Lesson 3 discusses the AS-IS analysis conducted during the analysis phase and the BMT process for creating the TO-BE model.
"You must know the present to create the future."
AS-IS Analysis
This is the process of analyzing the current site. Each planner approaches this differently, but the core purpose is the same: understand what exists before you try to improve it.
Key areas to analyze:
- Current user flows and pain points
- Content structure and information architecture
- Technical constraints and capabilities
- Business logic and rules
BMT (Benchmarking Test)
Benchmarking isn't about copying competitors — it's about understanding the landscape. What patterns work? What don't? Where are the gaps that represent opportunity?
The goal of both AS-IS and BMT is to build a foundation of evidence. Without it, you're designing in the dark — and any "innovation" is just guesswork.
