Summary
Designing "at scale" assumes conceptual consensus on what the particular levels of that 'scale' actually are. In the last few years, UX professionals have specialized into UX researchers, product designers, service designers design strategists, etc. Nowadays, we're also witnessing the debut of a new term: "system designers". But do we really understand how these job titles and subthemes of UX fit within that scale of complexity in design? In this presentation, we'll introduce the basic levels of a scale of design, articulate how common UX job titles fit on the scale, and map how the work we commonly tackle in both research and design should also be informed by the scale of the problem we're addressing. We're also going to critique the (somewhat misguided) ways the current world of UX is handling the widespread growth in the complexity of our work.
Key Insights
-
•
Design complexity can be framed as a layered scale from foundational micro-interactions to global systemic impact.
-
•
Aaron Draplin’s work exemplifies successful design focused exclusively on simple artifact layers.
-
•
Product design is disciplinary and designer-led with a focus on polished, precise visual deliverables.
-
•
Service design is multidisciplinary, facilitative, and embraces flexibility and imprecision to tackle complex problems.
-
•
Lower design layers require less or more focused research, while higher systemic layers suffer from spotty, insufficient research methods.
-
•
Holistic, systemic research methods from fields like market research can improve design at ecosystem and societal levels.
-
•
Experienced designers often migrate toward strategic roles addressing higher layers of design scale.
-
•
There is a risk of commoditizing design by overly focusing on methodical, repeatable processes like design systems and sprints.
-
•
Ethical design requires designers to adopt system thinking and consider unintended systemic impacts.
-
•
Organizing teams for multi-level design requires awareness of systemic perspectives and often involves long-term, transformational projects.
Notable Quotes
"If you see a system, you cannot unsee it – Alberta Saranso."
"Design at the product level is owned by designers, but at service level design is a shared, multidisciplinary effort."
"Most of today’s design craft happens in the lower half of the design scale, leaving gaps at higher levels."
"We commoditize design when we scale only simplistic, repeatable cookie cutter processes and deliverables."
"At lower design levels, little research is needed; in contrast, at system levels the research coverage is spotty and less reliable."
"In service design we focus on asking the right questions, not just answering questions."
"Good service design projects can last two to three years and require collaboration across many stakeholders."
"Most mature organizations have roles dedicated to ecosystem-level design, such as VPs or senior managers of ecosystem."
"Designers need to check their ego at the door and recognize they’re one perspective among many in complex projects."
"To avoid harm, ask not only who benefits from design but also who might be harmed, including secondary users and communities."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If designers spend more time talking about titles than their work, we’re just gazing into our navels."
Adam Cutler Karen Pascoe Ian Swinson Susan WorthmanDiscussion
June 8, 2016
"We don’t get upset when users say one thing and do another, but we freak out when our leadership behaves that way."
Peter MerholzThe Trials and Tribulations of Directors of UX (Videoconference)
July 13, 2023
"If you don’t tune it properly, sometimes you just don’t get what you want."
Lisa WelchmanCleaning Up Our Mess: Digital Governance for Designers
June 14, 2018
"Sustainable practices are not just a luxury; they are a necessity for our survival."
Vincent BrathwaiteOpener: Past, Present, and Future—Closing the Racial Divide in Design Teams
October 22, 2020
"The greatest sign of success for a teacher is just to be able to say the children are now working as if I did not exist."
Brenna FallonLearning Over Outcomes
October 24, 2019
"Most organizations are still asking design questions at a global level; we need to be hyper-local now."
Tricia WangSpatial Collapse: Designing for Emergent Culture
January 8, 2024
"If you don’t bring stakeholders into the research journey, they won’t believe or use the data."
Edgar Anzaldua MorenoUsing Research to Determine Unique Value Proposition
March 11, 2021
"Successful operations must have a well-laid-out and transparent process and documentation, but that process must become invisible in its application."
Designing Systems at Scale
November 7, 2018
"A lot of developers are way too confident they write perfect code; testing bug fixes often reveals hidden issues."
Erin WeigelGet Your Whole Team Testing to Design for Impact
July 24, 2024
