Business: Role of UX

In this edition of Ask UXmatters, our expert panel addresses scoping UX projects and what functions are within and outside the scope of User Experience. It seems that the definition of User Experience is constantly expanding. First, our experts discuss how the business community currently perceives the practice of User Experience in relation to their business. Then, we’ll explore some specifics such as:

• defining the scope of the project work an organization need to do
• how to manage change
• matching the skills of team members to the work
• how to accomplish the work within the allocated time and budget

One panelist asks us to consider whether it really matters if something is within the defined scope of User Experience. Read More

UXmatters and the UX research consultancy User Fountain recently teamed up to survey UX professionals around the world on the role of User Experience within their organization. The Role of UX: 2020 Benchmark Study explores UX roles, tools, methods, and organizational structures, as well as organizations’ various levels of UX maturity.

Our analysis of the survey’s findings explores three key themes:

1. How did the work of UX teams change in 2020? What impact did the COVID-19 pandemic have on these teams and their work?
2. What might 2021 bring for UX professionals?
3. What impact has User Experience had on organizations?

Finally, we’ll take a look at the UX professionals who participated in our survey—particularly their role within their organization—and the UX community resources on which they rely. Read More

In this edition of Ask UXmatters, our expert panel discusses the desire that many UX professionals have to make the world a better place and how that altruistic impulse can align with the profit motive of the businesses that employ them.

To prevent our work colleagues from trivializing UX design, UX professionals must play an integral role in defining product strategy. That is where we can add the most value—to the business and users alike. In describing how User Experience can contribute to product strategy and business success, we’ll debunk some common misconceptions that many product companies have about User Experience and its place in a product-centric company.

In the course of this conversation, we’ll talk about how important it is for UX professionals to work for companies that value User Experience, the impacts corporate culture has on the ability of UX professionals to successfully engage with teams around product strategy, the alignment of User Experience with business goals, the value that UX design can contribute to the bottom line, and what you should do if your organization doesn’t appreciate the value of User Experience. Read More