2. Me
I’ve built small and large UX
teams.
Co-founded the DFW UXPA
chapter in 2002.
UXPA International Board,
President 2008-2009.
Teach at Kent State’s UXD
program.
Provide user experience
research and design consulting.
3. I’m Going To Do All This In 15 Minutes…
The UX Landscape
The Continuing Challenge
(Part Of) The Solution
8. It’s About Organizational Alignment
At many companies,
various groups and
departments are not
aligned around creating
the best user experience
possible.
Sound familiar?
10. At a former company, product
management asked my UX team to
conduct field research with small
businesses.
We identified an opportunity for an
accounting product that served
new value dimensions.
That’s awesome! Woo!
11. Product management began
writing up a business case.
We created personas and goals.
And mocked up workflows and
views.
We started testing the
mockups…
12. Product management began
writing up a business case.
We created personas and goals.
And mocked up workflows and
views.
We started testing the
mockups…
And senior management
promptly went batshit crazy.
13. What went wrong?
Org Culture
New products “just
weren’t done here.”
Growth by acquisition.
Executives had no
incentives to create
new products.
In fact they had strong
disincentives.
14. What went wrong?
Org Culture
New products “just
weren’t done here.”
Growth by acquisition.
Executives had no
incentives to create
new products.
In fact they had strong
disincentives.
Institutional
The organization had
very few people who
had ever worked on
new products.
There was no
institutional memory or
process.
15. What went wrong?
Org Culture
New products “just
weren’t done here.”
Growth by acquisition.
Executives had no
incentives to create
new products.
In fact they had strong
disincentives.
Institutional
The organization had
very few people who
had ever worked on
new products.
There was no
institutional memory or
process.
PM & UX Mistakes
We had the data, but
we failed to
communicate the
pressing need
effectively.
We failed to build
awareness and
alignment.
16. Once we started showing the
prototype, it was perceived as
insubordinate and threatening.
17. We got shut down within a
couple weeks of the first
prototype tests.
19. Executives like process. They really like
repeatable processes.
So we created a business process for new
product innovation.
It included:
Field research (not just surveys) to discover
new value dimensions.
Rapid prototyping and design iteration.
Cross-disciplinary involvement: product,
design, development.
And a whole lot more.
The Intervention
20. Rapid contextual innovation – “RCI”
The “3-3-1” process
3 people
3 weeks
1 viable opportunity
We Even Had A Fancy Name…
21.
22. Prototyping and iteration based on
customer feedback became part of:
Initial value discovery
New product development
Business strategy
UX
UX
The Outcome
23. We moved UX up the
value creation chain.
We utilized our skills at
the front end of the
process…
On an equal footing with
product management and
development.
The Outcome
27. Strategy
“A long term plan of action
designed to achieve a
particular goal.”
“Strategy is differentiated
from tactics or immediate
actions by its orientation on
affecting future, not
immediate conditions.”
<Lazy>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy</>
32. Change Agent
A person who leads a business initiative by:
Defining and researching the problem
Planning the intervention
Building business support for the intervention
Enlisting others to help drive change
Six Sigma - http://Isixsigma.com/dictionary/change-agent/
UXmatters - The User Experience Practitioner As Change Agent – http://bit.ly/a2Xwux
33. UX Practitioner As Change Agent
To be a change agent, you
must focus on strategic
goals.
That doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t strive for short-term
wins.
But they should be in the
service of a long-term
strategy.
UX
34. Research and design is only
half of your job!
The other half is leading your organization
to more fully incorporate UX practices.
35. Develop a UX plan that aligns with
your organization’s business
goals.
Advocate for the plan, get
executive buy-in.
Then rack up some tactical wins…
And use this leverage to embed
UX practices and process more
deeply into your organization.
Your Mission
36. Now go be a UX superhero.
Thanks for your time.
37. More on UX and organizations:
slideshare.net/paulsherman