Today, there is a high demand for UX professionals globally. Many organizations now see the value of developing a good UX design for their products. You can create a well-thought-out web product, but it will not make sense if it has a bad user experience. That is why you need to have a proper strategy to build a perfect team. This blog post by Eleken states that each professional must have clear-cut roles and responsibilities to ensure the projects flow smoothly.
As a business owner or manager, you need to build a stellar team to execute all projects seamlessly. But how do you build a UX team? It is important to understand the effective ways to manage this team for increased performance and productivity.
This article helps you understand how to build a UX team by defining the members’ specific roles and tips to manage the team.
Here are the steps you need to follow to structure a UX team:
Align the Organization to Support UX
You need to create a company culture that supports UX design. Suppose some departments have not embraced UX; invite them to a meeting and share the benefits. So, it is imperative to make the environment friendly to the team to enhance growth. Ensure the organization aligns with UX objectives before you start building the team.
Recruit Skilled People
The next step is to hire the right people for the job. The recruitment process can be quite challenging if you don’t have a proper approach. Thus, it would help if you scouted for skilled experts in UX design. From the UX researchers to the writers, make sure you hire individuals passionate about developing an exceptional UX. Professionals who are creative, open-minded, and collaborative with experience. Do not pick high-level experts only; balance the team with junior designers to ensure each project moves smoothly. Furthermore, you need to have adequate resources for the positions to allow each professional to execute their jobs efficiently. Below are some of the essential UX roles:
- UX researcher
- UX designer
- UI designer
- Information architect
- UX writer
Establish Relevant Goals
After onboarding the right candidates, you need to write down relevant goals. Ensure the goals focus on the user since it is the main aspect of developing an excellent UX. The team should understand the significance of meeting the goals for successful product development. Hence, you have to remind the professionals to always think about the users to meet their needs effectively.
User Testing
This step is a crucial aspect of UX design because user testing will disclose if the product is successful or not. Besides, the team’s main aim is to offer a seamless experience for your customers. So, you must conduct user testing on the prototype before proceeding to the main production to feel what the users think. Continuous testing will help you get relevant feedback on the product and improve. Thus, your team must value UX to develop outstanding designs.
Tips to Manage a UX Team
Structuring a good team can be an uphill task, but the real job is ensuring team collaboration. You need to implement effective strategies to manage the team successfully. Thus, a UX manager plays a crucial role in aligning the team and ensuring all the members work in unity.
Let us explore the ways you can manage your team.
Effective Communication
Getting your team to perform exceptionally well takes more than onboarding of skilled experts. You need to create an accommodating culture and a safe environment for effective communication. If the team trusts each other, it will foster a unified and a consistent sense of purpose. Once there is trust in the team, communication comes naturally. As a UX manager, ensure you encourage the team to socialize and build good relationships.
Clear Objectives
You must have clarity when it comes to establishing goals for the entire team. It is imperative to set clear expectations for each member to avoid problems. When the individuals understand their roles and responsibilities, the projects will flow seamlessly. Having a common goal in UX design is vital for success. You can make it easier by breaking large objectives into workable milestones. This helps the team not to feel overwhelmed by projects.
Furthermore, the manager should track the performance of each member to ensure everyone is handling their roles as required.
Employee Motivation
Another tip in UX management is to motivate the team. Most employees perform well when they are motivated. They are more fulfilled and double-their efforts for the success of the company. So, make it a priority to boost the morale of the team.
Apart from rewarding high performance, you need to encourage the members and appreciate their work. Open the lines of communication and understand each professional on a personal level. In addition, you can find out what makes them tick, their concerns, and their ambitions. This will make each team member feel respected and valued by the organization. When a designer is experiencing burnout, give them a few days off to recharge. UX is a field that requires creativity and a clear mind.
Opportunity For Growth
Learning does not stop when it comes to user experience. An excellent team is always on a quest to improve their skills. Thus, you need to create an environment that encourages growth.
Your team should not fear when they make an honest mistake. When it happens, encourage the members to try again. Failure is part of growth, and they will improve on the mistakes.
That is why it is important to hire individuals who are open to positive criticism and are curious to explore. Do not limit the team to stick to one creative path. Moreover, you can research and find out more avenues for UX growth. It could be in-house training or benchmarking trips to reputable organizations. Whatever the option, continuous learning should be the major goal.
Regular Research
As a manager, another way to manage your team is to allow them to research regularly. Encourage them to learn new skills, read books, and research new trends. This will stimulate their desire to become better researchers, designers, or writers, depending on their role on the UX team. Do not wait for a hi-tech project to start pushing the members to deliver top-notch products.
Mentorship
UX design is a creative field that usually works without stringent rules. Thus, managers should not micro-manage the team members. Each individual understands their role in the team and strives to attain the common goal. Let them explore their independence and develop effective solutions for each design project. You might have the right strategy, but you need to give the team room to present their ideas before you come in to guide them. Be a mentor instead of a dictator if you want mind-blowing results.
Respect for Diversity
The UX design team has individuals with different personalities and skillsets. One expert might have a unique strength that pushes a product’s success. In contrast, another one might have an important skill for the job. Thus, do not expect each designer to bring perfection to a project. You must be tolerant and appreciate the diversity in the team.
Conclusion
UX design requires a dedicated team to deliver excellent web products. With the rising demand for UX experts, you need to recruit skilled individuals who understand the significance of user experience. Apart from the skills, the people must fit into the company culture to ensure smooth processes.
As a manager, you need to lay out the roles and responsibilities of the team members. Also, don’t forget to facilitate an environment that is friendly to the team. The tips above will help you build and manage a top-notch team with impressive results.
