Multi-tasking
I currently work on a team of two designers and one researcher supporting a space that has 75 unique products and 30 product managers. While it’s all part of a larger organization, the pillar we occupy is horizontal with vast differences in product functionality and purpose.
Design Strategy
As the product and UX team grew in size, we needed to formalize our intake and project tracking process to promote better planning, communication, and visibility.
An Informal UX Process
Integrating UX Into a New Space
Before I joined the team, there was no UX presence. Most of the teams had not previously engaged with UX. In addition to working with the teams to show UX processes and what can be delivered, one of the biggest hurdles was how to manage all of the requests.
As the only designer at the time, I had an informal process with a simple spreadsheet tracker and monthly check-ins, but many ad hoc requests came directly to me and questions about prioritization prompted a need for more constant communication. I updated and organized the spreadsheet, started an office hours, and switched to bi-weekly check-ins. This is the beginning of the formalized process we have today.
What Was Working
- Visibility of the tracker
- Bi-weekly check-ins allowed us to re-evaluate priorities quickly
- Office hours for small/ad hoc requests
What Could Be Improved
- Product may not always know when/how to involve UX
- Unsure how to utilize office hours
- Projects change in scope and are carried over constantly
Formalizing the Process
Intake Forms, Two Week Sprints, and Pre-Sprint Syncs
In collaboration with my growing UX team, we built a simple process that made it easier for our product partners to engage with us:
#1 Intake Form
We asked that our intake form is used for all design and research requests whether they be big, small, and ambiguous. Most of the questions we asked in this form came directly from the spreadsheet intake I had created before to help transition the team into this new process.
#2 Backlog and Tracker
I migrated our projects into Asana and new requests are automatically added and assigned in our backlog so that we can provide the requester with a response within 48 hours:
- Letting them know we saw the request and will engage when project dates are closer or
- Follow up with next steps like joining us in Office Hours to get more details on the project.
#3: Grooming and Pre-Sprint Syncs
Our Bi-weekly check-ins turned into formal two week sprints with a Pre-Sprint sync meeting that was used to make sure our stakeholders and our UX team were in alignment on the priorities.
UX took the lead on facilitating these prioritization efforts. I started a grooming session one day before our Pre-sprint syncs so that the UX team could share background on the different requests, select the projects we planned to start in the new sprint, and assign tasks.
Leading the Conversations
I ran the grooming meetings and the pre-sprint syncs. During the syncs, I share the projects we were carrying over and the projects we would be starting. I check in with the projects currently in the backlog and give space for stakeholders to address anything our team missed. The goal of these meetings is to make sure we were in alignment on the priorities prior to kicking off the new projects for the new sprint.
Continuing to improve
Capacity Tracking, Documentation, and Priority By Project
Our team is small, but mighty and we are continuing to look for ways to improve our process. While there are benefits to this current process, there are still some opportunities for improvement.
What Works
Better utilization of office hours
Dedicated space to talk about upcoming projects and now stakeholders are more comfortable signing up on their own
UX led prioritization
Prioritization according to our understanding of the needs, goals, and our bandwidth while making sure there’s alignment with our stakeholders
Needs Improvement
Handling long-term projects spanning multiple sprints
Design projects can be lengthy depending on when UX is brought in, requirements, and iteration cycles. Many projects carry over multiple sprints.
Kanban vs Agile
Even with 2 week sprints cycles, how we choose projects is more kanban/ad hoc than agile
Lessons Learned
While this works for consultative or ad hoc requests, it doesn’t replace the need for a dedicated UX roadmap. We’ve worked with the team and other UX stakeholders to better identify priorities and UX allocation. Having a set priority list would better allow the UX team to plan and own the products spaces.
We are still using the agile model we’ve implemented, but are doing so in addition to a prioritized roadmap. Our intake process is now used more for smaller requests, requests outside of the roadmap, office hours, and UX reviews.