The transition from 'UX for Beginners' to 'UX for Business' highlights the need for designers to align with business goals and navigate real-world challenges effectively.
The VDP framework helps designers structure their approach to UX by focusing on value delivery, diagnosing issues, and utilizing empirical evidence for solution refinement.
Deep dives
The Evolution of UX Knowledge
The journey from writing 'UX for Beginners' to 'UX for Business' reflects the evolution of understanding UX in the professional world. Initially sparked by a need to educate non-designers in a creative agency, these teachings morphed into blog posts that amassed substantial attention, leading to the first book's publication. The success of 'UX for Beginners' revealed a gap, as many newly minted designers reached out for guidance on navigating complex, real-world design challenges. This prompted the creation of 'UX for Business', which seeks to answer questions about handling practical issues in design, such as managing expectations and addressing the irrational requests typical in corporate settings.
Understanding the Designer-Business Relationship
A notable tension exists between UX designers and business stakeholders, primarily due to a lack of mutual understanding. Designers often focus on design principles and tools, whereas business professionals typically emphasize practical outcomes, leading to communication breakdowns. The podcast highlights that the ultimate goal of UX is to support business functions rather than compete with them, and designers must understand the business context to effectively communicate their ideas. This realization can bridge the gap and ensure that designers speak the language of business, thereby fostering collaboration and reducing friction.
The VDP Framework: A Guiding Principle
The VDP framework—Value, Diagnosis, and Probability—serves as a mental model for tackling UX challenges in a structured manner. The first component, Value, emphasizes understanding what fundamental benefits a product delivers to both users and the business. Following this, Diagnosis involves identifying pain points within the user experience that hinder achieving value, often using user research to pinpoint specific obstacles. Lastly, Probability allows designers to refine solutions based on empirical evidence, understanding that the arrangement of elements within a design can influence user behavior and interaction outcomes significantly.
Empowering Designers in Real-World Scenarios
The podcast discusses the importance of empowering designers to take initiative without constantly seeking permission from stakeholders. By reframing their approach to design work, designers can feel more confident in experimenting and creating prototypes that demonstrate their ideas, even in the absence of explicit approval. This proactive stance not only fosters a culture of innovation but allows designers to tackle real-world challenges effectively. The emphasis on making decisions based on the value and diagnostic work performed, rather than seeking validation, encourages designers to take ownership of their contributions to the business.
S03E08 (#336). Inspired by feedback from his booked UX for beginners, Joel Marsh has written UX for business. A comprehensive guide for designers navigating real-world challenges. We talk to him about his own journey from design principles to practical business applications.
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