UX Design Agency London
What is UX strategy?
UX strategy is the discovery layer that decides what a website or product actually needs to do before any visual design starts. For a London brand in 2026 it covers user research and interviews, competitor pattern audit, content modelling, sitemap design, user journey mapping and wireframe prototyping. Strategy is what stops the design phase from being expensive guessing.
What our UX strategy covers
User research and interviews
We interview 5 to 12 real customers at the start of every engagement. Interviews are recorded, transcribed and synthesised into evidence-based personas. The output is research insight, not opinion. Personas built from this work survive contact with the data because they are built from it.
- 5 to 12 customer interviews per project
- Recorded and transcribed for synthesis
- Evidence-based persona output
- Jobs-to-be-done mapped per persona
Competitor pattern audit
We audit how the top 3 to 5 competitors solve the same UX problems and where they leave opportunities open. Pattern audits surface the conventions buyers already expect (saving them effort) and the gaps where a better solution earns attention.
- 3 to 5 competitor pattern audit
- Convention mapping for buyer comfort
- Opportunity gap identification
- Screenshots and reasoning documented
Sitemap and content model
Sitemap defines what pages exist. Content model defines what data each page type carries and how it relates. We design both together so the CMS work later can match without rework. Content model errors discovered at build cost 5 to 10 times more than errors found at strategy.
- Full sitemap documented
- Content model with field types and relationships
- CMS schema mapping for headless builds
- Editorial workflow implication review
User flows and journey mapping
Every important task on the site becomes a flow diagram showing entry point, key decisions, friction moments and success exits. Journey mapping then lays those flows against persona context so we understand why someone stalls and where to remove friction.
- Flow diagrams for primary user tasks
- Journey maps per persona
- Friction moments flagged for design
- Success and abandonment metrics defined
Wireframe prototyping
Wireframes are the cheapest design iteration. Low-fidelity wireframes test layout, hierarchy and information density before any visual design begins. We prototype in Figma with shadcn-style components so the wireframe can flow directly into the design phase without rebuilding.
- Low-fi wireframes for all primary screens
- Mid-fi prototypes for user-tested flows
- Component library compatible with shadcn
- Annotations explaining design rationale
Usability testing
Wireframes are tested with 5 to 8 real users before visual design starts. Tests are remote, moderated and recorded. We measure task completion, time on task and qualitative friction. The testing report drives the visual design brief.
- Remote moderated tests with 5 to 8 users
- Task completion and time measurements
- Qualitative friction synthesis
- Iteration recommendations per test
Our UX strategy process
Discover
Stakeholder interviews, customer interviews, business goal mapping and current-state audit. Discovery phase produces a brief everyone signs off.
Define
Personas synthesised. Information architecture decided. Sitemap and content model documented. Content team aligned on what fields each page needs.
Design
User flows. Journey maps. Wireframes. Low-fi to mid-fi. Built in Figma using a shadcn-compatible component approach.
Validate
5 to 8 user tests on the wireframes. Iterations applied. Final brief handed to the UI design team with confidence in the structure.
"Strategy is what stops the design phase from being expensive guessing. Skip it and you pay for the same decisions twice."
Common Questions About UX Strategy
Strategy before pixels. Cheaper iterations. Better outcomes.
Find out what your London brand should actually build before the design phase begins.
Book a UX Discovery