We find comfort in hanging out with like-minded people. It feels good to hear similar war stories or even better when other's stories are more horrific than our own. In this session, I will share my challenges working as a UX team of one in a large organization. You’ll gain knowledge on how to educate and collaborate with your teams, tools to keep documentation to a minimum, and ways to share with executives how a UX team of one can make an impact.

1. UX Therapy
DON’T JUMP!!
@vcagwin

2. This is lemonade!
This is lemonade!

3. This is a biscuit!
This is a biscuit!

4. These are pants!
These are pants!

5. WHAT ARE YOUR
FRUSTRATIONS?
I’m s
p
acros read
ve s to
n ’t ha If devs many
I do s to teams
s !
acce s! aren’t coding,
user their time is
being wasted.!

6. #1
EDUCATE !
YOUR TEAM!

7. Define Your Language
User experience! Visual design!
Interaction design!
Mock-ups!
Progressive disclosure!
Information Architecture!
Mental models!
Fitt’s Law!
wireframes!
Cognitive load!
User interface!
Affordance!

8. Lunch & Learn
h+p://www.flickr.com/photos/mary-­‐heather/3617487099/sizes/l/in/photostream/

9. Field Interviews
h+p://www.flickr.com/photos/victory_rose/28973461/sizes/z/in/photostream/

10. Invite Them to the
Conversation

11. #2
COLLABORATE !
WITH YOUR TEAM!

12. DemysGfying
Design,
InteracGon
12
Jeff
Gothelf
,, Designers [should] demystify the
design process by showing our dirty
laundry, bring them into our process,
show them what we do, make these
highly collaborative teams, agile teams
far more successful by giving
everybody a sense of what we do.!
,,

13. Design Studio

14. Design Studio
• Upfront!
– Cross-functional teams!
– Happens in Iteration 0!
• Sprint!
– Core team (may include stakeholders)!
– Happens every iteration!
Sprint
0
Sprint
1
Sprint
2
Story
Mapping
(2
days)
Mini
Design
Studio
Mini
Design
Studio
Design
Studio
(2
days)
User
Acceptance
TesGng

15. Tools

16. Share Research
This is Bob. !
He likes Excel spreadsheets.!
He has over 12 years experience.!
He hates re-keying his work into!
multiple systems.!

17. Start sketching
??
Critique!
sketch!
Pitch Idea! ?
Read the feature! Each team presents! Be respectful!
Mention any research! their sketches! Don’t criticize !
Give 5-10 minutes! Remain quiet! drawings !

18. Documentation ?

19. Design Before Estimation
h+p://www.flickr.com/photos/catechism/2419049185/sizes/o/in/photostream/

20. stakeholders engaged
• Provide feedback early!
• Paper prototype!
• Collaborative!

21. #3
GET OFF
YOUR BUTT
TALK TO PEOPLE
!

22. SHOW YOUR SKETCHES
• Rough sketches!
• Explain your thoughts!
• Share with other team !
members!

23. 5 min usability test
• In-person!
• Remote – Adobe Connect, !
Skype, Google+!
• Bring a Dev, QA or BA !
(only one)!

24. Have a coffee
• Gets you out of the
office!
• Allows team members to
speak more freely!
• Caffeine!!!
©All
r
ights
re
s erved
b
y
filo sofiflic
kan

25. #4
SHARE YOUR WORK
WITH YOUR TEAM!
IVE S!
EC UT
EX

26. Send Survey to
Stakeholders
• How the process was working for them!
• What did they like/not like!
• Did the team communicate enough!

27. Talk to Tech Support
• Interview them!
• Find out what makes their job
difficult!
• Ask for reports!
!

28. Present
• Department meetings!
• Stakeholder meetings!
• Mini conference!

29. #5
STAY OPTIMISTIC
!

30. Create a PATTERN LIBRARY

31. Feed the Inmates
olate!!!
Yum! Choc

32. Find your Soul
Mike Kruzeniski!

33. Like-Minded People

34. WHAT ARE YOUR
FRUSTRATIONS?
I’m s
p
acros read
ve s to
n ’t ha If devs many
I do s to teams
s !
acce s! aren’t coding,
user their time is
being wasted.!

35. References
• Mike
Kruzeniski,
Poetry
and
Polemics,
h+p://vimeo.com/9798115
• Jeff
Gothelf,
DemysGfying
Design,
h+p://vimeo.com/38133507
• Will
Evans,
IntroducGon
to
Design
Studio,
h+p://uxmag.com/arGcles/introducGon-­‐to-­‐design-­‐
studio-­‐methodology
• Todd
Zaki
Warfel,
The
Design
Studio,
h+p://vimeo.com/37861987
@vcagwin