UX | Expectation vs Reality

How does the practice of creating good UX really look like at most companies? This article is for the colleagues that are new to this game. I want to debunk the reality and expectations of working in the UX design field.

Expectations

Let’s start of by talking about expectations.

UX designers, like yourself, expect to get hired by a company that values the UX process in its entirety. Somewhere, where they will be able to implement everything that they learned through their studies of UX.

Workflow expectations

Have time for kick-off meetings is a must. Get objectives. Brainstorm, do workshops, get user insights by speaking to customers, create journey maps. All of this is something designers expect to have time and resources for. In other words, the expectation is that they will do all the research they were taught they needed prior to doing any design work.

With all the research completed, the logical next step for them is to start doing the design part of UX by creating wireframes and prototyping. This means that they believe they will be getting in some sessions with users, showing prototypes and observing their interaction. Getting user feedback. Of course! Doing iteration on the design. Please, that’s a must! Once they feel confident in the product, they will pass it over to the product development team. They will, in turn, start developing a wonderful product. All the while, the designer (you) is there, supporting the developers.

Everyone happy

After that, the completed product gets released into the marketplace. It does very well. Therefore, the stakeholders become happy and in turn, this makes the designer happy.

After the market has its say in the matter of revenue and feedback, you will get a chance to iterate and make the product way better. Meanwhile, this cycle will proceed to be just that, a cycle, while you are working on other projects.

Reality

Boy, oh, boy does reality suck in most companies.

In most companies ( I said most, not all ) you don’t have the privilege of time. The time it takes to implement all the right methods and principles that will get you the desired results.

What I would have liked to know in my beginning is that not a lot of people understand the value you are bringing to the table. I wish I knew that the stakeholders are usually business people. That these business people have business-oriented mindsets. Their goal is to make sure the product ships and sells. Most importantly, I wish I knew they are not interested in the best design principles and methods but getting the job done. This info would have saved me a lot of “are they kidding?” moments. In the end, all of this “lack of knowledge from their part” is exactly why they are hiring you. You are the expert not them.

Recruiting experts

In my experience, companies recruit user experience designers that are highly proficient in understanding the entire UX design process. With ALL its methods and principles. This is because they want someone that is able to design from a user-centered perspective. They also need someone who will know which methods to use and when. All the while being conscious of the timeframe that they have to work with.

Moreover, another important point to keep in mind is that the stakeholders also have their own objectives. These objectives are formulated with the entire cycle of a product in mind. Not just specific parts of the cycle. This can mean that the stakeholders, while planning, don’t allocate enough resources to you specifically. Which means that you as a designer might not have time to go through your own process. This is, of course, disappointing for someone who thought they will be implementing all the UX principles and methods.

Most importantly, the reality is that the stakeholders, the people who hired you, believe that you will:

Think critically and logically

You will be able to gather enough information by asking the right questions. These questions need to be asked during your kick-off meeting. Why? Because you need to be able to understand the objective and start designing asap.

Create good visual designs

Take the information gathered on the kick-off meeting to create your design. While creating your design, use only the best practices that you are familiar with and can be bring the most value.

Solve problems independently

If during the design process, you come across any problems, it’s expected from you to solve them. Problem-solving is usually expected to be independent. I know not all problems can be solved independently but the requirement is that you need minimal help from stakeholders.

In conclusion

In conclusion, designers are hired to make the idea of a product come to life. Most often the objectives and resources which we are working with are not perfect. However, it’s up to us to get things done by knowing which processes to implement all the while respecting our objectives.

This is not to say that there aren’t companies out there that completely understand the value of UX. That have entire teams dedicated to this field. This post is just my opinion and experience with most companies that I or my colleagues have dealt with.

Photos taken from: Photo by bruce mars from Pexels , Fox from Pexels , Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels