Summary
A successful experience design practice will have many familiar characteristics, such as cross-functional relationships, a design system, clearly defined career progression and a seat at the product strategy table. But these realities are rarely achieved all at once and are usually the result of thoughtful evolution as the team grows in people and in practice. This talk will use the UX Maturity model, which highlights an experience design team’s progression from unrecognized to embedded into the fabric of the business, to illustrate how, when, and where to focus incremental efforts towards maturing design in a growing business.
Key Insights
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The UX maturity model serves as a guide for organizations aiming to improve their design practices.
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Building relationships with engineers is crucial for establishing a successful UX practice.
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Empathy and understanding are key to fostering collaboration with technical teams.
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Transitioning from UX to a customer experience (CX) focus requires a rebranding of design roles.
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Investing in a diverse team improves the quality of design and user experience.
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Developing a design system is essential for consistency across products and experiences.
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Designers should be involved from the beginning of the product design process for better integration.
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Metrics and business acumen are important for demonstrating the value of user experience efforts.
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Regular feedback and iterative testing help improve product design and user satisfaction.
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Formalizing UX processes helps to ensure sustainability and alignment with organizational goals.
Notable Quotes
"I was hired at Apfolio in 2010 and started having our first designer on board."
"We were an engineering-driven culture whose product had ease of use as the number one competitive advantage."
"When I started at Apfolio, I think everybody just expected that I would go and build wireframes and make suggestions."
"It's really important to identify what your primary challenge is."
"The art of flow diagrams and information architecture artifacts is vital."
"When the executives start getting involved, that's when you know your UX is critical."
"We realized that we reached this stage about two years ago."
"It's imperative to have your design system in place."
"At this point, your relationships really start extending across all roles."
"Our team's mission statement is to accelerate customer value through design."
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