze patterns. For accessible applications, we evaluate compliance with relevant standards such as BFSG and WCAG. When required, we also take industry specific regulations into account, for example in the development of medical products.

We follow the human centered design approach

  • User satisfaction is our benchmark for quality. That is why all our UX disciplines follow the principles of human centered design based on DIN EN ISO 9241-210 for the design of interactive systems.

  • We gather requirements from real usage scenarios and design user experiences around clearly defined quality criteria such as clarity, usability, and accessibility.

  • For us, human centered design is not a single project phase. It is the foundation of how we work. UX, domain experts, and development collaborate closely on this basis to create solutions that put the users of your software at the center.

dr-ing-daniel-ghebru-techem

What inspires us most about working with slashwhy is the genuine partnership. Our workshop showed that the team does not simply execute ideas, but actively thinks along, challenges assumptions, and shapes solutions together with us. You can truly feel that the team is just as passionate about the project as we are.

dr-ing-daniel-ghebru-techem

Dr. Ing. Daniel Ghebru

Head of Energy Efficiency at Techem

winona-biber-slashwhy

Co-creation workshops bring different perspectives together. They give users the opportunity to share their requirements directly with the development team and actively contribute to finding solutions. At the same time, developers and clients gain a deeper understanding of the people who will actually use the product. This helps us create software that does not just work technically, but solves real problems and delivers an experience users genuinely enjoy.

winona-biber-slashwhy

Winona Biber

UX Designer at slashwhy

Your first step?

UX workshops with slashwhy

At the beginning of a development project, there are often many unanswered questions and unvalidated assumptions. What is the actual problem? What do users really need? And which requirements does this create for the software?

At the start of a project, we analyze the current situation and help you identify the most valuable next steps, whether that is user research, an expert evaluation, or collaborative workshops.

Workshops are especially valuable in early project phases because they bring together knowledge and perspectives from different areas. At the same time, they help build team spirit and create alignment around shared goals. We tailor our workshop formats and methods to your specific situation. This allows us to make implicit knowledge and assumptions visible, combine different perspectives, and build a shared understanding of users, goals, and requirements. Based on this foundation, we can collaboratively develop and validate initial solution ideas.

With this clearer vision in place, we can use user story mapping to estimate development effort and create an initial backlog. This creates a strong foundation for the following UX concept phase and the subsequent software development.

Our workshop methods

  • One of the key success factors in digital transformation projects is a shared and comprehensive understanding of the processes that need to be transformed.

    Without this foundation, misunderstandings and follow up issues throughout the project become almost inevitable. That is why we offer event storming as a powerful workshop method.

    In these workshops, we bring together the domain expertise from across your company and create a shared understanding of challenges, questions, opportunities, and risks within the processes being transformed.

    During an event storming workshop, we analyze processes in a lightweight and collaborative way to create alignment across all domains. Typical outcomes include:

    • A shared big picture of the process

    • Hotspots with identified challenges, questions, opportunities, and risks

    • Prioritized areas with the highest improvement potential

  • A new product can only succeed if it addresses the real needs and expectations of its users. But who are those users? What are their processes, tasks, and needs?

    In our UX analysis workshops, we take a close look at the current situation and intentionally challenge existing assumptions to create the best possible product. Using targeted design thinking methods, we analyze, refine, and prioritize even highly individual topics and questions.

    During the workshop, we evaluate how reliable the information behind the product idea really is and identify risky assumptions early on. Typical outcomes include:

    • Persona mind maps and proto personas

    • Visualizations of processes, tasks, and user needs

    • A list of requirements formulated as need statements

  • Once the needs and challenges are clear, another key question arises: which innovative ideas can truly inspire your users?

    This is where our ideation workshops begin. Using creative ideation methods, visualizations, rapid prototyping, and storytelling, we turn early ideas into tangible and communicable solution concepts. Step by step, a shared product vision emerges.

    In the ideation workshop, we encourage creativity and intentionally open up the problem space. Through a structured and collaborative process, we develop a wide range of solution ideas and create the foundation for informed decisions. Typical outcomes include:

    • Visualized and clearly described solution concepts that support knowledge sharing and communication beyond the project team

    • A clear outlook on next steps such as prototyping, UX testing, or a user story mapping workshop

    • Documentation of all workshop results

  • You already have an idea or a vision, but there is still no shared understanding of the problem or agreement on the right solution path? Then our interactive user story mapping workshop provides the support you need. Together, we refine and validate your project by putting your users and their needs at the center of the planning process.

    Clear priorities, defined milestones, and a shift in perspective towards the end user help product owners and development teams align around a shared goal.

    In the user story mapping workshop, we tell the story of a solution from the users’ perspective. This helps prioritize features in a user centered way and place technical requirements into the bigger picture. Typical outcomes include:

    • Validation and refinement of the product vision

    • A visual representation of the solution from the users’ perspective

    • User stories for a backlog and release planning

    • Effort estimation for validated UX and development projects

  • A design sprint enables an interdisciplinary team to move from a problem statement to a tested prototype in a very short time. Together, we develop fast solution ideas and validate them directly with feedback from real users.

    But even more happens during the process. Teams grow closer together, user centered thinking and methods become tangible, and new motivation emerges. This creates the ideal foundation for developing innovative digital products.

    In the design sprint workshop, we follow the principle of “fail fast and early”. In a highly focused and collaborative setup, we develop ideas quickly and evaluate them with a strong focus on the needs of your users. Typical outcomes include:

    • A vision prototype

    • Validation of the idea through real user testing with five participants

    • A final presentation of the results

Who UX design is relevant for

We recommend that every company developing, using, or offering software as part of its business systematically focuses on the user experience, whether it is a smartphone app or a machine display in production. Existing applications can be specifically improved through UX design to reduce friction, solve usability issues, and make processes more efficient. At the same time, integrating UX design early into product development helps teams understand requirements correctly from the start and create the right solutions right away. This is how software is built that truly works in its real context of use and remains successful over time.

Our UX designers are part of development teams across a wide range of industries:

AgriTech

CleanTech

Consumer Electronics

HealthTech

Industry

Gebäudetechnik

lena-redecker-slashwhy

Our UX toolbox is extensive. Take job shadowing as an example. By accompanying users in their real working environment, we do not just understand processes, we also notice the subtle details in between. We see where software supports people, where it slows them down, and which small workarounds have evolved over time. These insights are often the key to creating UX that truly works in practice.

lena-redecker-slashwhy

Lena Redecker

User Experience Designer at slashwhy

curie-slashwhy-ki

UX strategy is not a downstream design task that gets added at some point later on. If leadership and product owners do not actively embrace user centered thinking, it remains nothing more than lip service. Human centered design needs organizational and cultural support to unfold its full impact.

curie-slashwhy-ki

Curie Kure

Sr. User Experience Designer at slashwhy

winona-biber-slashwhy

What do UX design and accessibility have in common? People often say: “The product is finished, now let’s quickly add some UX and accessibility on top.” But that approach does not work in either case. That is why we see digital accessibility as an integral part of the development process, from user research and concept work to navigation design, UI design, and development.

winona-biber-slashwhy

Winona Biber

Sr. User Experience Designer at slashwhy

jan-kuhlmann-cropped

UX design means understanding in a structured way. What goals do users pursue? Which limitations shape their everyday lives? What risks arise from incorrect usage? This is exactly where we apply human centered design. User needs are systematically identified, prioritized, and translated into measurable requirements and well founded product decisions. This turns assumptions into real insights.

jan-kuhlmann-cropped

Jan Kuhlmann

UX & UI Designer at slashwhy

Integrate UX design early instead of paying for costly fixes later

In software development, the so called rule of ten shows that the effort required to fix issues multiplies with every project phase. That is why identifying and correcting false assumptions early, especially during requirements gathering and concept work, is so important.

This is exactly why we integrate user experience design as early as possible into product development. Designing and testing user flows, information architecture, and complex interaction concepts takes time and resources, but it leads to far more robust results. In this way, we reduce the risk of expensive adjustments later in the development process.

  • Lower development costs because expensive rework in later project phases is avoided

  • Faster time to market thanks to fewer iteration loops and coordination efforts

  • Higher product ROI because applications are adopted faster and used more efficiently

All household appliances digitally connected

Miele App Smart Home

As a pioneer and industry leader, Miele had a vision of the connected smart home from an early stage. When the decision was made in 2019 to relaunch the app, slashwhy was commissioned as a development partner. With the Miele app, it was possible to develop a digital communication channel to match the physical Miele product world and thus create a seamless, inspiring customer experience.

View project
  • Consumer Electronics,
  • Smart Home,
  • Application Development,
  • Mobile,
  • UX & UI Design,
  • Agile Coaching

FAQ | Frequently asked questions about UX design

  • User experience design becomes relevant as soon as software needs to be understood, accepted, and reliably used in everyday life. This applies equally to digital products, internal applications, and connected systems.

    Typical reasons why companies approach us include low adoption, long onboarding times, high error rates, or increasing support effort caused by existing software solutions. At the same time, it is highly recommended to involve UX teams from the very beginning when developing new digital products and services. This ensures that user centered thinking and working methods become an integral part of the process.

  • User interface design (UI design) is one part of UX design. It focuses on the visual appearance and the concrete interface of a product.

    UX design goes much further. It covers the entire user experience of a software solution, from structure and workflows to interactions and the question of how efficiently users can complete their tasks. Especially in complex applications, UX determines whether users reach their goals quickly or have to struggle through the system.

  • UX design delivers the greatest value when it is integrated early in the project.

    Only then can requirements, workflows, and usage scenarios be developed in a structured way before implementation begins. If UX is considered later in the process, many decisions have already been made and can only be adjusted with additional effort. That is why UX is not a downstream step, but an integral part of the entire product development process.

  • The more complex an application becomes, the more important a clear structure is.

    Large numbers of features, dependencies, and data can quickly lead to confusing systems. Our UX designers help structure this complexity and make it understandable. This applies both to the overall information architecture and to the interaction with the application itself.

    Especially in complex projects, UX is a key factor in whether software can be used efficiently and reliably.

  • The first step is creating a shared understanding of requirements, usage contexts, and goals.

    In many projects, these foundations are either missing or only exist implicitly. That is why our UX projects often begin with a structured workshop. Together, we clarify assumptions, identify key challenges, and assess the current situation. Based on this foundation, the next steps in the UX process can be planned and prioritized in a focused way.

Dive deeper into user experience design

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We are your partner for custom software development

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AI Driven Solutions

Creating user centered experiences with slashwhy

As a UX design partner and development partner for custom software, slashwhy helps companies develop digital products from a structured user centered perspective. For us, user experience design is not an isolated design step, but an integral part of software development. Especially for new applications, complex systems, and the evolution of existing software, UX helps clarify requirements early, understand usage contexts, and create sustainable concepts for implementation.

Our UX services work seamlessly together. Through UX workshops, we create a shared starting point to structure goals, challenges, and framework conditions. With user research, we analyze target groups, usage scenarios, and requirements. In prototyping, we make concepts tangible and testable at an early stage. Through user interface design, we create interactive interfaces that fit the usage context, the product, and the technical environment. With UX testing, we systematically evaluate solutions and create a solid foundation for further development.

UX design becomes especially valuable when software needs to be understandable, efficient, and usable in the long term. This applies both to new digital products and to existing applications with grown structures, long onboarding times, high error rates, or increasing support effort. That is why our recommendation is clear: UX should be integrated as early as possible into the development process. This allows requirements to be derived more systematically, concepts to be refined more effectively, and costly adjustments later in the project to be avoided. Human centered design provides the methodological foundation that connects our UX services with our core expertise in custom software development.