Enabling Design in Product Teams
I am actively developing a framework for scaling the impact of UX in my product teams
When I joined WellSky, I joined a product called CareTend which has 5 different domain specific engineering teams. I inherited over 50 Figma files with features designed at various stages. The work was done by a design agency and in-house designers who have since left the company. My first job was to make sense of what had been left behind.
Two realities were obvious, we can't keep designing the same way, and the product team hasn't explored the high-level design.
Time has been spent building out requirements for very specific use cases without the view of how those features fit into the entire product.
Two goals: enable product teammates to do UX with some oversight and explore high level designs
The sooner we can explore ideas, the faster we can learn whether we are on the right path or not. The faster we can diagnose what is working well in the current system the faster we can create and test hypothesis for how they might be improved. To do these things, it is important to do these things:
- Cultivate an environment that values UX
- Be clear on the goals and timelines
- Establish patterns that are easy to deploy
- Gain clarity for high level patterns
The approach for now
- Weekly UI feedbacks sessions with the Product Teams
- Outcome Mapping and Jobs to Be done Framework
- Attending scrum rituals to build rapport with engineering teams
- Clear channels for input and feedback
- Emphasis of design towards high-level product design
- Emphasis towards repeatable interaction patterns and page templates
- Clear roadmap for design work
- Centralized Figma for product specific patterns
Leading Indicators for Increased Maturity
Here are some of the leading indicators that reveal an increase in UX maturity:
- Product Teammates creating user workflows
- Product Teammates creating wireframes
- More customer feedback sessions
- Increased interest in customer surveying
- Engaged for more UX related questions
Product Teammates creating user workflows
It has been really helpful to be able to work off of user workflows. Often times, my product teammates have a strong idea for how something should work even before engaging users. An increase in the number of workflows drafted before design has made starting design these areas easier and quicker.
Product Teammates crafting wireframes
It has been a huge win for me to have the product team members create first attempt versions of new screens. Although the types of mockups they are currently making aren't scalable and often depart from our design system (Here is how I am working to improve this,) they are useful in a variety of ways. The two examples below show how, from a legacy screen and teammate made screen, a Design System aligned mockup can be made quicker.
Prescription Order Entry
For an order to exist in CareTend, the order and prescription need to be entered. Once they are entered, the prescription fill will continue down the workflow.
Pharmacist Review 1
Below is another example of the same approach to collaboration. In this example, a user must acknowledge whatever was entered during the prescription order step of the workflow.
More customer feedback sessions
Recurring customer feedback sessions have been a welcome addition to the process for the CareTend product. Many of our customers have unique business needs and subsequent workflows. Being able to connect with customers routinely has made testing and validating ideas easier. Meeting often has also brought more interest from product teammates as these sessions reveal opportunities and blind spots.
Increased interest in customer surveying
WellSky uses Pendo, but with the state of my product and the rush for an MVP, we can't put off customer engagement to benchmark the current software or prioritize areas for improvement. I have been implementing the use of lightweight surveys and it has been received well amidst my team. This is a growth area with huge upside.
Engaged for more UX related questions
In many ways, the best service a designer can provide is creating a culture for cross-collaboration. Since being hired, it is more obvious on my team the need for design to be included in product decisions and engineering activities.
