The role of Business Analyst in designing UI/UX prototypes

''What is the role of business analyst in designing UI (User Interface) /UX (user experience) prototypes?' This was an interesting question asked of me to answer by a student. After responding, I thought of writing a detailed blog on this topic to cover many aspects of UI/UX design, as it is one of the most interesting but least visited topics. 

Most of the time, UI and UX are used interchangeably, however, they represent different areas. Let’s take a few minutes to understand and differentiate between them. 

User Interface (UI): User interface design focuses on better interaction with solutions and the design may focus on the placement of menu, look, and feel of the page. 

The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible, in terms of accomplishing user goals (user-centered design). Good user interface design facilitates finishing the task at hand without drawing unnecessary attention to itself. 

User Experience (UX): UX focuses on optimization of a software solution in terms of users' experiences and their feelings associated while interacting with the solution or product. It is human-computer interaction in a useful and meaningful way. For example, effortless identifying of the menus, flexible font size, usage of white space to declutter the website (and readers' minds), or using a familiar color (logo color) to enhance the product ownership. 

UI/UX Design Life Cycle.

User Need: This is an initial activity when need is identified. Business Analyst will understand the user problem or an opportunity. For that, business analyst will refer current state and other relevant documents to understand the current design and related issues and the focus area for proposed solutions.

Elicitation: There are no specific standards available for preparing the UI / UX designs. However, the business analyst can use standards that are specific to the project, their comfort level, and consideration of the internal and external usability standards that may be applicable. The requirements are split into requirements (descriptive text) and model/design (descriptive pictures/models). These are mentioned in IIBA's BABOK Guide version 3 You can use the same standards or customize as needed. 

Business analysts can elicit these requirements through design or models in collaboration with stakeholders and users. The business analyst can provide the details in the form of: 

Requirements: Functionality, features, and data needed in designing UI/UX Design. In addition, the user inputs these and validations needed for the same are also elicited. 

Organization policies and standards (internal and external): Internal policies will include the organization’s standards or policies for creating the UI and usability standards; for example, using colors, fonts, placement of items such as logos and menus, and so on. It will also include menu style, pagination, and navigation across sub-pages. While the external standards will include the standards specified by web browser (Safari 9.1.3 or Internet Explorer 10.0 etc...) operating system (Windows, Mac etc...), external agencies to whom you are sending or receiving feeds, and other requirements... These details need to be part of the requirement and provided to the designer for preparing the prototypes/wireframes. The design style will include menu style, pagination, and navigation across sub-pages. You can use a template/excel sheet to describe the details (for example: first name, input box, size, position) and provide them the basic design in MS Visio.

UI/UX Approach

Design/Prototype Approvals: Once the designs are prepared, the business analyst can use these designs/prototypes and the supporting materials (such as the excel sheet that was provided to technical person to create the prototypes) as a requirement to complete a mock-up and communicate them to the stakeholders. The stakeholders will review both the design and the supporting documents, and provide their feedback to improve, if needed. Once the changes are made and the designs are presented, they are required to verify and validate before starting the approval process. These designs and supporting documents become your verified and validated requirements for UI/UX.

At the end, the stakeholder preference will overrule all other standards in defining the UI/UX design. For example, do stakeholders prefer to follow industry standards such number of clicks for a functionality or detailed functionality, standard placement of menu over customized menu, and more.

User Acceptance (Validation): Ensure that all the windows are prepared and connected; i.e., the flow of the requirement screen by screen using all the flows mentioned in the FRD (basic flow, alternate flow, and exceptions). Some business analysts are creating this type of wireframe. But it is an option, as they can get these completed by the technical person.

Deliver: These approved designs are delivered along with supporting requirements to the technical team to develop. Once the development is completed, they are tested and deployed.

Enrich and Enhance: Once the solution settles in user community (production environment, website, or product delivery/acceptance) with no new bugs or issues reported, the enrichment and enhancement will begin as needed. UI/UX is most dynamic interface in comparison  to other part in solution architecture.  

Principles of UI/UX Design:

UI/UX design principle

Consumer apps can be trendy and catchy to appeal to the customers and business analyst can expect fewer formalities or standards used in these types of apps.

Summary: The UI/UX designs depend on the types of app or solution and stakeholders or user preference.

The designs are presented, reviewed, and confirmed before they enter into the development phase.

GAP Analysis

A gap analysis is a formal study that identifies the gap between a business’s current situation and its future needs in terms of performance, processes, sales, systems, and organizations, or it may be Business, Technology, Products/Services against the future situation or needs. The study could be restricted for the department’s particular function, product, or location, or it could be an enterprise wide analysis. Gap Analysis actually defines the benchmarking of future portfolios, systems, or processes.

Although the scope of this blog is restricted to IT Business Analysis, we need to discuss this topic in detail so that the Business Analyst can get the detailed perspective of the gap analysis done using various scenarios, such as:

- Business Process / Industry standards Analysis

- Products & Services Analysis

- IT Systems Analysis

- Compliances Analysis

- Technology Analysis

- Performances Analysis

Business Process / Industry Standards Analysis:

If an organization decided to improve their overall processes, they could do so by implementing ISO ® or just adhering to Verisign® security requirements related to a secured online payment process for their website for receiving online payment. In both of these cases, there could be significant impact on the functioning of respective department(s) where changes are expected. Thus, the Gap Analysis is needed to identify and define future requirements for the solution.

Product & Services Analysis:

Based on the company’s projection, there could be requirements or plans to expand an existing portfolio by adding new products or discontinuing existing product(s). These are very high-level Gap analyses that are done keeping the future growth of the company and future need of the consumer in mind. In this case, the company’s profit and shareholder interest are taken into consideration. For example, considering the demand and future need of healthy food, Pepsi decided to enter into the healthy food market and planned to acquire the Tropicana ® and Quaker ® brand to expand Pepsi’s portfolio. Market potential, usage gap, and competitive gaps are other factors to be considered while undertaking the Gap Analysis.

Compliances Analysis:

Recently, there have been new compliances introduced by financial regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), as well as other such bodies in their respective countries. These compliances deal with (possible) financial frauds or are intended to ease out the business process. A recent change introduced by the SEC was “Locate the Stock” in the "Short-Selling" process in 2005. Similarly, in 2010, the SEBI, through Mutual Funds Amendment regulations, introduced new timeframes in conducting Mutual Fund business.

Technology Analysis:

Enterprise-wide analysis will facilitate defining the Gap between the outdated technology that exists and current and/or future needs of the new technology/machines that will improve the production/services of a company. For example, offset printing machines versus digital printing machines with the latest features offered by Hewlett Packard.

In Information Technology, the term GAP analysis is defined as the detailed study of the gap between future systems or the requirement or process (which is known as “TO-BE” which means the way it should be or is “to be”) and the current system or process (which is known as “AS-IS” i.e. meaning the way it is or “as it is”).

Basis of GAP Analysis:

Here is the simple equation for us to start.

GAP Analysis = TO-BE – AS-IS

A Gap analysis is accomplished using various criteria such as functionalities, technology, compliances, legal issues, industry standards, performance, and look and feel.

Functionalities: Due to changes in processes, products, or services, the organizations need to build new systems or modify the existing ones. The changes could be minor or could lead to building entire new systems.

Technologies: The reality is that today’s latest technology is dated tomorrow. Nothing changes faster than technology, thus professionals tend to migrate toward new technology to keep them up-to-date for their career race. Organizations find it difficult to hire technical support professionals to operate and maintain systems built using outdated languages (such as COBOL, Pearl, etc.).

In addition, the old technology brings new security threats, as these dangers get more complex by each day, as well as other technical limitations needed to accommodate new changes in the system.

Legal/Compliances: With business processes getting more intricate, the threat to business owners and investors is getting equally complex. In order to avoid extreme damages, such as bankruptcy (as happened in infamous Enron company where many investors, especially retired people, lost money in the stocks), the government introduced new compliances, Sarbane-Oxlay for bring transparency to corporate accounting systems. With this new compliance, every company in United States has to change their accounting system to accommodate this law.

Industry Standards: Industry standards keep enhancing, evolving with new trends and innovations. For example, most of the industry would now prefer to convert their products to something more environmentally friendly to appeal to their customers.

Performance: With increased business and complex technology, there will be a greater load on the system, thus, these systems need to cope with complexity and increased load.

For example, booking airline tickets 20 years ago was far less complex than it is today. The number of travellers and complexity of the system has grown tremendously.

Look and Feel: Every company has to update its website based on new standards and trends in the market. This helps to boost the business and buying experience of the consumer. Some of the e-commerce websites dealing in garments were actually helping consumers get the fitting room experience by allowing them to enter the data and choosing a particular garment. Then, the application would show the buyer how he/she would look in that outfit.

Other: Any other reasons that not listed above.

Let us see what the GAP analysis will look like using these criteria:



This is a high-level document. Readers are strongly recommended to study it in detail for a better result as the GAP analysis (criteria, process, and result) may change based on domain and company's internal policies/culture.

Disclaimer: ISO®, Tropicana®, Hewlett-Packard®, VeriSign® their trademarks and respective product names are used here only for reference to explain the point in the blog.

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Green Business Analyst

A business analyst is a person who analyses existing business needs to identify problem or opportunity, so as to recommend the appropriate solution for the same. It means either for improving the existing system or creating a new one.

But a Green Business Analyst is someone who not only takes into account the requirement of the business, but ensures it is in sync with environmental concerns. While it is all very well to use technology to make man’s job easier and faster, it must avoid wastage of precious resources, reduce waste and pollution. It is not only a social responsibility, but also mandatory as per governmental laws for companies to consider green solutions to most business problems. The good part is this also helps in increasing the brand value and increased profit margin. 

Therefore, a Green BA must work on providing innovating solutions that may include energy-efficient computing, power management, data center efficiency, dispose and recycle resources and as far as possible use of renewable energy resources. For example, if the both side paper printing option is enabled, it can reduce 50 % of the paper cost. As per the survey done in 2003, if London city alone opt for double sided printing, it can save more than 1.4 billion of A4 size paper that is enough to encircle the globe four times. Think, what it can do if half the corporate world chooses this option. The products such as Kindle and iPad had too provided great solution to the customer reduce the paper printing by reading books on their devices. Bank of America has saved millions by providing their customers an option to choose eStatements in early years.

In addition to saving papers, Business Analyst can get innovative in integrating hybrid vehicles, resource (energy, water, paper…) saving equipment, GPS and RFID to their solutions can result into wonders in business operations.

Cloud computing solution that is used by companies of all sizes is definitely transforming the way IT is managed and delivered.

In the hospitality industry, Green Hotels Association is encouraging hotels to go green by encouraging them to integrate greener process. Even the ISO 14001 Standard ensures Environmental Policy Compliance which specifies the requirements for the formulation and maintenance of an EMS. These standards can be incorporated into existing process the way ibis, part of Accor group has done it. 

Green Business Analyst also can further find a solution for reducing the wastage by reusing or recycling existing waste. Many MNC prefer to get the green certificate for the same for adding the brand value to it. Another way of reducing wastage could be finding integrated products such as multi-function printer that reduces wastage and space for separate copier/fax/scanning machines.

To summarize, it is the Green Business Analyst’s responsibility to ensure that the ‘green’ is the integral part of the solution that profits the company as well by way of cost cutting. Also, he must never lose sight of the customer as the end user of the product.Business Analysis.

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