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Building a UX Team: People Operations

Managing a UX team has become a hot topic in the tech industry, as companies recognize the need to invest in UX design to deliver exceptional user experiences. However, this comes with its own set of challenges and requires a unique skill set. In this resource, we are exploring People Operations, which focuses on ensuring that we have a high-performing team and culture. This involves promoting a safe and nurturing environment, growing and inspiring the team, and establishing processes for effective communication and collaboration.

Provided here is a list of strategies and considerations for building a UX capability and leading and managing UX teams.

1.1 Vision, Principles, Values

Creating a vision, principles, and values for your UX team can help align your team’s goals and actions with the overall business objectives. It’s important to take the time to define these elements to ensure that your team understands its purpose and how it contributes to the organization’s success. Here are some tips on how to create a vision, principles, and values for your UX team:

Team Charter / Vision

A team charter or vision is a statement that defines the team’s purpose, goals, and objectives. It should describe what the team wants to achieve and how it will contribute to the organization’s overall success. When creating a team charter, consider the following:

  • What is the team’s mission?
  • What are the team’s goals and objectives?
  • What is the team’s role in the organization?
  • How will the team contribute to the organization’s overall success?

Team Values

Team values are the guiding principles that define how team members behave and interact with each other and with stakeholders. They should reflect the team’s culture and should be aligned with the organization’s values. When creating team values, consider the following:

  • What behaviors are important to the team?
  • What values should guide team members’ interactions with each other and with stakeholders?
  • What values are important for achieving the team’s goals and objectives?

Team Principles

Team principles are the guidelines that define how the team works together to achieve its goals and objectives. They should be based on the team’s values and should be aligned with the organization’s principles. When creating team principles, consider the following:

  • What principles should guide the team’s decision-making and problem-solving?
  • What principles should guide the team’s collaboration and communication?
  • What principles should guide the team’s approach to design and development?

Team Metrics / OKR

Team metrics or objectives and key results (OKR) are the measures of success that the team will use to evaluate its progress towards achieving its goals and objectives. When defining team metrics or OKRs, consider the following:

  • What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that the team will use to measure its progress?
  • What are the team’s objectives and how will they contribute to the organization’s success?
  • What are the key results that the team wants to achieve and how will they be measured?

Final Thoughts

Coming Soon

Resources

  • “Creating a Team Charter” by Mind Tools
  • “How to Define Your Team Values” by The Predictive Index
  • “10 Principles for Leading an Effective UX Team” by Nielsen Norman Group
  • “How to Set and Achieve Your OKRs” by Atlassian

Checklist

  • [ ] Create a Team Charter / Vision
  • [ ] Document Your Team Values
  • [ ] Document Your Team Principles
  • [ ] Create and Document Your Team Metrics / OKR

1.2 Organizational Design

Building a UX department from scratch can be a daunting task, but with the right organizational design, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Here are some tips on how to create an effective organizational design for your UX department:

Team Roles

Before you start building your UX team, it’s important to define the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Some common roles in a UX department include:

  • UX Designer: Responsible for designing and prototyping digital products that meet user needs and business goals.
  • UX Researcher: Responsible for conducting user research to inform the design process and validate design decisions.
  • UX Writer: Responsible for crafting clear and concise copy that helps users complete tasks and achieve their goals.
  • UX Developer: Responsible for implementing the design and ensuring that it is responsive and accessible on all devices.

Depending on the size and scope of your UX department, you may need to create additional roles or combine roles to fit your organization’s needs.

Team Structure

The structure of your UX department will depend on the size and complexity of your organization. Some common structures include:

  • Centralized: All UX professionals report to a single manager or director.
  • Decentralized: UX professionals are distributed throughout the organization and report to different managers or directors.
  • Hybrid: A combination of centralized and decentralized structures, where some UX professionals report to a central manager while others report to different managers or directors.

When deciding on a team structure, it’s important to consider factors such as communication, collaboration, and decision-making.

Career Paths

Establishing career paths for your UX team can help retain top talent and provide opportunities for growth and development. Some common career paths in a UX department include:

  • Individual Contributor: A UX professional who focuses on designing or researching digital products.
  • Team Lead: A UX professional who manages a small team of designers or researchers.
  • Manager: A UX professional who oversees multiple teams and is responsible for the strategic direction of the UX department.
  • Director: A UX professional who leads the entire UX department and works closely with other departments to ensure a cohesive user experience across all products and services.

It’s important to provide training, mentorship, and advancement opportunities for your UX team members to help them progress along their chosen career path.

Enterprise Integration

Finally, it’s important to ensure that your UX department is integrated with the rest of the organization. This includes:

  • Collaborating with other departments, such as marketing and engineering, to ensure a cohesive user experience across all touchpoints.
  • Establishing processes and workflows that enable UX professionals to work effectively with other teams.
  • Educating stakeholders about the value of UX and the role it plays in achieving business goals.

Final Thoughts

Building a UX department from scratch requires careful planning and execution, but with the right organizational design, you can create a team that delivers exceptional user experiences and drives business success. By integrating UX into the broader organization, you can ensure that your UX department is aligned with the needs and goals of the business.

Resources

Checklist

  • [ ] Define Team Roles
  • [ ] Define Team Structure
  • [ ] Outline Career Paths
  • [ ] Document Enterprise Integration Plan

1.3 Recruiting & Hiring

Hiring the right UX professionals is crucial for the success of any organization. UX professionals play a critical role in creating products that are user-friendly, intuitive, and engaging. Here are some tips and best practices for recruiting and hiring UX professionals:

Candidate Profile(s)

Before starting the recruitment process, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the skills, experience, and qualities you’re looking for in a candidate. Create candidate profiles that outline the ideal candidate’s qualifications, such as education, work experience, technical skills, and soft skills.

Job Description

Craft a clear and concise job description that accurately represents the role and responsibilities of the UX professional you’re looking to hire. The job description should provide a clear understanding of the expectations and requirements of the position, including the necessary skills and experience.

Recruitment Plan

Create a recruitment plan that outlines the steps you’ll take to attract and hire the right UX professionals. Consider using a combination of recruitment channels, such as job boards, social media, professional networks, and referrals. Also, think about attending industry events and conferences to meet potential candidates in person.

Interview Process

Develop an interview process that effectively evaluates candidates’ skills, experience, and cultural fit. Consider conducting multiple rounds of interviews, including a phone screen, a technical assessment, and an in-person interview. Also, use behavioral and situational questions to assess how candidates would handle different scenarios they might encounter on the job.

Compensation Model(s)

Develop compensation models that align with industry standards and the candidate’s experience and qualifications. Be transparent about the compensation model and provide candidates with a clear understanding of their earning potential.

Freelancer/ Agency Model/ Pool

Consider using a freelancer or agency model to fill short-term staffing gaps or provide specialized skills on a project-by-project basis. Another option is to maintain a pool of pre-vetted UX professionals that you can tap into when needed.

Final Thoughts

Recruiting and hiring the right UX professionals requires a deliberate and thoughtful approach. By following these tips and best practices, you can develop a comprehensive recruiting and hiring plan that attracts top talent and builds a strong UX team.

Resources

Checklist

  • [ ] Candidate Profile(s)
  • [ ] Job Description
  • [ ] Recruitment Plan
  • [ ] Interview Process
  • [ ] Compensation Model(s)
  • [ ] Freelancer/ Agency Model/ Pool

1.4 Training and Development

As companies grow and evolve, it’s essential to ensure that teams are continuously improving their skills and knowledge. This is especially true in design teams, where technology and trends change rapidly. However, training programs are not limited to design teams only. Non-design team members can also benefit from learning about design principles and user experience.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the steps involved in creating effective training programs for both design teams and non-design team members.

Develop Training Goals

The first step in creating a training program is to establish clear goals. These goals should align with your company’s mission, vision, and strategy. The goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Consider the following questions when developing your training goals:

  • What skills do your design team members need to improve?
  • What design principles are essential for your non-design team members to learn?
  • What do you hope to achieve by implementing these training programs?

Once you have established your training goals, you can move on to the next steps.

Training Program (For Design Team)

Design teams require specific technical and creative skills to deliver successful projects. A training program for a design team should cover the following topics:

  • Design principles and best practices
  • Design software and tools
  • Collaboration and communication
  • User research and testing
  • Project management and workflow

Consider the following tips when creating your training program for design teams:

  • Assess the current skill level of your team members to identify knowledge gaps.
  • Use a variety of training methods, such as workshops, online courses, mentoring, and hands-on projects.
  • Schedule regular training sessions to ensure ongoing learning and development.
  • Encourage team members to share their knowledge and expertise with each other.

Training Program (For the non-design team members)

Non-design team members may not require the same technical and creative skills as design teams, but they still need to understand the principles of good design and user experience. A training program for non-design team members should cover the following topics:

  • Design thinking and user-centered design
  • Basic design principles and aesthetics
  • How to provide effective feedback
  • How to work collaboratively with design teams

Consider the following tips when creating your training program for non-design team members:

  • Assess the current skill level of your team members to identify knowledge gaps.
  • Use a variety of training methods, such as workshops, online courses, and presentations.
  • Provide opportunities for non-design team members to work with design teams on projects.
  • Encourage team members to share their knowledge and expertise with each other.

Final Thoughts

Implementing training programs for design teams and non-design team members is a valuable investment in your company’s success. By developing training goals, creating effective training programs, and providing ongoing learning opportunities, you can improve the skills and knowledge of your team members, and ultimately improve the quality of your projects.

Resources

Checklist

  • [ ] Training Goals
  • [ ] Training Program (For Design Team)
  • [ ] Training Program (For the Organization)

1.5 Team Management

Effective team management involves a lot more than just delegating tasks and tracking progress. It also means investing in the growth and development of your team members as individuals. By implementing activities focused on individual career planning, skills assessment, and regular performance discussions, you can help your team members reach their full potential while also improving the overall success of your team.

Here are activities that you can implement in your team management to facilitate individual growth and development.

Individual Career Plan / Roadmap

An individual career plan is a personalized roadmap that outlines career goals, learning objectives, and development opportunities for each team member. By working with your team members to create a career plan, you can help them identify areas for growth and development, while also aligning their goals with the goals of the team and the organization. Career plans should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that they remain relevant and effective.

Skills Audit

A skills audit is a process of assessing the skills and knowledge of each team member to identify gaps and areas for improvement. This can involve self-assessment, peer feedback, and manager assessments, and can be done through surveys, interviews, or other assessment tools. By conducting a skills audit, you can help your team members identify areas for development and provide targeted training and development opportunities.

One-on-Ones

One-on-one meetings are a great way to provide regular feedback, coaching, and support to individual team members. These meetings can be used to discuss progress, set goals, identify challenges, and provide ongoing support and guidance. One-on-one meetings should be scheduled regularly (e.g. weekly or bi-weekly) and should be focused on the individual needs and goals of each team member.

Quarterly Performance Discussions

Quarterly performance discussions are a formal opportunity to review progress, set goals, and provide feedback to each team member. These discussions should be focused on both short-term and long-term goals, and should involve a review of performance metrics, feedback from peers and stakeholders, and a discussion of any challenges or opportunities for growth. Quarterly performance discussions can be used to adjust individual career plans and set new goals for the coming months.

Annual Performance Discussions

Annual performance discussions are a more formal review of progress and growth over the past year. These discussions should involve a comprehensive review of performance metrics, feedback from peers and stakeholders, and a discussion of individual goals and achievements. Annual performance discussions can also be used to review and update individual career plans, set new goals for the coming year, and provide feedback and recognition for a job well done.

Final Thoughts

Implementing these activities as part of your team management process can help you to build a more engaged, motivated, and effective team. By investing in the growth and development of your team members as individuals, you can improve their job satisfaction, increase retention rates, and ultimately contribute to the overall success of your team and the organization.

Resources

Checklist

  • [ ] Individual Career Plan / Roadmap
  • [ ] Skills Audit
  • [ ] One-on-Ones
  • [ ] Quarterly Performance Discussions
  • [ ] Annual Performance Discussions

1.6 Team Development

As a team leader or manager, creating rituals and routines can be an effective way to build a cohesive team, establish team values, and increase productivity. Here are three key rituals and routines you can implement for your team.

Team Building Activities

Team building activities are a great way to bring your team together and build relationships. These activities can include anything from group outings, to team lunches, to virtual games. The goal is to create an environment where team members can get to know each other, share ideas, and have fun. When planning team building activities, consider the interests of your team members and make sure the activities are inclusive and engaging for everyone.

CX Visioning Rituals

Customer experience (CX) visioning rituals can help your team develop a shared understanding of your customers and their needs. These rituals can include customer journey mapping, empathy mapping, and persona development. The goal is to create a visual representation of your customers, their pain points, and the moments that matter most to them. This can help your team develop a customer-centric mindset and drive customer-focused decision making.

Team Visioning Rituals

Team visioning rituals can help your team develop a shared understanding of your team’s goals and values. These rituals can include vision and mission statement development, goal setting, and values identification. The goal is to create a sense of purpose and direction for your team, and to align everyone around a common goal. This can help your team stay focused, motivated, and working towards a shared vision.

Final Thoughts

When creating rituals and routines for your team, it’s important to keep in mind that these activities should be fun, engaging, and relevant to your team’s goals and values. Encourage team members to share their ideas and provide feedback, and be open to trying new things.

In conclusion, creating rituals and routines can be a great way to develop your team and increase productivity. Whether you’re planning team building activities, CX visioning rituals, or team visioning rituals, the key is to create an inclusive, engaging, and fun environment for your team to come together, learn from each other, and achieve your goals together.

Resources

Checklist

  • [ ] Team Building Activities
  • [ ] CX Visioning Rituals
  • [ ] Team Visioning Rituals


BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!

See the full Building and Managing a UX Team resource.

©2012 - 2024 Tiffany L. Britt, MBA

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