UX Advocacy & Coaching
A few years ago, when the organization, a large corporation, started recognizing the value of UX, its UX team was relatively small. To scale and effectively demonstrate the benefits of UX to the entire organization and facilitate the integration of UX practices into our processes and strategies, I supported the adoption of UX internally by implementing several initiatives to advance UX internally.
Over time, we fostered a culture of increasing user-centricity and driven the integration of UX practices into our organization's processes and strategies.
SECTOR - Internal organization
SETTING - UX team in large corporation
MY ROLE - Training and Curriculum development - Workshops - Coaching and mentoring
COMPLEXITY - Varies
Trainings and workshops
To enhance the organizational skills in user experience and the UX value proposition, I designed and conducted a range of practical trainings and workshops on UX topics and methods. These workshops covered various key areas to help teams deliver user-centered solutions effectively.
In addition to trainings for a general audience, I also developed approaches for a technical audience.
FOR TEAMS AND GROUPS
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Design Thinking workshop series
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Presentations on 'Empathy' for PMs
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Team coaching on value of User Interview participation
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UX training for senior leadership
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Developed note-taking module for internal teams - to demonstrate the value of good note taking and to encourage non-UX colleague participation in research
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Developed a tailored methodology for conducting UX research in the department's agile environment
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Developed a 'Working with Data' approach for PMs - to leverage the use of data-driven decision-making in Product development
FOR TECHNICAL AUDIENCES
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Tailored participatory research protocols for Technical PMs and Data Scientists
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Workshops on UX for the Advanced Analytics function
Mentoring & Coaching
Investing in coaching relationships is a key contributor to the overall success of colleagues, teams and organizations, leading to the formation of high-performing teams.
Throughout my experience, I have had the privilege of coaching Direct reports, UX colleagues in our functional group, SMEs and leadership, with the primary goal of skill development, supporting their growth, enhancing performance, and nurturing a culture of continuous learning and development.
Key take-aways
Over the course of several years, our organization underwent a significant transformation, embracing the principles of UX, design thinking, and agile methodologies.
However, we recognized that advocating for user experience is an ongoing process that demands continuous effort and commitment. There were two key developments in particular that underscored the need for persistent UX advocacy:
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As technology advanced and new experiences emerged, we saw user expectations change. To meet these evolving expectations, it was essential to remain attuned to these shifts and adapt our user-centered design approaches accordingly.
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The organizational priorities changed over time. Consequently, it was crucial to continue to make a compelling case for the value of investing in UX while realigning it with the organization's overarching goals and objectives.
Therefore, I learned it is crucial to consistently make a compelling case for the value of investing in UX.
"These two weeks of actively taking part in the user research with our data scientists have been the most valuable of the entire quarter for me. I was skeptical at first, but it all makes so much more sense for me now, with the next steps clearly outlined based on the feedback we received."
McKinsey