Summary
Research helps us understand the customer's needs, behaviors, and attitudes, design meets those needs through interaction and visual expertise, and content helps make sure the entire experience is expressed in the customer's language. It seems simple, right? So where does it go wrong? Hear from Compass leaders about how misunderstanding these roles leads to poor collaboration and how we can change the way we work together to deliver incredible customer experiences. Hear from leaders in design, content, and research about the most common ways their role is misunderstood and the impact this has on the customer experience. Learn ways design, content, and research can communicate and collaborate better to collectively create better experiences that scale. Get a better understanding of the unique role design, content, and research play in our customer's lives and how to use each other's secret powers to deliver better customer outcomes.
Key Insights
-
•
User research is often mistakenly treated as a validation step rather than an integral part of the design process.
-
•
Involving user research early can reveal critical user needs and assumptions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
-
•
Establishing a top-down and bottom-up approach in collaboration helps align teams on the value of user research.
-
•
Content design should not be viewed as an afterthought but rather integrated throughout the design stages to ensure UI effectiveness.
-
•
Co-designing together with content designers can prevent teams from getting stuck in corners during the development phase.
-
•
Avoid using placeholder text (lorem ipsum); real content should inform the design from the start.
-
•
Effective communication and transparency among teams can facilitate better collaboration and reduce ego-related conflicts.
-
•
Utilizing a champion at the leadership level can help elevate the importance of user research and content design within an organization.
-
•
Building small wins and demonstrating value can help skeptics understand the significance of embedding user research and content design in their processes.
-
•
Implementing a style guide can aid in consistency and scalability in content creation across product teams.
Notable Quotes
"User research shouldn't be just a validation function handed off at the end of product development."
"The power of user research is to uncover valuable insights that inform the entire development process."
"If user research is brought in early, you can prevent the mistake of thinking your users want ice cream when they may actually want cookies."
"Content should not be seen as decoration; it plays a crucial role in user experience."
"We've got to treat words early in the process, not just as something to fix at the end."
"If you're tweaking words repeatedly, you likely have a UI problem, not a content problem."
"Collaborate without ego helps us all align better on product goals rather than personal interests."
"Every time content design gets involved early, the quality and efficiency of the team improves significantly."
"The best outcomes come when we work together and remove ego from the equation."
"Starting with a content-first approach can fundamentally change how users experience a product."
More Videos
"Optimal performance is about making external conditions match your goals."
Jacqui FreyFlow and Superfluidity for Design Orgs
November 7, 2018
"Everyone almost always knew one another's language in small communities historically."
Laura Gatewood Laine ProkayBeyond Buzzwords: Adding Heart to Effective Slack Communication
September 23, 2024
"When insights are communicated poorly, they lose value."
Johanna KollmannInsights-Driven Product Strategy: Get your Research to Count
December 6, 2022
"The conference would not be as beautiful without her."
Bria AlexanderDay 3 Welcome
September 25, 2024
"Designing for an edge case can benefit everyone."
Billy CarlsonIdeation tips for Product Managers
December 6, 2022
"When expectations are low for process, it’s the perfect opportunity to rifle through new approaches."
Catherine DubutBridging Physical and Digital Spaces: Approaches to Retail Service Design
March 18, 2021
"Trust is the foundation of our team's culture and needs to be maintained during changes."
Kim Holt Emma Wylds Pearl Koppenhaver Maisee XiongA Salesforce Panel Discussion on Values-Driven DesignOps
September 8, 2022
"When you experience problems with different disciplines, keep Sturgeon's biases in mind."
Adrian HowardSturgeon’s Biases
September 25, 2024
"Design is often the first gig up for elimination."
Asia HoePartnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
November 29, 2023
