Building a UX Team: Business Operations

Now, it’s time to explore Project or Business Operations, which are crucial for creating the conditions for success. This involves developing supporting processes that allow project teams to focus on delivery, defining project scope and objectives, managing timelines and budgets, and establishing metrics for measuring success.

Are you ready to learn more? Let’s dive in!

3.1 Establishing Vision

Document Vision, Strategy, and Goals

Documenting a business strategy and goals is an essential part of achieving success in any organization. To begin with, it’s important to start with a clear understanding of the company’s mission and vision statements. These statements guide the organization and help to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals. Once these are established, the next step is to create a business strategy that outlines how the company will achieve its objectives. This includes identifying target markets, determining product offerings, and identifying ways to grow and expand the business.

One major benefit of documenting a business strategy and goals is that it provides a clear direction for the entire organization. With a documented strategy, everyone knows what they need to do and how they can contribute to the success of the company. This promotes collaboration and teamwork among team members, which can lead to increased productivity and better results.

On the other hand, failing to set clear business strategy and goals can lead to confusion and inefficiency within the organization. Without a clear direction, team members may work on projects that are not aligned with the company’s overall goals, or may not prioritize work in a way that is most beneficial to the organization. This can result in wasted time and resources, missed opportunities, and ultimately, failure to achieve the desired outcomes.

In summary, documenting a business strategy and goals is a critical step in achieving success for any organization. By providing a clear direction for the company, it promotes collaboration and teamwork, increases productivity, and helps to ensure that everyone is working towards the same objectives. On the other hand, failing to set clear business strategy and goals can lead to confusion and inefficiency within the organization, ultimately hindering the company’s ability to achieve its desired outcomes.

If UX teams do not have an understanding of the business strategy and goals, they may end up creating user experiences that do not align with the overall direction and objectives of the company. For example, they may design a product or feature that solves a specific user problem, but does not generate revenue or support the company’s growth strategy. This can lead to a lack of buy-in from stakeholders, conflicts within the organization, and ultimately, a negative impact on the company’s bottom line. Without a clear understanding of the business strategy and goals, UX teams may also struggle to prioritize design projects and may waste time and resources on efforts that do not contribute to the company’s success.

Create a UX Roadmap

What is a UX Roadmap?

A UX roadmap is a strategic document that outlines the plans for UX improvements and enhancements for a product or service over a certain period of time. It helps the UX team to align their efforts with the overall business strategy, customer needs, and technology trends.

What is included in a UX Roadmap?

A typical UX roadmap includes a timeline of UX goals, initiatives, and milestones to be achieved within a specific period of time. It may include UX research plans, design and testing activities, feature prioritization, and implementation plans. It can also include user personas, user stories, and scenarios.

How to create a UX Roadmap?

Creating a UX roadmap involves a collaborative effort between the UX team, product owners, and stakeholders. It starts with defining the product vision and goals, understanding user needs and behavior, identifying UX pain points and opportunities, and prioritizing UX initiatives. The UX roadmap should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in business objectives, customer needs, and market trends.

The Benefits of having a UX Roadmap

A UX roadmap provides a clear direction for the UX team and stakeholders on how to improve the user experience of a product or service. It helps to align UX efforts with business objectives, identify and prioritize UX initiatives, and communicate the UX strategy to the wider organization. It also helps to avoid last-minute design decisions and reduces the risk of design rework.

An Example of what happens when teams do not have a UX Roadmap

Without a UX roadmap, UX efforts may be misaligned with business objectives, resulting in poor user experience and wasted resources. UX design decisions may be made ad hoc, leading to inconsistent and confusing user experiences. Product features may be developed without considering user needs and behavior, resulting in low user adoption and retention rates. In the absence of a UX roadmap, the UX team may struggle to justify their design decisions to stakeholders, resulting in a lack of buy-in and support for UX initiatives.

UX Metrics and Benchmarks

What are UX Metrics and Benchmarks?

UX metrics and benchmarks are quantitative and qualitative measurements used to evaluate the user experience of a product or service. They are used to track and analyze user behavior, engagement, and satisfaction in order to identify areas of improvement and assess the effectiveness of design decisions. UX metrics and benchmarks can include a wide range of measurements, such as click-through rates, task completion rates, time on task, user satisfaction scores, and more.

What is Included in a UX Metrics and Benchmarks?

A UX metrics and benchmarks report should include a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that are relevant to the goals of the project or organization. This may include metrics related to user engagement, task completion rates, user satisfaction, conversion rates, and more. In addition to KPIs, the report should also include benchmarks against which to compare the metrics, such as industry averages, past performance, or competitor metrics.

How to Create UX Metrics and Benchmarks?

Creating UX metrics and benchmarks involves identifying the goals of the project or organization, defining relevant KPIs, collecting and analyzing data, and establishing benchmarks. It’s important to ensure that the metrics and benchmarks are aligned with the overall business strategy and goals. Data can be collected through a variety of methods, such as surveys, user testing, analytics tools, and more. The collected data can then be analyzed to identify trends and patterns, which can be used to inform design decisions and prioritize improvements.

Examples of Typical UX Benchmarks

Some typical UX benchmarks include:

• Task completion rate: the percentage of users who successfully complete a task
• User satisfaction score: a score assigned by users to rate their satisfaction with a product or service
• Conversion rate: the percentage of users who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service
• Time on task: the amount of time users spend completing a specific task

The Benefits of Having UX Metrics and Benchmarks

The benefits of having UX metrics and benchmarks include:

• Identifying areas of improvement: UX metrics and benchmarks can help identify areas of a product or service that need improvement, allowing for more effective and efficient design decisions.
• Tracking progress: by regularly measuring and analyzing UX metrics, teams can track progress over time and ensure that improvements are being made.
• Justifying design decisions: having data-driven metrics and benchmarks can help justify design decisions to stakeholders and demonstrate the value of UX investments.

What Happens When Teams Do Not Have UX Metrics and Benchmarks

Without UX metrics and benchmarks, teams may struggle to identify areas of improvement, make informed design decisions, and track progress over time. This can result in a less effective and less efficient design process, which may lead to lower user satisfaction and reduced business outcomes. Additionally, without data-driven metrics and benchmarks, design decisions may be based on assumptions or personal preferences rather than user needs and preferences.

3.2 Establish Management Systems

This section covers relationship management, communication, budgeting, and financial modeling. It involves managing stakeholders, communicating effectively with team members and executives, and ensuring that resources are allocated effectively.

Budgeting / Financial Management

A budget and financial model for UX projects is a detailed plan that outlines the costs and resources required to execute a UX project, and the expected return on investment (ROI). It is a critical aspect of UX project management as it ensures that projects are delivered within the allocated budget and that they generate a positive ROI. A budget and financial model helps organizations evaluate the feasibility and potential profitability of a UX project, and it provides a framework for managing resources and expenses.

Creating a budget and financial model for UX projects involves several steps. Firstly, it is important to identify the goals and objectives of the project and the resources required to achieve them. This includes determining the scope of the project, the timeline for completion, the UX team’s labor costs, and any other expenses associated with the project. Once these elements are identified, the project manager can create a detailed financial plan that outlines the anticipated costs and expected ROI.

The benefits of having a budget and financial model for UX projects are numerous. Firstly, it ensures that the project is completed within the allocated budget and that resources are used efficiently. Secondly, it provides a framework for measuring the success of the project by comparing actual expenses and ROI against the anticipated outcomes. Finally, it allows organizations to evaluate the profitability of a project and make data-driven decisions about future investments in UX.

When teams do not have a budget and financial model for UX projects in place, several issues can arise. For example, the project may exceed the allocated budget, resulting in a loss of resources and investment. Additionally, there may be no clear way to evaluate the success of the project or make data-driven decisions about future UX investments. Finally, without a financial plan, it can be difficult to prioritize UX projects and allocate resources effectively, resulting in missed opportunities and a lack of progress towards achieving strategic goals.

Relationship Management

Effective relationship and stakeholder management is critical for the success of UX projects. In the UX field, there are often many stakeholders involved in a project, including executives, developers, designers, customers, and end-users. It is essential to manage positive relationships with each of these groups to ensure that everyone is aligned with the project goals and understands the value that UX brings to the organization.

To create and manage positive relationships, it is crucial to establish trust with stakeholders by being transparent, communicating regularly, and providing updates on the progress of the project. It is also essential to understand each stakeholder’s needs, motivations, and expectations, and to tailor communication and interactions accordingly. Relationship management can involve a range of activities, such as conducting interviews and surveys, hosting stakeholder meetings and workshops, and creating project status reports.

The benefits of effective relationship and stakeholder management are numerous. First, it can help ensure that all stakeholders are aligned with project goals and understand the value of UX. This, in turn, can help secure funding and resources for the project, as well as increase overall support and buy-in. Second, it can help to identify potential roadblocks or issues early on in the project, allowing teams to address them before they become significant problems. Third, it can help to build trust and credibility for the UX team, both within the organization and with external partners and vendors.

On the other hand, when teams are not intentional about stakeholder and relationship management, it can lead to a range of negative outcomes. For example, stakeholders may not understand the value of UX, leading to decreased support and funding for UX projects. Misunderstandings or miscommunications between stakeholders and UX teams can also lead to delays, increased costs, and suboptimal outcomes. Additionally, poor stakeholder management can damage the credibility and reputation of the UX team, which can have long-term consequences for future projects.

Communication

A solid communication plan is essential for a UX department to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the value of UX and the contributions the team is making to the organization. A good communication plan will help educate people about the importance of UX, showcase UX projects and successes, and advocate that UX teams be included in future work and that UX receives adequate funding.

To create a communication plan, start by identifying the key stakeholders and their communication preferences. Develop a message that clearly conveys the importance of UX and its impact on the organization. Consider different communication channels, such as email, social media, presentations, or newsletters, and create a schedule for regular updates.

In a communication plan, include an overview of the UX team’s objectives and how they align with the overall goals of the organization. Share examples of successful UX projects and the impact they had on user satisfaction or business metrics. Communicate how the UX team works with other departments and how they can support them in achieving their goals.

When there is no communication plan in place, stakeholders may not understand the value of UX or the impact it can have on the organization. This can lead to a lack of support or funding for UX projects and initiatives. It can also result in a lack of understanding of the UX team’s role and responsibilities, which can lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings. Without a solid communication plan, UX teams may struggle to gain the support and resources they need to be successful.

Evangelizing UX

This section is about promoting UX within the organization. It involves creating an internal communication plan, implementing an internal training plan, showcasing UX work, sharing best practices, and running pilots and UX workshops to raise awareness and get buy-in from stakeholders. There are many ways to evangelize UX and get people excited about it in a large organization. Here are some tips and ideas:

1. Showcasing success stories: Share success stories and case studies that demonstrate the value of UX. Show how UX can improve user satisfaction, increase conversion rates, reduce errors, and save money in the long run. Use data and metrics to back up your claims.
2. Inviting stakeholders to UX workshops: Hold UX workshops and invite stakeholders from different departments and levels of the organization. Demonstrate UX methods, share insights, and collaborate on real-world projects. This will help build relationships, increase understanding, and promote UX awareness.
3. Creating UX events: Host UX events, such as design sprints, hackathons, or UX design challenges. Invite employees from different departments to participate and showcase their skills. This will help create a culture of innovation and creativity, and showcase the value of UX.
4. Designing engaging UX deliverables: Create engaging and visually appealing UX deliverables that are easy to understand and communicate. Use storytelling, visuals, and interactive elements to make the deliverables memorable and impactful.
5. Collaborating with other departments: Collaborate with other departments, such as marketing, sales, or customer support, to create a shared vision of UX. Show how UX can support their goals and objectives, and how they can benefit from UX insights.
6. Educating senior leadership: Educate senior leadership on the importance of UX and its impact on business outcomes. Use data and metrics to show how UX can reduce costs, increase revenue, and improve customer satisfaction. Get their support and sponsorship for UX initiatives.
7. Incorporating UX into the organization’s values: Incorporate UX into the organization’s values and culture. Communicate the importance of UX in the organization’s mission statement, vision, and values. This will help create a culture of UX and make it a part of the organization’s DNA.

Overall, getting people excited about UX and securing funding for UX in a large organization requires a mix of communication, education, collaboration, and innovation. By showcasing the value of UX and engaging stakeholders across the organization, you can create a culture of UX that supports business goals and delivers a better user experience for your customers.

3.3 Developing Workflow

The UX process within a large organization is a structured approach to coordinating and managing the development of digital products. This process involves multiple teams of researchers, designers, developers, and stakeholders to ensure that the end product meets the needs of the user and the business. Overall, the UX process within a large organization is a comprehensive approach to developing digital products that involves multiple stakeholders, teams, and activities. By following this process, organizations can ensure that they are developing products that meet the needs of their users and the business.

Intake Management

Sure! Here is the information with headings added for each section:

What is Intake Management?

Intake management is the process of managing the inflow of new ideas to improve the user experience within a website or series of websites. This process involves identifying, prioritizing, and evaluating potential ideas to determine which ones should be pursued.

Why is Intake Management Important?

Intake management is important because not all ideas are created equal. Some may be great, while others may not align with customer or business goals, or may require too much effort to implement. By managing the intake of ideas, teams can ensure that they are focusing their time and resources on the ideas that will provide the most value to their users and business.

What is the Intake Management Process?

The intake management process should include the following steps:

1. Idea generation: Collecting new ideas from a variety of sources.
2. Idea evaluation: Assessing each idea to determine its potential value.
3. Idea prioritization: Ranking ideas based on their value and feasibility.
4. Resource allocation: Determining which ideas to pursue and allocating resources accordingly.
5. Implementation: Putting the chosen ideas into action.

What Criteria Should be Used to Evaluate Ideas?

When evaluating new ideas, teams should consider whether they align with customer goals, business goals, and technical feasibility. Some potential evaluation criteria include:

• Impact on user experience
• Potential revenue or cost savings
• Alignment with business strategy
• Technical feasibility
• Level of effort required to implement

Where Do New Ideas Come From?

New ideas can come from a variety of sources, including user feedback, industry trends, competitive analysis, and internal brainstorming sessions. It’s important to have a process for collecting and evaluating ideas from all sources to ensure that teams are considering all possibilities.

How to Score, Rank, and Prioritize New Ideas?

To score, rank, and prioritize new ideas, teams can use a variety of methods, including scoring matrices, decision trees, or simple lists. The important thing is to have a clear understanding of the evaluation criteria and a consistent approach to ranking and prioritizing ideas.

How to Evaluate the Level of Effort for New Ideas?

To evaluate the level of effort required for new ideas, teams should consider factors such as the complexity of the idea, the resources required, and the potential impact on other projects or initiatives. By understanding the level of effort required, teams can make informed decisions about which ideas to pursue.

Who Should be Responsible for Intake Management?

Intake management is typically the responsibility of the UX team, although input from other stakeholders such as product managers, developers, and business leaders may also be valuable. It’s important to have a clear process for managing the intake of ideas and to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the process and their roles in it.

What Tools Should be Used for Intake Management?

Tools for intake management can range from simple spreadsheets to more complex project management software. The important thing is to have a centralized location for collecting and evaluating new ideas, and a way to track their progress through the evaluation and implementation process.

How to Gather Information About Each Idea?

To gather information about each idea, teams can use a variety of methods, including surveys, user testing, competitive analysis, and internal brainstorming sessions. The important thing is to have a consistent approach to evaluating each idea, and to ensure that all evaluation criteria are considered.

<aside> 🤔

Here are some tips on how to manage the intake management process in a large enterprise with many technology products or websites and constrained resources:

1. Prioritize: Prioritize the projects that align with business goals and are most likely to have the biggest impact on customer experience. This will help to make sure that the most important projects are given the resources they need.
2. Use a scoring matrix: Create a scoring matrix to evaluate each idea based on customer goals, business goals, and level of effort. This will help to objectively evaluate each idea and prioritize them based on their potential impact.
3. Involve stakeholders: Involve stakeholders in the intake management process. This will help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and that there is buy-in from all parties involved.
4. Set realistic expectations: Set realistic expectations for the intake management process. This will help to ensure that everyone understands the process and what can be realistically accomplished with the resources available.
5. Use technology: Use technology to help manage the intake management process. For example, use project management software to track progress and assign tasks, or use a shared spreadsheet to track ideas and evaluations.
6. Create a roadmap: Create a roadmap that outlines the projects and initiatives that will be tackled over the next several months or years. This will help to provide a clear vision for the future and help to manage stakeholder expectations.
7. Continuously evaluate: Continuously evaluate the intake management process to identify areas for improvement. This will help to ensure that the process is working effectively and efficiently.

By following these tips, a large enterprise can effectively manage the intake management process even with limited resources.

</aside>

• Intake Outline

  Purpose

  Clearly define the problem to be solved
  
  Understand business and user goal
  
  Separate diamonds vs. dirt
  

  Activities / Deliverables

  Receive / manage new requests
  
  Story creation / refinement
  
  Evaluate requests for fit / scoring
  
  User stories with scores
  
  Idea backlog
  

  Involved

  Program Manager
  
  Product Manager/Owner
  
  Business Analyst
  
  Technical Lead
  
  Key Business Stakeholders
  
  Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists)
  

  Tools

  Project Management: Jira / Azure DevOps / Asana / Trello /Air Table
  
  Pointing poker
  

  Notes

  Develop enterprise view
  
  Connect to existing persona, scenario, and journey
  
  Needs analysis/ requirements gathering
  
  Input into backlog and roadmap (product management activities)
  

• Summary

  Purpose

  The intake process is the first step in the UX process, which aims to identify the problem to be solved and understand the business and user goals. This process helps the team to prioritize user needs, separate valuable insights from the irrelevant ones, and ensure that the product aligns with the business objectives.

  • Clearly define the problem to be solved: During the intake process, the team aims to clearly define the problem that needs to be addressed, and identify the key business and user goals that will guide the design process. By doing so, the team ensures that the solution aligns with the overall business strategy and user needs.
  • Understand business and user goals: Understanding the business and user goals is crucial for identifying the right problem to solve and creating a product that meets the needs of the target audience.
  • Separate diamonds vs. dirt: The intake process helps to identify the valuable insights and separate them from irrelevant information, allowing the team to focus on the most important aspects of the design process.

  Activities / Deliverables

  The following activities and deliverables are involved in the intake process:

  • Receive/manage new requests: The team receives new requests and manages them through a project management tool such as Jira, Azure DevOps, Asana, Trello, or Air Table.
  • Story creation/refinement: The team creates or refines user stories, which describe the user’s needs, goals, and pain points, and how the product can solve their problems.
  • Evaluate requests for fit/scoring: The team evaluates the requests to determine whether they align with the business and user goals and assigns scores to them based on their relevance and priority.
  • User stories with scores: The team creates user stories with scores that reflect their relevance and priority.
  • Idea backlog: The team creates an idea backlog that includes all the requests that have been evaluated and scored.

  Involved

  The following stakeholders are involved in the intake process:

  • Program Manager: The program manager is responsible for overseeing the UX process and ensuring that it aligns with the overall project goals and objectives.
  • Product Manager/Owner: The product manager/owner is responsible for defining the product vision, strategy, and roadmap, and ensuring that the product meets the needs of the target audience.
  • Business Analyst: The business analyst is responsible for gathering and analyzing business requirements, and ensuring that the product aligns with the overall business strategy.
  • Technical Lead: The technical lead is responsible for ensuring that the product can be built within the technical constraints and that it meets the technical requirements.
  • Key Business Stakeholders: Key business stakeholders are involved in the intake process to provide input and ensure that the product aligns with their needs and objectives.
  • Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists): Research professionals may be involved in the intake process to provide input on user research and ensure that the product meets the needs of the target audience.

  Tools

  The following tools may be used in the intake process:

  • Project Management: Jira, Azure DevOps, Asana, Trello, or Air Table can be used to manage requests and track progress.
  • Pointing poker: Pointing poker is a technique used to estimate the level of effort required to complete a task, which can be useful for evaluating requests and assigning scores.

  Notes

  The following notes should be taken into consideration during the intake process:

  • Develop enterprise view: The team should consider the enterprise view to ensure that the product aligns with the overall business strategy and goals.
  • Connect to existing persona, scenario, and journey: The team should connect the requests to existing personas, scenarios, and journeys to ensure that the product meets the needs of the target audience.
  • Needs analysis/requirements gathering: The team should conduct

Discovery

In this phase, the team conducts research to understand user needs, business goals, and the competitive landscape. This may include user interviews, surveys, and market research.

• Discovery Outline

  Purpose

  Gain as much knowledge as possible about users needs, business needs, the marketing environment.
  
  Uncover additional information to help shape solution
  
  Validate (or invalidate) the approach
  

  Activities / Deliverables

  Site analytics
  
  Company research
  
  Climate / industry research
  
  Competitive research
  
  Customer research
  
  Findings / recommendations
  
  Initial user stories/ requirements
  

  Involved

  Business Analyst
  
  Key Business Stakeholders
  
  Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists)
  
  Analyst/ Data Scientists
  
  UX professionals
  

  Tools

  Miro
  
  Drive
  
  Site Analytics tools
  
  User testing tools 
  
  

  Notes

  Determine research approach (which methods, scope of research, which targets, areas of site, timing)
  
  Plan research (interview questions/ guide, prototypes, setup experiments, setup surveys, etc.)
  
  Execute research (workshops, stakeholder interviews, web analytics, usability tests, customer interviews, dogfooding, split testing, experiments, surveys, etc.)
  
  Organize findings, synthesize themes/insights
  
  Develop findings reports (observations/ insights)
  
  Develop recommendations (actions/hypothesis)
  
  Findings Reports which can include Data, Analysis, Insights, and Recommendations.
  
  Deep dive Reports- different reports for different aspects of research.
  
  Varies depending on effort:
  Large strategy effort
  Developing a new feature
  
  Iterating a small feature
  <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/moderated-remote-usability-test/>
  Continuous research
  <https://www.nngroup.com/articles/moderated-remote-usability-test/>
  

• Summary

  Discovery

  Purpose

  The main purpose of the Discovery phase is to gather as much information as possible about the users’ needs, business requirements, and the competitive environment. The goal is to identify new insights and validate assumptions that can help shape the solution. Additionally, it aims to gather insights that can inform the development of initial user stories and requirements.

  Activities / Deliverables

  During the Discovery phase, the following activities are typically performed:

  • Site analytics: analyzing the data collected from the company’s website and other digital assets to identify trends and patterns.
  • Company research: gathering information about the company’s values, mission, and goals to understand how they align with the UX strategy.
  • Climate / industry research: analyzing the macro-level environment to identify trends, market conditions, and other factors that may impact the product.
  • Competitive research: gathering information about the competition to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
  • Customer research: conducting interviews, surveys, and other research methods to identify customer needs, behaviors, and preferences.
  • Findings / recommendations: documenting the findings and insights from the research and presenting recommendations for next steps.
  • Initial user stories/ requirements: creating the initial set of user stories and requirements based on the findings and insights gathered during the research.

  Involved

  The following roles are typically involved in the Discovery phase:

  • Business Analyst: responsible for gathering and analyzing business requirements.
  • Key Business Stakeholders: involved in providing insights into the business and its goals.
  • Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists): responsible for conducting user and market research.
  • Analyst/ Data Scientists: responsible for analyzing data and providing insights.
  • UX professionals: responsible for creating the initial user stories and requirements.

  Tools

  The following tools are commonly used during the Discovery phase:

  • Miro: an online collaborative whiteboard for brainstorming, wireframing, and prototyping.
  • Drive: a cloud-based storage service for sharing documents and files.
  • Site Analytics tools: tools used to analyze website traffic and user behavior.
  • User testing tools: tools used to conduct usability testing, surveys, and other research methods.

  Notes

  The Discovery phase involves the following steps:

  • Determine research approach: deciding on the research methods, scope, targets, and timing.
  • Plan research: preparing interview questions, prototypes, and experiments.
  • Execute research: conducting workshops, stakeholder interviews, web analytics, usability tests, customer interviews, dogfooding, split testing, experiments, surveys, and other research methods.
  • Organize findings, synthesize themes/insights: identifying key insights and synthesizing them into themes.
  • Develop findings reports (observations/ insights): presenting the findings and insights from the research.
  • Develop recommendations (actions/hypothesis): outlining the actions that need to be taken based on the research.
  • Findings Reports which can include Data, Analysis, Insights, and Recommendations: presenting the findings in a format that is easy to understand and actionable.
  • Deep dive Reports: presenting different reports for different aspects of research.

  The level of effort required for the Discovery phase can vary, depending on the project’s complexity, the scope of the research, and the product’s maturity. A large strategy effort or developing a new feature may require more in-depth research, while iterating a small feature may require less. Continuous research is also an option for ongoing development efforts.

Strategy

Based on the insights gathered during the discovery phase, the team develops a strategic plan that outlines the goals, scope, and approach for the project. This includes identifying key metrics to measure success.

• Strategy Outline

  Purpose

  Outline key business goals and KPIs
  
  Outline user goals, tasks, and journey
  
  Develop strategic recommendations 
  
  Develop strategic plan and strategy artifacts
  

  Activities / Deliverables

  Problem statement/ goals definition /matrix
  
  Persona creation / alignment
  
  User scenarios creation / alignment
  
  Journey map creation / alignment
  
  Interaction mapping
  
  Concept Visualization
  
  Strategy plan - Marketing
  
  Strategy plan - Channel
  
  Strategy plan - Content / IA
  
  Strategy plan - Media 
  
  Strategy plan - Marketing Automation
  
  Strategy Plan - Measurement
  
  Strategy artifacts
  
  Strategy Plans
  
  More detailed user stories / requirements
  

  Involved

  UX Professionals
  
  Business Analyst
  
  Key Business Stakeholders
  
  Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists)
  

  Tools

  Miro
  
  Drive
  

  Notes

  Craft the best solution/ idea possible based on business goals, user goals, and constraints. 
  
  Incorporate emerging trends, innovative technologies, and best practices. Consider future state vision for channels.
  
  Document proposed solution (principles) in a way that everyone can understand
  
  Get alignment on what the idea is before moving into design.
  
  Ideation workshops
  
  Conceptual visualization (alignment)
  

• Summary

  Step 3: Strategy

  Purpose

  The purpose of the strategy phase is to:

  • Outline key business goals and KPIs (key performance indicators)
  • Outline user goals, tasks, and journey
  • Develop strategic recommendations to meet both business and user goals
  • Develop a strategic plan and strategy artifacts to guide the rest of the design process

  Activities / Deliverables

  The following activities and deliverables are typically included in the strategy phase:

  • Problem statement/ goals definition /matrix: Define the problem space and identify key goals for the project. Use a matrix to prioritize goals based on importance and feasibility.
  • Persona creation / alignment: Create personas to represent the target user groups. Align personas with project goals.
  • User scenarios creation / alignment: Develop user scenarios that represent typical user interactions with the product. Align user scenarios with project goals.
  • Journey map creation / alignment: Map out the user journey from start to finish. Identify key touchpoints and pain points. Align the journey map with project goals.
  • Interaction mapping: Map out how users will interact with the product. Identify key features and functionality. Determine user flows and interactions.
  • Concept Visualization: Create visual concepts that represent the proposed solution. Use sketches, wireframes, and mockups to explore design ideas.
  • Strategy plan – Marketing: Create a marketing strategy plan that outlines how the product will be marketed to users. Identify target audiences, channels, and messaging.
  • Strategy plan – Channel: Create a channel strategy plan that outlines the distribution channels for the product. Identify the best channels to reach target audiences.
  • Strategy plan – Content / IA: Create a content strategy plan that outlines the content for the product. Determine the information architecture (IA) and how the content will be organized.
  • Strategy plan – Media: Create a media strategy plan that outlines the media channels for the product. Identify the best channels to reach target audiences.
  • Strategy plan – Marketing Automation: Create a marketing automation strategy plan that outlines how marketing efforts will be automated. Identify the tools and platforms to be used.
  • Strategy Plan – Measurement: Create a plan for measuring the success of the product. Identify KPIs and metrics to track.
  • Strategy artifacts: Create strategy artifacts that document the proposed solution and how it aligns with project goals. Use visuals and clear language to ensure everyone understands.
  • Strategy Plans: Develop a comprehensive strategy plan that brings together all of the individual strategy plans created in previous steps.
  • More detailed user stories / requirements: Develop more detailed user stories and requirements that capture the specific needs and expectations of users.

  Involved

  The following roles are typically involved in the strategy phase:

  • UX Professionals: Lead the strategy phase and ensure that project goals are met. Work with other team members to develop strategies that align with user needs.
  • Business Analyst: Work with UX professionals to identify key business goals and KPIs. Ensure that the proposed solution aligns with business goals.
  • Key Business Stakeholders: Provide input and feedback throughout the strategy phase. Ensure that the proposed solution aligns with business goals.
  • Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists): Provide research and insights that inform the strategy phase. Help identify user needs and pain points.

  Tools

  The following tools are typically used in the strategy phase:

  • Miro: A digital whiteboarding tool that is useful for brainstorming, collaboration, and creating visual artifacts.
  • Drive: A cloud-based storage and collaboration platform that is useful for sharing documents, presentations, and other files.

  Notes

  Here are a few additional notes to keep in mind during the strategy phase:

  • Craft the best solution/idea possible based on business goals, user goals, and constraints.

Design

The design phase involves creating wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs that meet the user’s needs and align with the project goals. This may include usability testing to ensure that the design meets the user’s needs.

• Design Outline

  Purpose

  Visualize strategy

  Elicit user and business feedback

  Finalize design

  Develop detailed requirements

  Develop tactical plans

  Activities / Deliverables

  Storymapping

  Wireframes / Concept Designs / Prototypes

  Concept/ usability testing / experiments

  Stakeholder feedback / validation

  Design demo/ playback/ reveal

  Tactical plan – Marketing

  Tactical plan – Channel

  Tactical plan – Content

  Tactical plan – Media

  Tactical plan – Marketing Automation

  Tactical Plan – Measurement

  Wireframes / Prototypes

  Tactical Plans

  Dev. ready requirements (biz, tech, functional, data)

  Involved

  UX Professionals

  Business Analyst

  Key Business Stakeholders

  Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists)

  Development / Technical Team Members

  Tools

  Miro

  Drive

  Wireframing & Prototyping : Figma / Sketch / Adobe XD / Invision

  Graphic Design: Adobe Photoshop / Adobe Illustrator / InDesign

  Project Management tools (see previous section)

  User testing tools (see previous section)

  HTML Design system & sandbox environment

  Graphic Design system

  Notes

  Use information gained from discovery and strategy to visualize solution

  Validate visualizations with business stakeholders to ensure that it addresses their needs

  Validate visualizations with users to ensure that it addresses their need

  Discuss visualizations with technical teams to ensure designs are technically feasible and assess effort

  Develop more detailed requirements and design specifications for technical teams

  Story select/creation

  Sprint planning (hypothesis, screens)

  Build & iterate concepts /wireframes/ prototypes

  Launch live experiment

  User testing / research sessions

  Stakeholder feedback sessions

  Measurement / analytics planning

  Requirements documentation

  Design demos/reviews

  Wireframes (varied fidelity levels)

  Clickable Prototypes- Graphic wireframes

  Clickable Prototypes – HTML

  Live experiments

  Build Book / Interaction Notes

  Design system updates

• Summary

  Design

  Purpose

  The purpose of the design stage is to visualize the strategy developed in the previous step and to elicit feedback from both users and stakeholders. The main objectives are:

  • Visualize strategy
  • Elicit user and business feedback
  • Finalize design
  • Develop detailed requirements
  • Develop tactical plans

  Activities / Deliverables

  The following activities and deliverables are part of the design stage:

  • Storymapping
  • Wireframes / Concept Designs / Prototypes
  • Concept / usability testing / experiments
  • Stakeholder feedback / validation
  • Design demo / playback / reveal
  • Tactical plan – Marketing
  • Tactical plan – Channel
  • Tactical plan – Content
  • Tactical plan – Media
  • Tactical plan – Marketing Automation
  • Tactical Plan – Measurement
  • Wireframes / Prototypes
  • Tactical Plans
  • Dev. ready requirements (biz, tech, functional, data)

  Involved

  The design stage involves the following roles:

  • UX Professionals
  • Business Analyst
  • Key Business Stakeholders
  • Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists)
  • Development / Technical Team Members

  Tools

  The tools used in the design stage may include:

  • Miro
  • Drive
  • Wireframing & Prototyping: Figma / Sketch / Adobe XD / Invision
  • Graphic Design: Adobe Photoshop / Adobe Illustrator / InDesign
  • Project Management tools (see previous section)
  • User testing tools (see previous section)
  • HTML Design system & sandbox environment
  • Graphic Design system

  Notes

  Some key considerations during the design stage include:

  • Use information gained from discovery and strategy to visualize the solution
  • Validate visualizations with business stakeholders to ensure that it addresses their needs
  • Validate visualizations with users to ensure that it addresses their needs
  • Discuss visualizations with technical teams to ensure designs are technically feasible and assess effort
  • Develop more detailed requirements and design specifications for technical teams
  • Story select/creation
  • Sprint planning (hypothesis, screens)
  • Build & iterate concepts / wireframes / prototypes
  • Launch live experiment
  • User testing / research sessions
  • Stakeholder feedback sessions
  • Measurement / analytics planning
  • Requirements documentation
  • Design demos/reviews
  • Wireframes (varied fidelity levels)
  • Clickable Prototypes- Graphic wireframes
  • Clickable Prototypes – HTML
  • Live experiments
  • Build Book / Interaction Notes
  • Design system updates

Development

During this phase, the design is translated into a functional product, which involves coding, testing, and debugging. The team works closely together to ensure that the product is developed according to the design specifications and that it meets the user’s needs.

• Development Outline

  Purpose

  Build experiences as outlined

  Test experiences with business and users

  Activities / Deliverables

  Development story creation

  Product backlog refinement

  Scoring

  Backlog prioritization/ roadmap adjustments

  Sprint planning

  Development (with validation throughout)

  QA testing

  UAT testing

  Sprint demo / reveal

  Release

  Content development

  Creative asset development

  Media campaign development

  Marketing automation campaign development

  Involved

  UX Professionals

  Business Analyst

  Development / Technical Team Members

  Data / Analytics Professionals

  Tools

  Project Management tools

  Drive

  Notes

  Ensure that solution is designed in a manner consistent with strategic intent.

  Provide guidance as needed to development teams.

  Prepare for launch.

  Knowledge transfer sessions

  UX team involved in key development team rituals

  UX team engaged in conversations about specific stories (where needed for clarification, guidance, additional design decisions, etc.)

  Sign off/ approval – definition of done

  Sign off/ approval – release sequence

  Delivery/ merchandising plan development (when released, how will this be communicated to stakeholders)

  UAT/ QA testing

• Summary

  Development

  Purpose

  The purpose of the development phase is to build experiences as outlined in the strategy and design phases. This includes developing and testing experiences with both business stakeholders and users to ensure that the end product meets their needs.

  Activities / Deliverables

  • Development story creation: Break down designs into smaller development stories that can be implemented by the development team.
  • Product backlog refinement: Review and refine the product backlog, including prioritization and adjustments to the roadmap.
  • Scoring: Assign scores or estimates to development stories to help with prioritization.
  • Sprint planning: Plan sprints and assign development stories to each sprint.
  • Development: Develop and validate experiences, ensuring that they align with the strategy and design.
  • QA testing: Conduct quality assurance testing to identify and fix any issues with the product.
  • UAT testing: Conduct user acceptance testing to ensure that the product meets the needs of users.
  • Sprint demo / reveal: Showcase progress to stakeholders and gather feedback.
  • Release: Prepare for launch and release the product.
  • Content development: Develop content for the product, including text, images, and multimedia.
  • Creative asset development: Develop creative assets for the product, including graphics and other visual elements.
  • Media campaign development: Develop campaigns to promote the product through various media channels.
  • Marketing automation campaign development: Develop campaigns to automate marketing efforts.

  Involved

  The development phase involves the following roles:

  • UX Professionals: Provide guidance and support to the development team to ensure that the product aligns with the strategy and design.
  • Business Analyst: Work with the development team to ensure that the product meets business needs.
  • Development / Technical Team Members: Develop and implement the product.
  • Data / Analytics Professionals: Collect and analyze data related to the product.

  Tools

  The development phase requires the use of project management tools and document storage solutions, such as Drive.

  Notes

  During the development phase, it is important to ensure that the solution is designed in a manner consistent with the strategic intent. The UX team should be involved in key development team rituals and engaged in conversations about specific stories where needed for clarification, guidance, additional design decisions, etc. Sign-off/approval should be obtained for each release sequence, and a delivery/merchandising plan should be developed to communicate the release to stakeholders. UAT/QA testing should also be conducted to ensure that the product meets user needs and functions as intended.

Delivery / Launch

Once the product is developed, it is ready to be delivered or launched. This involves training stakeholders on how to use the product, developing marketing campaigns, and creating communication plans.

• Delivery / Launch Outline

  The next step in my UX process is delivery or launch

  Can you please write about this using the following headings and content?

  Purpose

  Launch experiences

  Provide training to various business groups

  Activities / Deliverables

  Strategy and vision updates/additions

  Goverance/ standards updates/ additions

  Training updates/additions

  Content authoring and publishing

  Website launch

  Media launch

  Marketing automation launch

  Communication / Change management plans

  Involved

  UX Professionals

  Business Analyst

  Development / Technical Team Members

  Key Business Stakeholders

  Business Strategists, Authors

  Tools

  Drive

  Wireframing & Prototyping tools

  Graphic design tools (see previous section)

  Notes

  Enable business stakeholders to develop their content and experience within enterprise tools

  Develop: training materials, stakeholder resources (fill-in-the blank templates, examples, etc.)

  Execute training – initial and ongoing

  Communicate change (multiple audiences)

  Updated governance

  New training materials

  Stakeholder communications

• Summary

  Purpose

  Launch experiences that have been developed, tested and validated.

  Provide training to various business groups and stakeholders to ensure that they are able to use the product effectively.

  Activities / Deliverables

  • Strategy and vision updates/additions
  • Governance/ standards updates/ additions
  • Training updates/additions
  • Content authoring and publishing
  • Website launch
  • Media launch
  • Marketing automation launch
  • Communication / Change management plans

  Involved

  • UX Professionals
  • Business Analyst
  • Development / Technical Team Members
  • Key Business Stakeholders
  • Business Strategists, Authors

  Tools

  • Drive
  • Wireframing & Prototyping tools
  • Graphic design tools (see previous section)

  Notes

  • Enable business stakeholders to develop their content and experience within enterprise tools
  • Develop training materials, stakeholder resources (fill-in-the blank templates, examples, etc.)
  • Execute training – initial and ongoing
  • Communicate change (multiple audiences)
  • Updated governance
  • New training materials
  • Stakeholder communications

  During the Delivery/Launch phase, the purpose is to launch the experiences that have been developed, tested and validated during the previous stages of the UX process. The aim is to ensure that the experience is launched smoothly, and that the relevant stakeholders are trained and enabled to use the product effectively.

  The activities and deliverables for this phase include updating the strategy and vision as necessary, updating governance and standards, and providing training updates and additions. Content authoring and publishing will also take place, and the website, media and marketing automation will be launched. Communication and change management plans will be put into place to ensure that all stakeholders are informed of the changes and are able to adapt to them.

  The people involved in the Delivery/Launch phase include UX professionals, business analysts, development/technical team members, key business stakeholders and business strategists/authors.

  The tools used during this phase are similar to those used in previous stages, including Drive, wireframing & prototyping tools and graphic design tools.

  It’s important to enable business stakeholders to develop their content and experience within enterprise tools. Training materials and stakeholder resources should be developed, and training should be executed both initially and on an ongoing basis. Communication should be delivered to multiple audiences, and governance should be updated as necessary. New training materials and stakeholder communications should also be created.

Optimization

After the product is launched, the team continues to monitor its performance and make improvements based on user feedback and analytics. This may include A/B testing, post-launch usability testing, and ongoing maintenance.

• Optimization Outline

  The next step in my UX process is optimization

  Can you please write about this using the following headings and content?

  Optimization

  Purpose

  Understand user challenges / issues

  Improve experiences – user experience, usability

  Measure success

  Improve experiences – goals, conversion, ROI

  Activities / Deliverables

  Site-level reporting and analysis

  Campaign-level reporting and analygsis

  A/B test reporting & analysis

  Post – launch usability tests

  Actions/optimizations based on insights

  Involved

  UX Professionals

  Business Analyst

  Development / Technical Team Members

  Key Business Stakeholders

  Analytics / Data Professionals

  Research professionals (generalists vs. specialists)

  Tools

  Drive

  Site Analytics Tools

  User Testing Tools

  Notes

  Optimize solution to better meet customer and business goals.

  Uses backlog, new requests, & analytics/ testing insights.