This document summarizes a presentation given by Matt Edwards at MinneWebCon 2015 about including developers in the design process. Some key points from the presentation include encouraging designers to avoid arrogance and see development as a type of design. Edwards advocates sharing design decisions with developers and treating them as the designers they are. He acknowledges that every organization is different but encourages finding ways to remove bottlenecks and allow developers to contribute their expertise to improve efficiency. The overall message is that user experience does not begin and end with designers alone.

1. YOU CAN’T SHIP
FROM YOUR IVORY
TOWER
INCLUDING DEVELOPERS IN DESIGN
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

2. OPENING BUSINESS
INTRODUCTIONS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

3. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
I’M MATTTHAT’S NOT EVEN MY BATHROOM.

4. I’M A DORK
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
THIS IS NOT FALSE MODESTY.

5. I’M NOT FROM MINNESOTA.
YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

6. I’M NOT A LOCAL LEADER.
MY UXPA ATTENDANCE IS TERRIBLE.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

7. I’VE NEVER WRITTEN A BOOK.
“DRINKING TOO MUCH: A BEGINNERS GUIDE”
DUE SPRING 2016
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

8. I’M NOT A DESIGN GENIUS.
I’M NOT EVEN A NORMAL GENIUS.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

9. I’M JUST A GUY
WHO WORKS WITH A LOT OF DEVELOPERS.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

10. TAKE WHAT YOU LIKE
LEAVE WHAT YOU DON’T.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

11. I’M GOING TO
SAY A BUNCH
OF CRAP NOW.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
HERE WE GO

12. DESIGNERS
LOVE TO
COMPLAIN.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
OBSERVATION #1

13. “WHEN PEOPLE CONFUSE
UX AND UI”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
UXREACTIONS.COM

14. “WORKSHOPS”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
UXREACTIONS.COM

15. “WHEN A PM CREATES WIREFRAMES IN
POWERPOINT AND HANDS THEM OVER
AS REQUIREMENTS”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
UXREACTIONS.COM

16. STUFF DESIGNERS HATE
BEING LEFT OUT OF MAJOR DECISIONS
DOING STUFF WITHOUT CONTEXT
TONS OF MONKEY WORK
UNCLEAR EXPECTATIONS
HAVING OUR EXPERTISE IGNORED
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

17. STORY TIME
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

18. MY PROCESS
DEFINITION
A BUNCH OF USER RESEARCH
REVIEW
SKETCHING AND TESTING
REVIEW
PROTOTYPING AND TESTING
REVIEW
BIG-ASS DOCUMENT
REVIEW
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

19. I WAS A DESIGN PROPHET.
I BESTOWED “THE DESIGN” ON OTHERS.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

20. OUTCOMES
WEIRD EDGE CASE BEHAVIORS
BROKEN STYLES
DEVELOPMENT INCONSISTENT W/COMPS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

21. WHY DID I DO THIS?
I WANTED TO “PROVE THE VALUE OF UX”
I WANTED TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE DESIGN
I WANTED TO FEEL SMART
I WANTED TO BE RELIED ON
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

22. WHY DID I DO THIS?
NO ONE KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING
IMPLEMENTATION WAS FLAWED
I LOOKED DUMB
I WAS LEFT OUT OF DECISIONS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

23. WHY DID I DO THIS?
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

24. BOOKS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

25. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
“WE ENTER INTO CLOSE CO-OPERATION WITH THE
ENGINEERS. OUR OFFICES BECOME AS ONE. OUR COMMON
DENOMINATORS ARE THE SAME—JOE AND JOSEPHINE. WE
GO OVER COUNTLESS ROUGH SKETCHES. COMPONENTS ARE
ARRANGED AND REARRANGED. WORKING DRAWINGS AND
BLUEPRINTS ARE MADE, SOME BY THE ENGINEERS, SOME BY
US, AND FREQUENTLY EXCHANGED.”

26. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
“OF THE PARTNERS, THE ENGINEER IS THE ONE WITH
WHOM THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER USUALLY IS MOST
DEEPLY INVOLVED. IN OUR OFFICE, WE CALL THE
ENGINEER THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER’S BEST FRIEND AND
SEVEREST CRITIC. THE DESIGNER DOES THE DREAMING—
AND ITS RATHER PRACTICAL DREAMING—AND THE
ENGINEER MAKES THE DREAMS COME TRUE. HE BRINGS
TO BEAR ON THEM A PARTICULAR SKILL THE DESIGNER
DOESN’T HAVE. THE FINAL PRODUCT IS A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. ”

27. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
“OF THE PARTNERS, THE ENGINEER IS THE ONE WITH
WHOM THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER USUALLY IS MOST
DEEPLY INVOLVED. IN OUR OFFICE, WE CALL THE
ENGINEER THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER’S BEST FRIEND AND
SEVEREST CRITIC. THE DESIGNER DOES THE DREAMING—
AND ITS RATHER PRACTICAL DREAMING—AND THE
ENGINEER MAKES THE DREAMS COME TRUE. HE BRINGS
TO BEAR ON THEM A PARTICULAR SKILL THE DESIGNER
DOESN’T HAVE. THE FINAL PRODUCT IS A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT. ”
- HENRY DREYFUSS
DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE, 1926

28. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

29. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
NBD

30. MY PROCESS
DEFINITION
A BUNCH OF USER RESEARCH
REVIEW
SKETCHING AND TESTING
REVIEW
PROTOTYPING AND TESTING
REVIEW
BIG-ASS DOCUMENT
REVIEW
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

31. MY (NEW) PROCESS
DEFINITION (WITH DEVS)
A BUNCH OF USER RESEARCH (WITH DEVS)
REVIEW (WITH DEVS)
SKETCHING AND TESTING (WITH DEVS)
REVIEW (WITH DEVS)
PROTOTYPING AND TESTING (WITH DEVS)
REVIEW (WITH DEVS)
BIG-ASS DOCUMENT (WITH DEVS)
REVIEW (WITH DEVS)
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

32. DEVELOPERS ERRYWHERE
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
THEY SAT IN ON DEFINITION.

33. DEVELOPERS ERRYWHERE
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
THEY HELPED WITH USER RESEARCH.

34. DEVELOPERS ERRYWHERE
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
THEY HELPED WITH FEATURE DEFINITION.

35. DEVELOPERS ERRYWHERE
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
THEY DID UI REVIEW/FEEDBACK.

36. DEVELOPERS ERRYWHERE
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
THEY LET ME SEE BEHIND THE CURTAIN.

37. WHY DID I DO THIS?
I WANTED TO “PROVE THE VALUE OF UX”
I WANTED TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE DESIGN
I WANTED TO FEEL SMART
I WANTED TO BE RELIED ON
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

38. WHY DID I DO THIS?
EVERYONE KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING
IMPLEMENTATION WAS SPOT ON
I LOOKED SMART
I WAS INCLUDED IN WAY MORE DECISIONS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

39. WHY DID I DO THIS?
DEVELOPERS WERE EMPOWERED
DEVELOPERS WERE ENGAGED
THEY MADE GREAT DESIGN DECISIONS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

40. I’M NOW A DESIGN FACILITATOR.
I SHARE “THE DESIGN” WITH OTHERS.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

41. HERE’S WHAT I
LEARNED
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

42. WE ARE TOO
F*CKING
ARROGANT
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
OBSERVATION #2

43. LET IT GO.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

44. LET IT GO.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

45. STUFF DESIGNERS HATE
BEING LEFT OUT OF MAJOR DECISIONS
DOING STUFF WITHOUT CONTEXT
MONKEY WORK
UNCLEAR EXPECTATIONS
HAVING OUR EXPERTISE IGNORED
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

46. STUFF WE DO TO
DEVELOPERS
LEAVE THEM OUT OF MAJOR DECISIONS
MAKE THEM DO STUFF WITHOUT CONTEXT
TONS OF MONKEY WORK
CREATE UNCLEAR EXPECTATIONS
IGNORE THEIR EXPERTISE
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

47. I’M REFERRING TO THEIR
DESIGN EXPERTISE.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

48. - HENRY DREYFUSS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE, 1926
“THE WORD ‘DESIGN’ IS CERTAINLY NOT THE EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OF THE INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER. ITS DICTIONARY
MEANING, ‘TO CONTRIVE FOR A PURPOSE,’ MAKES IT
EQUALLY THE PROPERTY OF ENGINEERS, ARCHITECTS,
ADVERTISING MEN, ARTISTS, AND DRESSMAKERS.”

49. “WHEN A DEVELOPER
GIVES ME UX ADVICE”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
UXREACTIONS.COM

50. “WHEN A DEVELOPER IMPLEMENTS
SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN YOU HAD IN
MIND BUT IT TURNS OUT TO BE QUITE GOOD”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
UXREACTIONS.COM

51. “WHEN IT LOOKS ABSOLUTELY
NOTHING LIKE THE MOCKUP”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
UXREACTIONS.COM

52. “HOW THESE UXDS SOUND
TO EVERYONE ELSE”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

53. “HOW THESE UXDS SOUND
TO EVERYONE ELSE”
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

54. DEVELOPMENT
IS A TYPE OF
DESIGN
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
OBSERVATION #3

55. DEVS WILL DESIGN
WHETHER YOU
HELP THEM OR NOT
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
OBSERVATION #4

56. DEVELOPERS SOLVE DESIGN
PROBLEMS EVERY DAY.
MANY OF WHICH YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO SOLVE
(BUT CAN ABSOLUTELY HELP WITH).
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

57. DEVELOPERS SOLVE DESIGN
PROBLEMS EVERY DAY.
SITE PERFORMANCE, SECURITY, AND RELIABILITY
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

58. DEVELOPERS SOLVE DESIGN
PROBLEMS EVERY DAY.
THESE AFFECT UX MORE THAN YOUR HAMBURGER ICON.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

59. DEVELOPERS SOLVE DESIGN
PROBLEMS EVERY DAY.
THESE AFFECT UX MORE THAN YOUR TYPOGRAPHY.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

60. DEVELOPERS SOLVE DESIGN
PROBLEMS EVERY DAY.
THESE AFFECT UX MORE THAN YOUR PAGE TRANSITIONS.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

61. DEVELOPERS SOLVE DESIGN
PROBLEMS EVERY DAY.
THESE AFFECT UX MORE THAN YOUR YOU GET THE IDEA.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

62. UX
IS NOT
A STEP
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
OBSERVATION #5

63. FRONT-END DEVELOPERS
HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, JQUERY, ETC.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

64. FRONT-END DEVELOPERS
HTML, CSS, JAVASCRIPT, JQUERY, ETC.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
SITEMAPS, INTERACTION DESIGN, UI DESIGN, VISUAL DESIGN

65. BACK-END DEVELOPERS
PHP, .NET, RUBY, DRUPAL, PYTHON, ETC.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

66. BACK-END DEVELOPERS
PHP, .NET, RUBY, DRUPAL, PYTHON, ETC.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
USER TYPES, USE CASES, FEATURE FUNCTIONALITY

67. WON’T THIS MAKE
ME OBSOLETE?
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

68. RECONSIDER HOW YOU’RE
PROVIDING VALUE.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

69. RECONSIDER HOW YOU’RE
PROVIDING VALUE.
BE THE ADVOCATE FOR UX IN YOUR ORG, NOT THE EXECUTOR.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

70. I’M THE ONLY ONE
WITH THIS
KNOWLEDGE.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

71. STOP DOING THAT.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

72. STOP DOING THAT.
AVOID BEING A BOTTLENECK.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

73. STOP DOING THAT.
AVOID BEING A BOTTLENECK.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
ANYWAY, THAT JUST MEANS THE DEVS ARE DOING DESIGN
WITHOUT YOUR INFORMATION.

74. THIS WON’T WORK
IN MY ORG
BECAUSE…
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

75. EVERY ORG IS DIFFERENT.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

76. EVERY ORG IS DIFFERENT.
BUT THEY ALL VALUE EFFICIENCY.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

77. EVERY ORG IS DIFFERENT.
BUT THEY ALL VALUE EFFICIENCY.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
MAKE THE CASE THAT YOU’RE REMOVING INSTITUTIONAL
BOTTLENECKS & REDUCING THE BURDEN ON REVIEW CYCLES.

78. MY DEVS AREN’T
INTERESTED IN
DESIGN.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

79. BULLSH!T.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

80. BULLSH!T.
THEY JUST TALK ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

81. BULLSH!T.
THEY JUST TALK ABOUT IT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU.
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
DO THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR A WHILE. LEARN TO SPEAK
THEIR LANGUAGE.

82. TAKEAWAYS
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015

83. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
YOUR JOB IS TO
HELP OTHERS
MAKE THE BEST
DESIGN DECISIONS
THEY CAN.
REMEMBER THIS PART

84. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
REMEMBER THIS PART
TREAT YOUR DEVS
LIKE THE
DESIGNERS THEY
ARE.

85. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
REMEMBER THIS PART
USER EXPERIENCE
DOES NOT BEGIN
AND END WITH
YOU.

86. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
REMEMBER THIS PART
FUSCIA IS A
VIABLE
PRESENTATION
COLOR.

87. MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015
REMEMBER THIS PART
THE MINNEAPOLIS
TECH SCENE IS
TRULY AMAZING.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF IT.

88. QUESTIONS?
MATT EDWARDS
MINNEWEBCON 2015