Is your UX designer an alien?
Let me ask you something… what is design?
Contrary to popular belief, designers don’t just make things pretty. It is not nearly that simple. If you collaborate with a designer, it is extremely helpful to have an understanding of what actually goes into the design process.
Allow me to paint a picture: Alex’s cluttered desk is a colorful mosaic of sketches, sticky notes and design books. A half-empty coffee cup sits precariously next to a mountain of paper prototypes. Multiple screens illuminate the space with an almost cinematic glow.
But how is Alex really designing? Alex, however, is not pixel-pushing. She’s not just moving things around to see what works — everything she does is strategic. It is a research-driven, empathy-powered, creative problem solving pursuit.
Design is more than a visual endeavor. It is a state of being.
I cannot say this enough.
My goal here is not to paint designers in a glorious light but rather to help other people who may work with designers to understand what really goes into a UX project.
What is UX Design? Why should you care?
User Experience design is shaping the way we interact with products, services, and technology. UX designers enhance user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure in the interaction between users and products. They work beyond the visual aesthetics of the interfaces and think about the behavioral psychology of the person, considering how they think, feel, and ultimately interact with a product.
UX designers carefully craft every element of a user’s journey, from the first point of contact to the final interaction. This process involves empathy, research, prototyping, testing, and iteration to ensure a seamless, intuitive, and delightful experience for users. Since a lot of this work happens behind the scenes, it often goes unnoticed and unrecognized.
However, the benefits of following the process and listening to your designers are more than just good things for the people using the product. It is also smart business sense, in that it:
- Increases customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth referrals
- Reduces in user frustration and higher engagement rates
- Boosts conversion rates, encourages repeat business, and grows revenue
- Gives you a sustainable competitive advantage through compelling user experiences
- Save costs in the long run by helping to identify and fix usability issues early in the development process and avoiding costly redesigns
UX Designers = Aliens? What?
I’ve been reading this book called ‘Convivial Toolbox’ by Elizabeth Sanders and Pieter Jan Stappers. The book’s fundamental ideology there is — everyone is creative. Well, to some degree, this is true. Everyone does have the ability to be creative; it is one of the many things that make us human. Even as children, we saw the world through a creative lens; as adults, we try to find creative ways to solve problems. However, it takes a whole different approach to be a designer. It is something that can be taught and learned but it takes effort and a willingness to learn. Therefore, not everyone is inherently and naturally a designer.
Think of the designers that you work with less as pixel-pushers and more as digital architects.
Good design decisions are made when this balance is maintained. Everyone has an opinion. People working on a product/service have the power to create change. However, it is important that those people engage in user-centered methodologies in order to deliver results that actually matter. It just makes business sense as well as logical sense to have empathy integrated design for your product. And who is an advocate for that empathy? … a UX designer!
Who cares?
Projects that are led by a collective that doesn’t understand or practice design thinking don’t value user research, don’t have a clear strategy of how a product needs to be developed, don’t know who their target user is, lack organization, etc. They don’t have the fundamental building block that creates exceptional products/services. The consequent lack of UX maturity causes an inconsistent Frankenstein design, working more to satisfy stakeholder opinions than to create a coherent, well-designed product.
A Design-Fluent Leadership
Even if company leadership is not design-centric, it is crucial to at least have a leadership that is design-fluent or design-accepting. Having leaders who understand and appreciate the design process can profoundly impact an organization’s success. This can facilitate:
- Informed Decision-Making: Design-centric leaders prioritize evidence-based decision-making. By considering user insights and design principles, they guide their teams towards choices that resonate with users and align with business goals.
- Collaborative Environments: Design involves cross-functional collaboration, bringing together individuals from various disciplines. Design-savvy leaders foster a culture of collaboration, encouraging different perspectives to converge into exceptional solutions.
- Innovation: Designers are natural innovators, consistently seeking novel ways to solve problems. Leaders fluent in design thinking nurture innovation by creating an environment that embraces experimentation and risk-taking.
- Empowered Teams: When leaders value design, they empower their teams to push creative boundaries. This encourages a sense of ownership and motivation among team members.
In conclusion, designers play a pivotal role in shaping the success of businesses and individuals alike. User Experience (UX) design is not just a trend; it’s a fundamental principle that leads to satisfied users, business growth, and a competitive edge. Furthermore, leaders who champion the design process foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and user-centricity, setting the stage for remarkable achievements in a rapidly evolving world.
Design is just as important as business. In fact good design is good business. We all want the same thing here. So, be an advocate for your users by advocating for your designers. Take a moment to appreciate people like Alex in your lives. Get them a cookie, or better yet, an Adobe subscription!
Personal note:
I started this post by trying the question ‘are good designers not valuable anymore?’ but it turned out to be a how-to guide on how to work with a designer — especially a UX designer. This is something that has been on my mind for a very long time and the cause of my recurring existential crises as a designer. So, I tried to articulate this in hopes of helping someone realize the value that a good designer can bring to the table.
I hope this helped you. If it did, hit the applause and let me know in the comments!
Matt Shipley helped me edit this. He’s cool. Follow him too
