Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
The Atypical UX Manager Path
Summary
For this month's call we convened a 3-person panel to share diverse stories and paths of becoming a UX manager—from writing, to print/graphic design, and even theater! We discussed the various origin stories of becoming a manager, those humbling moments of learning lessons along the way, and touch upon what makes managing truly rewarding as a career path choice. Whether you're a manager now or perhaps thinking about it with some trepidation, you will surely get some inspiring takeaways. As a bonus, we also featured a short teaser of content coming up for our annual Enterprise Experience 2020 conference.
Key Insights
-
•
UX managers often come from diverse, non-technical backgrounds like graphic design, writing, and theater.
-
•
Empathy toward individual team members’ personalities and needs is crucial for effective management.
-
•
Managing remote teams during COVID-19 requires intentional human connection beyond work tasks.
-
•
Facilitation skills are vital for UX managers to build alignment and support team dynamics.
-
•
Avoid overshadowing team members by empowering them to own their work and grow independently.
-
•
Managing ambiguity successfully means matching management style to individual team member preferences.
-
•
Mentorship is fundamental both for individual contributors and for managers developing new managers.
-
•
A key management skill is coaching people to solve problems rather than solving them yourself.
-
•
Writing skills help managers articulate ideas clearly, especially in complex conversations like performance reviews.
-
•
Leadership in UX expands design skills to people problems, diversity, inclusion, and team processes.
Notable Quotes
"Imagine if everyone you worked with had deep empathy for your customers and made decisions based on those customer needs."
"I really love being a manager because you get joy from seeing people grow and succeed."
"You can’t manage everybody the same way; different personalities require different approaches."
"The best way to overcome imposter syndrome is to mentor others and share the lessons you’ve learned."
"Facilitation is essential—not just for design work but to build alignment and manage people."
"Don’t just make it all about work, especially right now; people need human contact and silliness too."
"A lot of my team are introverts; we do daily coffee chats to keep the team connected remotely."
"You need to coach people to solve their own problems; jumping in to fix them is not sustainable."
"Management is about enabling people to be their best, not about your own success."
"Writing helps me clearly articulate ideas and feedback, which is a superpower as a manager."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The estuary is highly resilient but also very sensitive to industrial waste—creative collaboration areas in organizations are similar."
John CutlerOxbows, Rivers, and Estuaries: How to navigate the currents of change (without burning out)
December 3, 2024
"When fellow co-workers label an individual as difficult, it's hard not to treat that individual as a problem."
Darian DavisLessons from a Toxic Work Relationship
January 8, 2024
"If you have a feeling you’re having the same conversation over and over, a canvas like this can ratchet the conversation forward."
Dave GrayGroup Activity: Making Sense of DesignOps
November 7, 2017
"Executives only like things in threes, but if you do a three by three, you can get away with nine boxes—that's the max executive information processing."
John CutlerThe Alignment Trap
November 29, 2023
"The key to good diagrams is accessibly rendered, content driven, and visually supported."
Abby CovertStuck? Diagrams Help
October 27, 2022
"If you want to get faster output, optimize the work and workflow first — not add more hours."
Mark InterranteCollaboration Flows in Product Development
June 9, 2017
"The future is not a toy. Accountability matters deeply in how we construct futures."
Devon PowersImagining Better Futures
March 9, 2022
"Bring your research team as note takers and facilitators—they make excellent collaborators and help build feedback loops."
Prayag NarulaHow to Empower Your Designers to Do Good Research – And Why You Want To
June 10, 2022
"Cloud code wasn’t programmed to do this; it’s a very lightweight system where the model does most of the work."
Peter Van DijckHands on AI #3: Claude Code for UX people
October 22, 2025
