Summary
Traditionally, UX Designers struggle to show the impact of the work that they do. This negatively impacts the influence that they have on product delivery, often relegating them to being ’doers’ and not being involved in strategic initiatives. The end result - product delivery is inefficient with rework taking up a large slice of time that could be used to drive innovation to generate more value. In this session, we’ll outline how a simple UX Measurement framework can help change the tide of the conversation, giving the UXer a lift up into more strategic conversations, getting involved earlier in product delivery.
Key Insights
-
•
UX teams are often limited to tactical project-level involvement and need to connect to strategic executive decision-making to increase impact.
-
•
There has been a steep decline (70%+) in UX and design job postings post-pandemic, creating both challenges and opportunities.
-
•
Customer experience initiatives can drive revenue since customers are willing to pay more for great experiences, but many companies fail to execute effectively.
-
•
UX research lacks quantitative metrics compared to other insight teams, making it harder to communicate in the language executives prefer.
-
•
AI enables faster data accessibility and automated UX task generation but risks oversimplification and reliance on unvalidated insights.
-
•
Subjective decision-making and 'design by committee' emerge when UX data is insufficiently quantitative or validated, causing rework and morale loss.
-
•
Significant rework (30-50% of effort) occurs when feedback and UX validation are delayed, adding cost and inefficiency in agile development.
-
•
Combining behavioral and qualitative data can identify root causes of UX problems and directly link UX improvements to business outcomes.
-
•
The Quality Experience (QX) score unifies attitudinal and behavioral data into a single metric that executives can easily grasp and act upon.
-
•
Advancing design maturity depends on close collaboration between product management and design ops to align UX efforts with business KPIs.
Notable Quotes
"Most creative teams are always teetering on the edge of greatness."
"Numbers drive conversations, numbers drive decisions. That’s the executive language."
"Why do we struggle to have that impact that we should be having when we are actually having that impact?"
"AI is making data more accessible to everybody, but it’s not going to make things better for us in the near future."
"The problem isn’t ever fully defined. The numbers give you the what, but they don’t give you the why."
"UXers want a seat at the table, and executives want KPIs to measure against. How do you bridge the gap?"
"Every company wants to be a software company, launching faster and improving quality with more developer velocity."
"UX assets are our business assets. How do we talk about our UX assets as business assets?"
"If you’re learning something at the end of Sprint six, it’s really costly to go back and make changes in Sprint one or two."
"To advance design maturity, you need a tight business partnership between product management and design ops leaders."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"AI easily manages many tasks but still struggles with soft skills like cultural nuances and ethical considerations."
Angelos ArnisNavigating the Rapid Shifts in Tech's Turbulent Terrain
October 2, 2023
"Prioritizing design ops work is tough amid competing priorities and limited time and budget."
John Calhoun Rachel PosmanBring your DesignOps Story to Life! The Definitive DesignOps Book Jam
October 3, 2023
"Design systems typically lack content on when and how to use components—adding this makes design more self-service."
Alfred KahnA Seat at the Table: Making Your Team a Strategic Partner
November 29, 2023
"Personas need minds of their own that push back, not perfectly behaved models."
Dan WillisEnterprise Storytelling Sessions
June 3, 2019
"Design ops professionals need to embrace their role as agents of change, supporting others but often facing resistance."
John Maeda Alison RandAbout Design Organizations (Videoconference)
May 13, 2019
"Engineers now ask better questions and make more informed design and technology decisions with the context we provided."
Anat Fintzi Rachel MinnicksDelivering at Scale: Making Traction with Resistant Partners
June 9, 2022
"There is a common thread in craft: dignity, purpose, utility, and beauty."
Uday GajendarThe Wicked Craft of Enterprise UX
May 13, 2015
"We were really forming a community of people who I like to call maybe design ops curious."
Kristin SkinnerTheme 1 Intro
September 29, 2021
"Service centers were transformed from crowded, threatening environments into spaces that look like five-star hotels with personalized kiosks and family cabanas."
Maish NichaniSparking a Service Excellence Mindset at a Government Agency
December 9, 2021