The Fountain Institute is an independent online school that teaches advanced UX & product skills.
Dealing with Politics in UX Design
Dealing with Politics in UX Design
by Jeff Humble
Dear Reader,
Have you ever worked at a company where getting a survey approved felt like passing a bill through Congress? π
Design deals with the new, and it inherently runs into politics.
The tiniest innovation can feel like a revolution in a slow-moving organization.
When motives and hidden agendas block projects for no apparent reason, it can be de-motivating.
Don't lose β€οΈ! You're allowed to try to influence company politics. And there are some inspiring places to learn how to deal with politics as a designer.
The Activist Spirit in UX Design
Often, designers deal with company politics like an activist. How can we learn from real activists? Here are 2 quick ways:
1.) Driven by Advocacy
At the core of UX is an extreme empathy for the user's pain points, needs, and desires. This is similar to the empathy that drives activists to fight for the rights of marginalized groups.
How to do it:
Create a user persona for an under-served yet lucrative user type. This "neglected persona" doesn't have to drive all of your decisions, but it can certainly improve them. Use it as a spark for brainstorming out-of-the-box ideas or checking bias.
2.) Against the Status Quo
Activists are known for challenging accepted beliefs. In the same way, UX designers can challenge accepted norms by finding ways to make the company more unique and, thus, more strategic in the market.
How to do it:
Run a team workshop where everyone brings 3 emerging design patterns that competitors are not using. Keep this pattern research in a shared Miro board and use it to inspire new thinking.
The Lobbyist Spirit in UX Design
Okay, this one's for all the realists. Here are 2 ways to do UX like a lobbyist:
1.) Stakeholder Negotiation
Often, you will find yourself negotiating with decision-makers in a project. Like a lobbyist, you don't have any real decision-making power, so the art of negotiation becomes important.
How to do it:
Negotiate with the BATNA approach (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) and look for creative solutions in the zones of compromise that overlap between you and your stakeholders.
2.) Influencing Policy
Lobbyists push for new policies that will benefit their constituents. UX designers can do the same for users by infusing user insights into company policy, strategy, and vision.
How to do it:
From customer & competitor research, start a list of the top 3 user insights with the potential to be company-changing. Make a slide for the best insight, including the evidence and a visual. Ask leadership how you might get this insight into the company strategy. Follow their advice and keep campaigning!
UX is already an amalgamation of many professions, so don't be afraid to borrow something from politics.
What political practice can you steal as a UX designer?
β
β
β
β
COURSE: Defining UX Strategy |
β
β
βSource, shared by Linus Mimetz in the Guildβ
β
Until next week, let the vibe drive! π¦§
|
β Jeff Humble β |
The Fountain Institute
The Fountain Institute is an independent online school that teaches advanced UX & product skills.
When Hype Comes Before User Insight by Jeff Humble Dear Reader, Have you ever seen a hyped-up product that felt worthless? Today I want to tell you a tale of two companies and how they handled user demand. One took a hype-based approach, trying to create demand, while the other achieved real demand (and hype) through user insights. Hype-First Failure: Quibi (2020) On its surface, Quibi made perfect sense to investors in 2020. The idea was to create Hollywood-quality ten-minute movies and...
Are you stuck in reactive mode? by Jeff Humble Dear Reader, Some designers spend their whole careers reacting to other people's moves. As a design manager, I remember being in this position. I had to brace myself every Monday morning for some radical change in company direction. We never knew what the new agenda would be, but we knew that it would throw our work into chaos. Sometimes, all it took was for the founder to read a single article to change the company agenda. When a competitor...
Why Your Portfolio Isnβt Working (and How to Fix It) By Hannah Baker Dear Reader, Letβs talk about a harsh truth: Your UX portfolio might be the least important thing in your job search. Yep, I said it. You spent hours making sure it showcases your best work. You structured your case studies just right. You ensured your problem statements, research insights, and solutions flowed together. And yetβ¦ hiring managers are ghosting you like a bad Hinge date. Well, the problem isnβt your...