The document discusses adapting UX design practices to organizational realities and maturity levels. It provides a framework for organization-centered design that involves determining the appropriate UX role based on buy-in, and developing engagement strategies on a scale from tactical to strategic. These strategies aim to set expectations, make work visible, find partnerships, and drive vision in a way that works within the organization's culture. The goal is to apply design thinking to solve problems in how the UX practice fits and succeeds within the organization over time.

1. The pragmatic designer’s ‘OCD’
approach to UX design practice
Malini Rao
UX Leader, strategist & independent consultant

2. Users Rule!

3. User
Advocacy

4. Hanging on to the mission

5. Balancing
act!

6. Respect the discipline

7. Drive Innovation

8. Focused
and in demand

9. The
secret
pain of
UXer’s

11. WE are the problem…Damn it!

13. Organization Centered DesignOrganization Centered Design

14. Thoughtful adaptation of the
design practice to suit the current
state and needs of an organization
Organization Centered Design
The ‘Design’ of Design practice

15. UX is in Demand!
› No. 14 in a 2015 CNN Money/ Payscale for top 100
best jobs in America
› Demand for UX professionals- ~ 50,000 professionals :
7 million projects needing UX (NN/g, 2014)
› UX Focus - beyond usability to creating delight and
transforming people’s lives in fundamental ways

19. One size
does
NOT
fit all

22. Where does UX fit in the
Organization?

23. Where does UX fit in the
Organization?
Separate/ Ad hoc Central IntegralPeripheral
Sabine Juninger, 2009

24. What is the Organization’s
maturity for UX?

25. Many, many UX maturity models…

26. Tomer Sharon (Google, 2012)
› Maturity
both buy-in and staff
› Approaching maturity
buy-in, but no staff
› Approaching immaturity
no buy-in, but there is staff
› Immaturity
no buy-in or staff

27. Tomer Sharon (Google, 2012)
› Approaching immaturity
no buy-in, but there is staff

28. Timo Jokela (University of Helsinki, 2010)
› Three dimensions of UCD performance
› UCD infrastructure
› UCD in product development projects
› Usability in business strategy

29. Combining models
› Three dimensions of UCD performance
› UCD infrastructure
› UCD in product development projects
› Usability in business strategy
Buy-in
Staffing/ tools
T.Jokela T.Sharon
T.Sharon, T.Jokela

30. Buy in for UX
› Three dimensions of UCD performance
› UCD infrastructure
› UCD in product development projects
› UCD activities with access to users
› Utilizing findings from UCD activities in
product development projects
› Usability in business strategy
Buy-in
Staffing/ tools
T.Jokela T.Sharon

31. Combining models T.Sharon, T.Jokela, S.Juninger and Neilsen
OrgUXMaturity
Mature
Approaching Maturity - Mature
Approaching immaturity - Approaching Maturity
Immature
6years
20years

32. Framework for Organization
Centered Design

33. Framework for Organization Centered Design
›Make fighting the UX battle a considered
choice
›Determine the UX role that the team can
play effectively and make peace with it
›Develop UX team engagement strategies
that are aligned with the organization
culture

34. To pursue the UX cause
in an organization or not?

36. UX Staffing and Org Maturity
1:4 1:12+

37. Assessing Org
buy in for UX
needs deep
internal insight

38. Don’t try to convince Executives who can’t be convinced

39. Align
measurable
UX goals to
Executive
goals

43. Assists were down 50% after HUGE UX improvements and we were barely
moving the needle towards self-service needed for increased adoption.

44. Before After

45. Framework for Organization Centered Design
›Make fighting the UX battle a considered
choice
›Determine the UX role that the team can
play effectively and make peace with it
›Develop UX team engagement strategies
that are aligned with the organization
culture

46. The role of the UX team
in an Organization

47. Perceived value of UX in Organizations
› Indirect value - how
other business critical
teams benefitted from
UX
› Reduce costs with
Usability improvements
Low Impact High Impact
› Social sentiment - How
much customers LOVE
the offering
› UX impact on revenue
L.Buley
Impact
Place of UX in the Org

48. Types of roles for UX in an Organization
› Advisory Role:
Influence the digital interface of
the offering in an advisory
capacity
Mature advisory roleImmature advisory role

49. Types of roles for UX in an Organization
› Product UX Role:
Influence/ drive the digital
interface
Responding:
Tactical Influence
Governing:
Standardizing Influence
Driving:
Strategic Influence

50. Types of roles for UX in an Organization
› Strategic/ Visionary Role:
Use Design thinking and insights
to drive/ influence the customer
experience across all touch
points and business strategy
Influencing
Customer Experiences
Influencing
Business Strategy

51. Framework for Organization Centered Design
›Make fighting the UX battle a considered
choice
›Determine the UX role that the team can
play effectively and make peace with it
›Develop UX team engagement
strategies that are aligned with the
organization culture

52. UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact

53. UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
DriveVision/strategy

54. FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
DriveVision/strategy
Looking
for Buy in
for UX

55. FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
DriveVision/strategy
Looking for
Buy in for
product UX
Looking
for Buy in
for UX

56. FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
DriveVision/strategy
Looking for
Buy in for
product UX Looking for Buy in
beyond product UX
Looking
for Buy in
for UX

57. FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
DriveVision/strategy
Advisory
Tactical Product UX Role
Strategic Business Role

58. Engagement strategy: Follow Orders
› Advisory/ Tactical
UX Role
(Looking for Buy in)
› Establish trust/
relationships first
› Team wins over big
UX wins

59. Engagement strategy: Raise a Flag
› Advisory/ Tactical
UX Role
(Looking for Buy in)
› Work on charter set
by team
› Include UX research
& share findings
› Team opinion may
trump UX findings

60. Engagement strategy: Set Expectations
› ALL roles (no matter
extent of Buy-in)
› Recognize
expectations of the UX
team
› Evaluate feasibility
› Set expectations
around UX impact in
business terms given
scope and Org realities

61. Vision
Mission
Strategy
Goals
Action Plan

63. Calling for
some UX magic!

65. Wishful thinking
Realistic ideas
Usually…

66. Wishful thinking
Realistic ideas
A dangerous twist…

67. The UX Quandary

68. Setting Success Expectations
› Use data to raise flags
› Connect research
inferences to impact on
goals
› Make research
inferences visible to
decision makers

69. Setting Success Expectations
› Report inferences
regularly vs one big
read out
› Go Viral

70. FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
DriveVision/strategy
Advisory
Tactical Product UX Role
Strategic Business Role

71. Engagement strategy: Advise but be Flexible
› ALL roles (no matter
extent of Buy-in)
› Persevere on UX
goals but be flexible
› Delivery over
perfection

72. Engagement strategy: Don’t be the bottleneck
› Tactical product
UX / Strategic
business role
› Make the design
process flexible with
creativity
› Keep Design cycle
ahead of
development cycle

73. Engagement strategy: Define UX Specific Goals
› All roles
› Align UX goals with
Business goals
› Tactical product
UX / Strategic
business role
› Avoid conflicting
goals with other
business functions

74. Empty UX Goals set by Organizations

76. Express UX goals in terms of
measurable business impacts given
the operational realities of the
organization
Setting meaningful UX goals
The ‘Design’ of Design practice

77. UXers love
to follow
the
North Star

78. The path to
our goal is
often a
circuitous
maze

79. It takes time to mature!
OrgUXMaturity
Mature
Approaching Maturity - Mature
Approaching immaturity - Approaching Maturity
Immature
6years
20years

80. Measure success instead of failure

81. FollowOrders
RaiseaFlag
SetExpectations
Don’tbethebottleneck
DefineUXspecificgoals
PushtheEnvelope
MakeUXworkvisible
FindPartnersandAlliances
BecomeAccountable
AdvisebutbeFlexible
UX team engagement strategy sliding scale
High Engagement
Strategic Impact
Low Engagement
Tactical Impact
DriveVision/strategy
Advisory
Tactical Product UX Role
Strategic Business Role

82. Engagement strategy: Push the envelope
› Tactical Product UX
Role
› ‘Yes, and…’
approach
› Strategic Business
Role
› Think beyond product
interface to customer
experience and
business strategy

83. Engagement strategy: Make UX work Visible
› Tactical product UX /
Strategic business
role (looking to expand
buy-in)
› Socialize Design
› Expand your audience
to include leaders
› Find a seat at the
table at the strategic
decision making level

84. Engagement strategy: Find Partners and Alliances
› Tactical Product UX Role
› Codesign
› Let’s ‘Guerrilla' together
› Strategic Business Role
› Use Design methods to
solve team problems,
not just design problems
› Cross functional
solutions over siloed
product design

85. Engagement strategy: Become Accountable
› Tactical product UX /
Strategic business role
(looking to expand buy-in)
› Proactively define
Success metrics aligned
with business goals like
other business critical
functions
› Measure regularly
› Track progress and
steer forward

86. Engagement strategy: Drive Vision/ Strategy
› Tactical product UX /
Strategic business
role (looking to expand
buy-in)
› Use design research
and concepts to open
new horizons
› Don’t wait for an
invitation
› Create a compelling
vision prototype to sell
the idea

87. Takeaway Capsule
›Be ‘organization-centered’ with design practice
›Root design practice in reality - use the sliding scale of
engagement strategies that will work in your org culture
›Success is not a fixed north star
›Apply design thinking to solve your own practice
problems as well!

88. Thank You!
Enjoy your
Malini Rao
UX leader, strategist &
independent consultant
scouting new adventures
malini.rao@gmail.com
@malinitweets
Linkedin: malinirao