How to collaborate with Tech team as a UX Designer
Disclaimer: All stories are based on my experience and point of view.
Introduction: Before I start, I want to introduce myself. I’m a UX Designer in Blibli.com and I handle product that is used by merchants, called Merchant Tool Application (MTA). Anyway I’m not a single fighter in handling that. We also have 2 other UX Designers, 3 Product Managers, and 4 Developer teams working together for MTA.
I have found many articles about ideal UX process, software development process, and others. A long time ago, someone from my team asked me “What do you do as UX Designer? Can you tell me the workflow from Product Manager from requirements until the feature is ready to developed by tech team?”
It’s a good question. But I feel something is wrong here. Why did the question come up after we have already worked together? If it came up from the beginning then I think it’s normal.
In that time, I just gave him the answer without asking back “Why? Did you feel something is wrong?” Because of that, I have another question in my mind “How can good collaboration happen if your team doesn’t know what your role is?”
Collaboration is the process between two or more people working together to achieve a goal.
Let’s see the illustration below:
What do you think after seeing the illustration? Have you ever been in this kind of situation?
To achieve good collaboration, it’s necessary to have good communication too. Do you know your communication type? If not, find out your communication type here.
Here is my collaboration process with the team in company, specifically with dev team.
Analyze a requirement
When I get the requirement from PM, I need to make sure what is the problem we want to solve? Then I need to know the scope of feature, metrics, current data, timeline and etc. One of the important things here is the timeline.
Here’s some simulation of the conversation:
PM: Is the requirement clear for you?
Designer: Yes, sounds good :)
PM: May I know, when can I expect the draft?
Designer: Hmm, 1 week from today is it ok?
PM: Cool, after that we can discuss for finalize the draft and share to dev.
Negotiation happens in that conversation. Designer and PM should be on the same page before going to dev. After that we can go with the final timeline we have discussed.
Prepare UX/UI before sprint
As of now, we have 2 kinds of session before the development: Sprint Grooming and Sprint Planning.
What do I prepare before sprint grooming? I have to provide the initial draft of UX/UI and the best case is all of the cases are almost completed. When we do a sprint grooming, tech team will analyze all the cases. Is there any concern? Limitation? Feedback? From the draft hopefully they can prepare tech design and estimate the resource and effort.
Finalize UX/UI before development
During sprint grooming, there is a lot of in-depth discussions. It could be questions related to business user, questions regarding user flow, feedback and others. Usually, I have 1 week to finalize UX/UI before dev team starts the development. I need to make sure every case is completed and all questions have been addressed when we run a sprint planning. So, dev team can start the development.
Maintenance and iteration
When development has started, hopefully everything is already clear and confirmed.
It sounds perfect, right? But the reality is not!
Even when development has started, some changes might still happen. Of course it won’t be much if the process from the beginning is correct. Correct means, we (PM, Designer, and Developers) all contribute in checking or reviewing the cases to make sure major cases are not missing. So, when development has started, the changes are less likely to happen, “hopefully” :)
The quality of your collaboration process depends on the majority of your company or your team.
Process of work must be defined based on the agreement between multiple parties across divisions; It could be designer with developer, designer with PM, etc. There is no right or wrong process, it all depends on you and your team. Which style really works, more effective, fun, and make you comfortable. Of course we have to know the basic process, and you also need be able to make the process yours.
Share your collaboration process below and let’s learn together.
If you’re interested in applying for a full-time position or intern as an UX Designer or UX Researcher, Blibli.com is currently hiring! Send your resume to recruitment@blibli.com and get the chance to work with other UX Designers & Researchers with their own unique stories.
