אין עדיין תגים.
If you are a manager in a company that builds an enterprise solution, this post is for you. How could you optimize the UX process? How to enhance the work with the UXer and designer? How could you make sure that all your product parts and modules are consistent and creative?
(The video is in Hebrew and contains English subtitles)
Over the years I’ve worked on various enterprise applications, both as in house and as a consultant. The UX process involves several user types, sometimes in several platforms and software parts and sometimes several UXers or several UX teams are working on it.
Here are a few points I learned along the way:
1. Meet Users
It is important that everyone- both PM and UX and even developers will meet users. I know many big organizations where the UX team hardly meet users and there are always reasons/ excuses: Because the PM already met them/ Support could tell you what they complain about/ Sales knows the market needs etc. So I’m here to tell you that’s not enough. An experienced UX expert will talk to users differently, ask different questions and understands the user from a different perspective. This is very important- only by meeting users the UX expert can truly do his work: representing users in the product process.
It is important that everyone- both PM and UX and even developers will meet users.
2. UXers collaboration
Companies who develop large products, with multi features and multi systems, usually hire in house UX and UI experts, sometimes several UX teams in parallel. Although each UX expert is responsible to a different part of the system they must collaborate in order to create a unified User Experience in the product/ product line. In addition to the regular weekly meetings, updated and UI Guidelines libraries, I advise that in some of the time UXers will work with a different team member or on a different product that they don’t usually work on. This cooperation could lead to a dipper understanding of all user types, their work flows in all the system and will enhance the user experience consistency.
Although each UX expert is responsible to a different part of the system they must collaborate in order to create a unified User Experience in the product/ product line.
3. PM- UX cooperation
Product management and user experience overlap in many cases. In order to ensure a good user experience product managers should collaborate successfully with the UX and graphic designer (UI). The organization should see them as a team in itself and make sure they fit and work efficiently together.
In order to ensure a good user experience product managers should collaborate successfully with the UX and graphic designer (UI).
4. Remember the big picture
In big development organizations, especially if they work Agile, it is important to understand the cycle UI changes and minor enhancements in the context of the overall user experience in the product.
I would divide the responsibilities to the UX success this way:
PM should define the requirements while taking into account the product goals and long term strategy
UX architect should solve the user experience within the high level use cases and flows in the system
UI graphic designer should design each screen and control in consistency with all the application graphic elements.
5. When should you involve an external UX consultant?
In most cases, UX in-house teams work well. They know the product to details, they know how to collaborate with PM and development and solve the UX optimally. However, there are 2 cases I advise to consider involving an external UX consultant:
You plan a major version and a big UX change. An external UX professional could bring a different perspective, all fresh, external point of view, without any politics. He could help in solving the high level user experience and create a fresh new, up-to-date UX concept while collaborating with the in house professionals.
An external UX professional could bring a different perspective, all fresh, external point of view, without any politics.
There is a need to boost the UX team. Every professional could be contributed from a good brain storm with an experienced expert. This is even more important in the case the external consultant is more experienced. In addition, from my personal experience, managers will listen differently to an external professional. This will lead to easily taking to user experience to its next level.
You are most welcome to share and comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.