managing ux design(ers)

Managing UX Design(ers)

Jim Carlsen-LandyDirector of User ExperienceSabre Airline Solutions

Who am I?And why might you care what I think?

@JimCL42#BigD12

Who am I?And why might you care what I think?

Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.

- Frank Zappa

Things unique to UX management (mostly)

Useful (hopefully) guidance for new or soon-to-be UX managers

Things to consider for experienced managers

Some general advice that can’t be left out

Management 101Specific design practicesHow to set UX apart from other practices

Is Is

slotted against Russ Unger & Jim Henson

Roadmap

Why do we become managers?UX is differentNew manager realitiesYour obligations to your teamTeam design skillsBuilding your teamAdvocacyKnow your audiences

Who are you?

Wondering about management

Seriously considering management

New to management

Other kind of manager taking over a UX team

UX manager with some experience

Very experienced UX manager

Executive curious about why your UX manager is so weird

What possesses otherwise nice, talented people to become managers?

I can immediately fix everything my

predecessor could not.

What possesses otherwise nice, talented people to become managers?

I have all the answers the team needs.

What possesses otherwise nice, talented people to become managers?

I will have all the data I need to make

impactful decisions.

What possesses otherwise nice, talented people to become managers?

I get joy from ‘I helped enable that’ instead of

‘I did that’.

“You’re not managing projects or products, you’re managing people.”

If you don’t really, really enjoy the people part, get out now before someone

gets hurt.

UX is different:Management is management

Treat others as they want to be treated, not as you want to

be treated.

UX is different:UX design management is different

1. UX designers are different.2. UX design is different.

UX is different:UX designers are different (just like everybody else)

Fish gotta swim.Designers gotta design.

UX is different:UX designers are different (just like everybody else)

Zoom out.Zoom in.Repeat.

UX is different:UX designers are different (just like everybody else)

They’re probably cheating on you.

UX is different:UX design is different

If your neighbor’s head exploded, please help them clean it up so we

don’t lose our security deposit.

Design is just a matter of opinion, and everybody is a

designer. I blame HGTV.

UX is different:UX design is different

Design usually does not report into designers.

New manager on the block:The team reacts

Sometimes people leaving is personal, but you can’t

take it personally.

New manager on the block:You lose sleep

I don’t design any more but I’m still accountable.

Your obligations to your team:Lead by example

Collaborate.Mentor.

Over-communicate.

Your obligations to your team:Build a sandbox

Provide constraints and boundaries.

Total freedom is not productive.

Your obligations to your team:Tools to defend against random opinion

Designers have to be able to articulate the rationale

behind the design.

Your obligations to your team:Tools to defend against random opinion

Strong relationships are the best medicine.

Your obligations to your team:Tools to defend against random opinion

What else works?

Team design skills:No soloists

Inspire collaboration and mentoring.

If necessary, mandate them until they become habits.

Team design skills:Ideation

Teach and employ structured brainstorming and innovation games.

Team design skills:Critique

Make design reviews and critiques multi-

purpose.

Team design skills:Failure

Always retrospect. Failing without learning is just

failing.

Team design skills:External locus of identity

Design is not a product. It’s one step in the

chain of value delivery.

Team design skills: Manager-as-designer

Manager hat on.Manager hat off.

Building your team:Hiring

Homogeneity constrains the value you can provide

to your organization.

Building your team:Training

People learn differently. Ask and observe.

Building your team:Career paths

Encourage, show possibilities, identify self-

limiting behaviors.

Building your team:Career paths

Product Marketing is a good path for many, and gives you allies in that world.

Development works for some (I have an opinion or two about that).

What have you seen work?

Building your team:The tearful farewell

And one day, they leave.

The advocate’s job is never done:Survival

You are the advocate for the advocates.

The advocate’s job is never done:Awareness

“Getting UX” is personal. When leaders change, you

start over with the new ones.

The advocate’s job is never done:Communication

Advertise the team’s successes.

The advocate’s job is never done:Eternity

Never believe you are done getting the message across.

You’re not.

Know your audiences

Executives

Product Management / Marketing

Users & Buyers

Developers

Project Managers

Human Resources

Know your audiences:Executives

Avoid tactical ratholes.

Know your audiences:Product Management

Make the Product Owner part of your team.

Or vice versa.

Know your audiences:Users and Buyers

Have observation-based facts about users when

talking to buyers.

Know your audiences:Developers

Defending every detail with equal vigor

undermines credibility.

Know your audiences:Project Managers

Timeless beauty comes naturally. Timelines are torture.

Know your audiences:Human Resources

Educate HR on the skills, needs, and career growth options for UX designers

Parting Thoughts

Do not tolerate assholes.

Do not allow conflicts to fester.

Retrospect, introspect, and always consider that you might

be wrong.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Interviewees: Michelle Arrieta, Anita Cator, Adam Polansky

Adam Connor, “The Art of Critique”, UIE Seminar April 2012

Kim Goodwin, “On UX Leadership”, UX Magazine, Jan 2011

Kaaren Hanson, “The Power of Internal Brand”, Mx (Managing Experience) Conference 2010

Employees, peers, and bosses, past and present, good and bad.

Go Forth and Be Great

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcl

jim.carlsen-landy@sabre.com

JimCL42@yahoo.com

@JimCL42