The business benefits of Lean UX methodologies (reduced costs, greater team ownership and collaboration, enhanced product and market share etc.) are well understood by specialist industry practitioners. Organizations on the other hand, aren't always (a) comfortable engaging in "design" activities, be it Lean, Agile, or UX and (b) structured to facilitate cross-functional ideation and execution. I will share strategies that have worked for me in a variety of organization types, ranging from UX consultancies and in-house product teams, to a broad mix of agency types. My focus is to help you and your teams identify critical inter-discipline/department partnerships, cultivate soft skills inherent in collaborative design and ultimately influence the organizational framework so the advantages of design are formalized beyond process and execution.
3. What I learned during
fieldwork confirmed we made
a wrong assumption about
the user.
Strategist@Lynn_Teo | #LeanUX14
4. Marketing isn’t “getting” the
pain point of the consumer. We’re
losing out to our competition fast …
Product Management@Lynn_Teo | #LeanUX14
5. Engineering is making all
the calls. I understand the
tech constraints but this
is going to compromise
the user’s trust in us.
No one is listening. The
other departments are all
doing their own thing.
Customer Service
UX Designer
@Lynn_Teo | #LeanUX14
6. Design as a discipline
is not designed well to
be understood
John Maeda
Design Partner at KCPB
Former RISD President
27. 1. Define user & business metrics
1. Identify assets & intersections
1. Create prototypes that tie
research findings to features
Experience
@Lynn_Teo | #LeanUX14
36. 1. Be cognizant of quarterly
targets & business strategy
2. Quantify design
3. Share small wins, position the
team for Innovation projects
Growth
@Lynn_Teo | #LeanUX14
39. Your Charge
30
days
• Assemble X-func team
• Define problem
60
days
• Find exec sponsor
• Pilot the program
90
days
• Track results
• Share learning
7
days
• Reflect
• Peer brainstorm
@Lynn_Teo | #LeanUX14
The fundamental question for the organization is to seek your True North through a clearly defined and articulated vision.The strategy guides your future growthBalance between “doing things right” (today) and “doing the right things” (long term)
16+ years experience in the field – evolved and grew with the disciplineSpent my first 8 years as a practitioner in engineering-centric and consultancy-type orgs.Last 8 years in management, design/discipline leadership and agency leadership roles
Encountering a ground-breaking insight during your design research process. The positive impact and value to the customer are both clear to you, but your Product Manager seems focused on the current release and doesn’t seem to have bandwidth to discuss how that feature could be further developed as part of the product roadmap.
Encountering a ground-breaking insight during your design research process. The positive impact and value to the customer are both clear to you, but your Product Manager seems focused on the current release and doesn’t seem to have bandwidth to discuss how that feature could be further developed as part of the product roadmap.
A huge pitfall of design – our discipline is not well understoodMaeda’s call to action is for designers to think more broadly, be braverHow can we help others don’t really know where design sits in the organization?
Many manifestations of design outputs:Creation of products/ physical or digitalTakes a mental leap for those outside our industry to truly appreciate the rigor and complexity behind the design of digital productsExamples: software, desktop apps, websites (many different types – transactional vs. marketing), ecommerce, mobileResearch activities are critical part of the design process. But these activities are less visible, less understood, less appreciated by the rest of the organization
What about the creation of products and services that exist in a larger ecosystem?Glooko does a great job of creating high utility design solution that fills a targeted need and improves the lives of diabetics.Its product leverages the best of technology, and works smartly to integrate with patients’ existing blood glucose meters via a cord.Are your organizations structured to allow for the customer’s needs to be met and delivered above and beyond your competition? Are you breaking new ground? Are you creating a product that accommodates your customers’ behaviors and characteristics?In the Glooko example above, the ecosystem of wellness can be further developed using tie-in’s with the food shopping experience and exercise. How can organizations maximize all adjacent areas to continue to build the brand’s value in the consumers’ life?Notes:“To give patients the ability track their data, they needed a way to get it out of their blood glucose meters. So the three founders worked to create a universal cord that would fit many different makes of meters, and a mobile dashboard that would keep track of all that data in an organized, comprehensive way. The GlookoMeterSync Cable allows users to download data from 17 FDA-approved meters (as well as two more available abroad) directly to their smartphones. The accompanying app makes it possible to annotate, monitor, and share data with doctors. Users can even give access to a whole team of health care providers, including nurses, primary care physicians, endocrinologists, and diabetes educators.The app also can help educate patients. All healthcare advice comes from caregivers, not from the app, but the app does show patients their glucose levels over time, and teaches them about other data like food. The restaurant menu database can tell a user how many carbs are in Subway’s 12-inch meatball sub, and keep track of what a user eats in a food log. Users can also keep tabs on medication—either oral or injected—as well as activities and exercise, and they can make notes about how they feel at a given time” http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2013/08/28/glooko-helps-patients-manage-diabetes-digitally/
The fundamental question for the organization is to seek your True North through a clearly defined and articulated vision.The strategy guides your future growthBalance between “doing things right” (today) and “doing the right things” (long term)
Most of you in this room would fall in at least one of the categories in your current roles, with some of you wearing multiple hatsWhy should YOU care as a designer practitioner, design manager, engineer, technologist or executive?Why should your org framework matter to you?
And then there’s the Digital Product and Marketing functions – very common in organizationsThe thing to watch for here is how Design is interpreted/understood.Also, note the similarities between some of the activities/terminology used between Digital Product and Marketing. Research in general should be clarified.Market research – Market Testing – Customer Focus vs. Product Research – Product Testing – Product Focus
And here’s the Agency Model. Design tends to be grouped under “Creative”. Design tends to be conflated with visual design.UX is sometimes coupled with creative; sometimes integrated with a strategic function. Research may be jointly undertaken by Strategy and UX, and sometimes Accounts.In this model, optimizing org frameworks means allowing for a broader range of user insights to inform the product’s scenario of use, triggers, and to ensure the product features satisfy user needs.Because of the number of overlapping roles, identify primary and secondary owners for deliverables is critical. Research should be appropriately broken down to accommodate competitive, market research, secondary research, in-field observation, analytics, and 1-on-1 interviews. Important for research findings to be discussed as a group and for the team to integrate re
DISCUSSION: What do theseframeworks tell you about how thingsworkateachorganization?Where do youthink DESIGN currentlysits in the organization?Obvious ImplicationsAre DesignDepartments mapped to business lines? Functional areas?Is the Design Function centralized (thus design team members are matrixed)? How do local, regional, global offices currently tap into design capabilities?Does design serve BOTH product and marketing?Who is responsible for “insights”?How are design team members aligned relative to engineers?Who are designers accountable to?How iseachindividual’ssuccessmeasured? What impact are theyexpected to have.
Have we failed in helping others understand what we do?
Each of these areas allow us to clarify the role of design in very tangible ways.
Design is fundamentally aimed at
Collaborate on bringing together both market and user researchGo out in the field paired with other department peersConduct joint analysis during open-door workshops
Collaborate on bringing together both market and user researchGo out in the field paired with other department peersConduct joint analysis during open-door workshops
Design is fundamentally aimed at
Collaborate on bringing together both market and user researchGo out in the field paired with other department peersConduct joint analysis during open-door workshops
Design is fundamentally aimed at
Dependencies: push hard for metrics, data.Define areas where Design activities can add valueClearly outline dependencies, resources, and outcomes. Where roles overlap, discussPilot a launch for an internal effort. Document and share
Collaborate on bringing together both market and user researchGo out in the field paired with other department peersConduct joint analysis during open-door workshops
Collaborate on bringing together both market and user researchGo out in the field paired with other department peersConduct joint analysis during open-door workshops
Design is fundamentally aimed at
Identify success metrics for both business and the userIdentify assets related to the brand or specific launch. Assess where they intersect Share research findings and prototype solutions
Whatassetsalreadyexist?Think about where a brand exhibits multiple touchpoints – ecommerce, mobile, retail, loyaltyHow candeisgnadd to the top line of the business?
Design is fundamentally aimed at
Identify product metrics that positively correlate with advocacy and brand lift. Conversions/revenue are table- stakes, it’s about lifetime value and loyalty. Also you want to be aware of customer dissatisfaction on social channels.Use ethnography studies and social sentiment to uncover deep insights about consumers
Whatassetsalreadyexist?Think about where a brand exhibits multiple touchpoints – ecommerce, mobile, retail, loyaltyHow candeisgnadd to the top line of the business?
Design is fundamentally aimed at
Whatassetsalreadyexist?Think about where a brand exhibits multiple touchpoints – ecommerce, mobile, retail, loyaltyHow candeisgnadd to the top line of the business?
Bringing it home
In 30 days – Assemble your cross functional team and decide what problem you’re going to tackleIn 60 days – Find an executive sponsor. Pilot a project and track outcomesIn 90 days – Determine results. Share learnings. Iterate or rinse & repeat