The traditional role of UX is to fight for the user by designing usable and functional software. But in the age of the 'Internet of Things' every experience of soft and hardware bleeds into the next. The wares we design (and unfortunately those we don't) are no longer isolated elements, but a network of experiences and combinations - often referred to as Service Design. As designers we're strategically placed to affect meaningful change in our organizations for good. I'll share 5 strategies I've found useful in elevating design thinking, educating and garnering support among my colleagues and superiors towards creating a unified vision where everyone in the organization takes conscious part in the design and execution of a common service design. This leads to increasing customer engagement, loyalty and evangelism.

1. UX AS A SERVICE
5 Strategies To Elevate Design Thinking In Your Organization
Brandon E.B. Ward
Senior Experience Designer

2. ME
Experience Designer, Musician, Husband,
Daddy x4, Kung Fu Fighter, Bald & Happy.
!
@uxward
nonlinear.me
uxd.me
improvingux.com
a
A
H

3. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

4. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Communication
Cooperation
Delegation
Humility
Consistency

5. THE END

7. DESIGN - WHAT IS IT?

13. TOO SPECIFIC!

14. Combining empathy for the context of a
problem, creativity in the generation of
insights and solutions, and rationality in
analyzing and fitting various solutions to
the problem context. “DESIGN IS:
Tom Kelley and Dave Kelley, Creative Confidence, pages 19-20

15. Combining empathy for the context of a
problem, creativity in the generation of
insights and solutions, and rationality in
analyzing and fitting various solutions to
the problem context. “DESIGN IS:

16. “DESIGN IS:
Combining empathy for the context of a
problem, creativity in the generation of
insights and solutions, and rationality in
analyzing and fitting various solutions to
the problem context.

17. DESIGN == SOLVING PROBLEMS

18. Uncertainty / Patterns / Insights Clarity / Focus
Research Concept / Prototype Innovation
Idea from www.creativityatwork.com/

19. DESIGN
Uncertainty / Patterns / Insights Clarity / Focus
Research Concept / Prototype Innovation

20. DESIGN == SOLVING PROBLEMS
What problems are my designs ❓ attempting to solve?

21. GOOD DESIGN - WHO CARES?

24. “
MEDIA ARE REALITY
Individuals’ interactions with computers,
television, and new media are
fundamentally social and natural, just like
interactions in real life.
Reeves, B., & Nass, C. (1996). The Media Equation. page 5

25. GOOD PERSON == TRUST

26. GOOD DESIGN == TRUST

27. “
STEPHEN P. ANDERSON
• We identify with (or avoid) certain personalities
• Trust is related to personality
• Perception & expectations are linked with
personality
• Consumers choose products that are an
extension of themselves
• We treat sufficiently advanced technology as
though it were human
Stephen P. Anderson, Seductive Interaction Design., pages 27-28

28. BUT DO THE NUMBERS SUPPORT THIS?

29. "We don't need to invest much in the website - we're a
brick and mortar store."
$1.1 trillion of all retail sales in 2011 were "web-influenced."

30. "Worry about the desktop site for now - we'll worry about
mobile later."
48% of users say that if they arrive on a business site that isn't working well on
mobile, they take it as an indication of the business simply not caring.
62% of companies that designed a website specifically for mobile had
increased sales.

31. "How can we outsell the competition with design? I need
numbers!"
Only 55% of companies are currently conducting any online user experience testing.
Design driven businesses have outperformed America’s Standard & Poor’s 500 large
publicly traded companies — by a massive 228%.

32. "Our customers are accountants - they don't care what it
looks like, they just want it to work."
95% of people agreed with the statement that "good user experience just makes sense."

33. GOOD DESIGN == TRUST

34. “
How are your customer enragement metrics?
Erik Flowers

35. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?

36. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?
UX / UI / Graphic

37. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?
UX / UI / Graphic
Marketing / Sales / Advertising

38. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?
UX / UI / Graphic
Marketing / Sales /
Advertising
Developers / Architects / QA

39. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?
UX / UI / Graphic
Marketing / Sales /
Advertising
Management / Stakeholders
Developers /
Architects / QA

40. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?
UX / UI / Graphic
Marketing / Sales / Advertising
Developers / ArchitMecatnsa g/ eQmAent / Stakeholders

41. GOOD DESIGN - WHO DOES IT?
Someone
Someone
Someone
Someone
UX

42. ALL

43. THE

44. THINGS

45. “
It’s called a ‘team’ and not a ‘bunch of automatons’ for a reason.
Me

46. TEAMWORK IS:
• Silos Exchanges
• Exclusion Inclusion

47. SILOS VS EXCHANGES

49. EXCLUSION VS INCLUSION

50. EXCLUSION VS INCLUSION

53. EXCLUSION VS INCLUSION

54. EXCLUSION VS INCLUSION
#

55. of

56. NOs!
Amount

57. of

58. Involvement

59. DESIGNERS CAN BE BRIDGES

60. DESIGNERS CAN BE BRIDGES
At its core UX is not a deliverable, but
a business strategy and competitive
“advantage in the marketplace.
Troy Parke, Partnering with Key Stakeholders in UX Strategy

61. DESIGNERS CAN BE BRIDGES
Diplomacy Consensus
Actual UX Deliverables
What UX Designers Do
At its core UX is not a deliverable, but
a business strategy and competitive
“advantage in the marketplace.
Troy Parke, Partnering with Key Stakeholders in UX Strategy

62. WE’RE PEOPLE PEOPLE!

63. ASK YOURSELF…
• Why should my team care about design?
• If __________ were involved earlier we’d avoid all sorts of problems!
• What specific things can I do that will encourage teamwork, exchanges
and inclusion?
• What problems have I seen because not everyone had a chance to
participate early enough?

64. HOW DO I DO THAT?

65. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION

66. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Communication
Cooperation
Delegation
Humility
Consistency

67. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
CONSTANT
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

68. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
OPEN
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

69. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
LIVING ARTIFACTS
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

70. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
CONSTANT
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

71. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
OPEN
No judgment
Honest
Transparent
Constructive
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

72. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
LIVING ARTIFACTS
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

73. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
LIVING ARTIFACTS
SKETCHES
PROTOTYPES
WIKIS
FORUMS
CHAT / IRC
EMAIL
WORKING ON WALLS
ROCKETBOARD
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

74. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
DEAD ARTIFACTS
WORD
POWERPOINT
PDF
EXCEL
PHOTOSHOP
ATTACHMENTS
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

75. “
Our tools for communication need to favor
collaboration over fidelity. Who cares how pretty it is
if nobody looks at it?
Me

76. ASK YOURSELF…
• What are my team’s primary communication methods? How might a wiki or IRC
improve it?
• What dead artifacts can I replace with living ones?
• What aspect of my communication needs improvement?
• How open, transparent and inclusive is our process?
• CHALLENGE: Get your team to try a new tool you feel will help facilitate constant,
open, living communication for 30 days.

77. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

78. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EXCHANGE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

79. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
TRUST
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

80. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EDUCATE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

81. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EXCHANGE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

82. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EXCHANGE
Ask Lots of
Questions
Foster A
Peer Culture
Counsel One
Another
Share
Everything
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

83. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
TRUST
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

84. FLEXIBILITY

88. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
HIRING WELL
TRUST
is dependent on
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

91. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EDUCATE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

95. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EDUCATE
Lunch
Learn
Teach A
Class
Peer 1:1
Reviews
Cross-Train
Teammates
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

96. MANAGING
HUMANS
Michael Lopp
!
http://randsinrepose.com/

97. ASK YOURSELF…
• Am I learning enough from my teammates?
• What ONE thing could I teach my team that would help everybody?
• How often do I mingle casually with the team?
• CHALLENGE: Who’s your nemesis? Invite them to lunch and/or
drinks. Build bridges see things through their eyes. Bonus: Your treat.

98. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

99. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EMPOWER
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

100. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ENCOURAGE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

101. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACCOUNTABLE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

102. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
EMPOWER
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

103. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
“
The key to organizational success today is in getting
the people to want to own the responsibility for their
own performance.
Belasco, James A. and Stayer, Ralph C., Flight of the Buffalo

106. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
“
In our free and democratic society, employees park their
rights (and usually their sweat) -- along with their brains --
at the door…Too many people in organizations are
subjected to authoritarian, and what they believe to be
unreasonable, treatment.
Belasco, James A. and Stayer, Ralph C., Flight of the Buffalo

110. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ENCOURAGE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

115. “
Daddy, next time you’re fired, let’s move to Ireland!
Ærowyn Sky Ward

116. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACCOUNTABLE
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

117. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACCOUNTABLE
• The right person
• Clear expectations
• Appropriate oversight
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

118. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACCOUNTABLE
• The right person
Clear expectations
Appropriate oversight
Don’t post job openings - just post you’re hiring
smart, cool people who may apply when
interested.
!
Always hire candidates you love, even if you
don't know exactly what they'll do or how they'll
fit in. They're awesome and will help you figure it
out.
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

119. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACCOUNTABLE
The right person
• Clear expectations
Appropriate oversight
Constant, Open, Living Communication
!
Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
!
1 year later job posting “here’s what you’ve done”
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

120. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACCOUNTABLE
The right person
Clear expectations
• Appropriate oversight
Hire Smart
Make teammates accountable to one another!
Constant, Open, Living Communication
Empower them
Reward them
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

121. ASK YOURSELF…
• What am I doing that might be robbing my team of power and motivation?
• When was the last time I held a teammate’s feet to the fire, or vice versa?
• Is success clearly defined for me? What about everyone else?
• CHALLENGE: Discover something a teammate loves (e.g. Star Wars), buy/
make a [thing] and next time they do something deserving, reward them
with it. Bonus: Get them to pay it forward

122. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

123. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
SHADOW LEADERSHIP
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

124. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

125. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACTIVE LISTENING
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

126. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
SHADOW LEADERSHIP
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

129. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
SHADOW LEADERSHIP
• Lead with Questions
• Put them on a path, get out of the way, course correct when necessary
• Give credit where credit is due
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

130. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
SHADOW LEADERSHIP
“
My greatest strength as a consultant is to be
ignorant and ask a few questions.
Peter Drucker

131. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
SHADOW LEADERSHIP
• How will I know the answers if I don’t ask the right questions?
• How will they know the answers if I don’t ask the right questions?
• Don’t know what to ask? Start with Why, keep asking Why. Repeat.
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

132. DESIGN == SOLVING PROBLEMS

133. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
SHADOW LEADERSHIP
“
The best solutions are found when you find
the right problems. The right problems are
found by asking the right questions.
Me

134. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

135. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
• Good intentions
• Avoid emotion
• Right time, Right place
• Critique sandwich
• Smile
• Be specific - only pick 1 or 2 things
• Focus on the future
• Ask them for ideas/solutions
• End on a high note
• Follow up
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

136. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ACTIVE LISTENING
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

137. ACTIVE LISTENING
L.E.A.P.S.
• Listen
• Emulate
• Ask Questions
• Paraphrase
• Summarize

138. “
We need a re-wiring of our collective thinking about
leadership in this new era in which everyone leads.
Leadership in this context isn’t linear; it’s
omnidirectional.
Henry F. De Sio

139. ASK YOURSELF…
• Am I in a position to practice some shadow leadership? If not, what
must I do to get there?
• How can I lead by example in respect to criticism?
• How will practicing Active Listening improve my team’s relationships?
• CHALLENGE: Spend an entire meeting only listening and asking
questions.

140. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

141. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
The key is to define just one or two things that
ensure success and “ do those things consistently. Weldon Long, The Power of Consistency
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

142. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Communication
Cooperation
Delegation
Humility
Consistency

143. 5 STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE DESIGN THINKING
ONE MORE THING …
Communication Cooperation Delegation Humility Consistency

145. 5 STRATEGIES
TO
UX ALL THE THINGS!

146. Communication
Cooperation
Delegation
Humility
Consistency

158. Brian Sullivan - Creator

159. Brian Sullivan - Creator

163. Communication
Cooperation
Delegation
Humility
Consistency

165. Brian Sullivan - Founder

166. Jay Schuh - Creator

169. information architecture
usability testing
User experience design
user research
User interface
Front end development

176. unit testing
quality assurance
backend development
sql databases
product ownership
executives

181. 5 STRATEGIES
TO
UX ALL THE THINGS!

182. Communication
Cooperation
Delegation
Humility
Consistency

183. THANK YOU
!
@uxward
nonlinear.me
uxd.me
improvingux.com
a
A
H