Download - How To Build a Powerful UX Team
How to BuildA Powerful UX Team
Darren HoodManager, User Experience | BoschAdjunct Instructor | Kent State University
Source: ChaiOne & Stecklein, 2004
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
Source: Jeneanne Rae
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
The Bermuda triangle and today’s world of UX have something in common…..
Unexplained accidents, disorientation, the inability to maintain a sense of direction, turbulence, disappearing travellers, etc.
Today, my hope is to share info to help you overcome associated pitfalls.
List of known Bermuda Triangle accidents: http://www.unp.me/f8/list-of-all-known-bermuda-triangle-accidents-108289/
Agenda.
Changing Landscapeof Skill Assessment Optimal Hiring Strategies Key Dos and Don’ts
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
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How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
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CHANGING LANDSCAPE OFSKILL ASSESSMENT
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
Human-Computer Interaction/HMI
Information architecture
User interface design
Yesteryear, identifying and assessing skills was very simple.
Skill sets were minimal and identifying key contributors was relatively cut and dry.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
NomenclatureWayfinding
Taxonomies
Visual design
Aesthetics
Design pattern libraries
Informationmanagement
Information foraging
Color psychology
Accessibility
System analysis
Value sensitive design Ethnography
User testing
Pictorial realism
Heuristic analysis
Usability
Common convention
Error handling
Cognition
Readability
Scannability FindabilityIntuition.
System/Real world match
Consistency
Minimalism.Site maps
Style guides
Iconography
Today, with the expanding world of technology and the growing spectrum of mental models with users and UX encompassing multiple disciplines, things are quite different…..
Stakes are higher, but there is an evaluatory skill deficit.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
UXUser interface design
Visual design
Aesthetics
Color psychology
Accessibility
Information architecture
Nomenclature
Wayfinding
Taxonomies
Design pattern libraries
Informationmanagement
Information foraging
Human-Computer Interaction/HMI
System analysis
Value sensitive design
Ethnography
User testing
Pictorial realism
Heuristic analysis
Usability
Common convention
Error handling
Mobile designResponsive design
Cognition
Readability
Scannability FindabilityIntuition.
System/Real world match
Consistency
Minimalism.
Wireframing
Prototyping
E-Commerce
Persuasive design
Task flows/analysis
Needs analysis
UX strategy
Storyboarding
Journey mapping
Scenarios
Site maps
Style guides
Iconography
Ergonomics
Sound design
Augmented reality
Virtual reality
Risk mitigation
Typography
Copywriting
Customer experience (CX)
Brand experience (BX)Lean UX
Agile methodologies
Email marketingOnline advertising
Interactive TV
Web analyticsData analysis
Data synehesis
Risk mitigationInstructional design
Blended learning
Competitive analysisFocus group moderation
Remote user testing
Vendor management
guerilla research
Don’t Forget AboutSoft Skills. Many people are hired for
what they know and then
release for their lack of soft
skills. In addition, soft skills
draw a “line in the sand”
when it comes to identifying
truly top talent. Query
candidates to confirm their
aptitude in such areas.
Collaboration
Interpersonal communication
Excellent listener
Emotional intelligence
Mediation
Interpersonal communication
Excellent listener
Excelling at collaboration
Emotional intelligence
Skillful mediator
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
But Wait….There’s More! In addition to soft skills, there
are several other skills related
to the world of UX that are
extremely valuable. Evaluate
what said skills would do for
your team and gauge
candidates’ levels of skills and
knowledge in these areas.
Storytelling
Lean/Agile
System analysis
Emerging technologies
Education/Evangelism
Lean and agile knowledge
System analysis
Storytelling
Emerging technologies
Education/Evangelism
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
Remember UXSkill Levels. Entry Level
Early-to-Mid
Senior7+ years of experience
May be multi-skilled
Capable of mentoring all levels
2-7 years of experience
May require supervision at times
Capable of mentoring junior UXers
0 - 2 years of experience
Able to grow, coachable
Qualified retrofits*
2
1 3
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
May be multi-skilled
Skilled at multitasking
Excellent multitasker
Can provide educational support
Interns
Requires supervision
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OPTIMAL HIRING STRATEGIES
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
ConceptualizersAnalyzing and synthesizing data
ImplementersEnsuring things get done andexcellent at creating plans
InnovatorsComing up with new ideas
OptimizersDriving efficiency
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
Strategy #1The Problem Solver Grid.
Strategy #2CompletingThe Team Puzzle.A blend of skills makes for a more diverse team.
Hiring the RIGHT person or persons paves the
way for greater levels of innovation and greater
capabilities to advocate for users.
Rem
ote
Use
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Info
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Arch
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Visu
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Rem
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Inte
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isua
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ign
Con
tent
Stra
tegy
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
Strategy #2CompletingThe Team Puzzle.A blend of skills makes for a more diverse team.
Hiring the RIGHT person or persons paves the
way for greater levels of innovation and greater
capabilities to advocate for users.
HM
I / R
esea
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Ergo
nom
ics
/ Res
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Ergo
nom
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Ergo
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Ethn
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/ Int
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ing
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
Strategy #3Gauging the Team Spectrum.
What is your team’s power
level before a hire? What’s
its potential afterwards.
Gauge your team’s status
and potential to help you
identify the best candidates.
Responsive
Mobile
Information Architecture
Content Strategy
55%
15%20%
10%
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
55%
20%
15%
10%
KEY DOS & DON’TS
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO …..engage in a little UX Potpourri.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T….. hire or promote in your own image. It is foolish to replicate your strength and idiotic to replicate your weakness.
~Dee W. Hock
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO….. make sure your recruiters have at least a basic understanding of UX and UX professionals.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T ….. let unskilled people interview yourUX candidates.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO ….. check for knowledge of evolutionary UX elements (e.g., CX and BX).
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T ….. give psychological tests.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO….. demonstrate an understanding of a UX professional’s persona in interviews. Knowledge of the discipline isn’t enough.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T….. discount a UXer’s value (e.g., thinking the work doesn’t take any effort). Skilled UXers will recognize the trait and withdraw from consideration or depart the company.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO….. a resilience check. Perform an inquiry to find out how candidates rebounded from failure or disappointment. The “never say die” attitude is quintessential for members of powerful teams.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T ….. play fraternal games.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO ….. exalt balance over smarts.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T ….. hinder growth.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO ….. consider interns.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T….. assume that lower salaries are equivalent to savings. You get what you pay for. And paying someone less will be reflected in the final products — resulting in losses.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO
….. identify candidates who possess “infectious” energy and knowledge levels. Knowledgeable team members who are willing to share can build confidence in stakeholders and broaden a team’s impact, especially on teams engaging in the institutionalization of UX within the organization.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T
….. insist on being the smartest person on the team. According to Liz Wiseman, as the leader, focusing on your own intelligence and your resolve to be the smartest person in the room has a diminishing effect on everyone else. You actually hurt the team and siphon its power.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO….. seek TRUE team players. As Patrick Lencioni (author of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team) states, “Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.”
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T ….. fudge the facts when assessing the team.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DO ….. be a multiplier.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
DON’T….. take the cheap route by trying to combine multiple roles into one person. There is NO SUCH THING as a UX developer. And UX professionals, by trade, are NOT responsible for providing assets for the presentation layer.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
WRAPPING UP
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
• Have you been hiring all specialists? If so, start considering what Arnie Lund calls “tweeners” (i.e., people with multiple UX skill sets).
• Don’t reject a candidate because you consider him or her to be “weak.” Could be a diamond in the rough. Evaluate a person’s coachability and proceed accordingly. A person’s weaknesses don’t matter if they can be coached.
• Picture your current UXers as a construction team. Based on the current aptitudes and skills, what can they accomplish today? Identify the skills that would take them to the next level and search accordingly.
Closing Notes.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
• Passion is a fuel — a fuel that can energize your team and have tremendous impact upon your organization. Always make sure to gauge a candidate’s passion level AND where its limits are.
• Avoid the “cloak of nepotism.” Some people are so void of the ability to properly evaluate skill and envision scenarios that they only hire people they or someone they know knows. In so doing, they potentially cripple their teams and operations. Don’t be one of them.
• Every dollar invested in UX brings a return of up to $200, but ONLY if skilled people are hired.
Closing Notes.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
• One’s ability to create wireframes and prototypes, conduct remote or ethnographical research, or construct the best information architecture in the world WILL NOT and SHOULD NOT supersede one’s ability to manage clients, advocate for users, or mediate between politically-driven and egotistical clients.
• The key to selecting candidates to strengthen YOUR UX team isn’t about the candidate as much as it is about YOUR ability to properly evaluate and identify what each candidate brings to the table and what it means to your operation.
• Lastly, when deciding between candidates, always ask yourself…. Which candidate(s) will benefit our users most?
Closing Notes.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
• Remember…. there is no such thing as a UX Developer. Beware of an “opportunity” where the job description says something like “Strong knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript/JQuery, ObjectiveC (iOS), C++.”
• Many companies and managers (still) believe that UX = UI, instead of seeing UI as a subset of UX. In addition, they (still) think that any and every UX professional is capable of providing presentation layer support. This simply isn’t true. You could end up in the “Bermuda Triangle.”
• On another “Bermuda Triangle” note, don’t be starstruck by a company’s reputation. When interviewing, make sure you understand what a UX team’s org chart looks like and gauge UX knowledge of leadership before accepting any offers.
Closing Notesfor Job Seekers.
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
by Liz Wiseman with Greg McKeown ISBN: 978-0061964398
MultipliersHBR’s 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence
by Arnie Lund ISBN: 000-0123854962
User Experience Management: Essential Skills
for Leading Effective UX Teams
by Richard Canfield ISBN: 978-1491929209
Design Leadership: How Top Design Leaders Build and
Grow Successful Organizations
by Patrick Lencioni ISBN: 978-0787960759
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
by Leah Buley ASIN: B011T78LBM
The User Experience Team of One
How to Build a Powerful UX TeamDarren Hood | April 2016
RESOURCES
by Harvard Business Review (compilation) ISBN: 978-1633690196
Thank you!Questions?!@darrenhood !@uxpulse