UX Design Function
The UX designer architects user experiences for products and services.
Last updated
The UX designer architects user experiences for products and services.
Last updated
A role is not a person! Learn more about Function vs. Commitment vs. Person here.
UX Design is the study of how humans interact with the world. It involves problem-solving to ensure that products and services deliver the best experiences for users and for the business.
Who "Wears the Hats" at companies for UX design functions? It depends!
Here's a visual breakdown of commitments:
Some companies have three separate people dedicated to specific functions: one only doing UX design, one only doing UX research, and one doing only UX writing.
Some companies have one UX writing person, and one person who handles both UX design and UX writing.
Some companies have one person who handles all functions: UX design, UX researh, and UX writing.
Some companies have one person who handles UX design and UX research, one person who handles UX research, and one person who handles UX writing with UX research. This is the most Agile cross-functional setup there is.
In Tech Fleet project training, there is a function that handles UX design and UX research, a function who handles UX research, and one function who handles UX writing with UX research. This is the most Agile cross-functional setup possible because everyone is contributing to success of UX outcomes. No silos.
The Product Strategy Position typically owns a combination of 4 commitments:
UX design commitments
UX research commitments
Collaboration with UX research
User personas
User journey maps
Customer experience diagrams
Design annotations
Development specifications for design
Design systems
UI kits
Low-fidelity prototypes
High-fidelity prototypes
Strategizing about how to turn research into usable solutions
Creating and maintaining prototypes
Creating and maintaining design systems
Creating and maintaining UI kits
Turning requirements into reality
Creating and maintaining personas and journey maps
Leading design thinking activities
Leading rapid ideation sessions
Here are some RACI charts depicting the daily tasks that a UX design function is responsible for, and how they work with other teams:
You like defining the "big picture"
You like systems thinking
You enjoy creative problem-solving
With the Client - take feedback from the client about the work being produced
With UX Research - drive the priorities of research based on the UX design needs, and produce research in collaboration with research teams
With Product Strategy - drive the priorities of requirements and collaborate with product ownership functions to refine requirements
With the Project Management - provide information about the progress of the project from the UX design standpoint
With UX Writing - drive the priorities of writing based on the UX design needs, and produce UX writing in collaboration with UX writing teams
With Development - drive the priorities and requirements of development based on the UX design
Problem-solve end-user experiences
Collaborate with UX writing and UX research teams in design and research work
Iterate on Interaction designs for flows based on agreed upon priorities
Create high fidelity, pixel-perfect designs based on product requirements that the product strategy team creates
Work in collaboration with the product strategy team to refine requirements and plan upcoming sprint work
Prototypes
Design systems
UI kits
Design annotations
Personas
Journey maps
UX Audits
