Boagworld: UX, Design Leadership, Marketing & Conversion Optimization

One of the most important policies you can ever set for your UX team is how you prioritize work. Without it, you risk becoming a firefighter running from one blaze to another, driven by who shouts loudest or whose deadline is closest. That’s no way to deliver meaningful user experience.Most of us are outnumbered. There will always be more requests than we can handle. The only way to keep your head above water is to establish a clear, fair, and transparent prioritization process. That’s where digital triage and a scoring system come in.Why Prioritization MattersMany UX teams I encounter work on a “first come, first served” basis. Or worse, they work on whatever task has the loudest advocate or the scariest deadline. None of these methods are fair or effective. They waste energy on low-value projects and leave your most important work sidelined.You need a way to make sure your time goes into projects that matter most. That means having two lines of defense: digital triage and a prioritization backlog.Step One: Digital TriageTriage is your first filter. When a request lands on your desk, don’t dive straight in. Pause and ask a few key questions:Business alignment: Does this support core business objectives? If your company’s main goal this quarter is customer retention, a flashy microsite for a one-off campaign probably doesn’t make the cut.Audience: Does it affect a primary audience group or just a fringe one? Improving onboarding for new customers has more weight than polishing a tool used by a handful of internal staff.User need: Is this solving a real, pressing problem for users, or is it just someone’s nice-to-have idea?Feasibility: Is it realistic with the resources available, or will it swallow months of effort for limited gain?If a request fails on most of these, it doesn’t mean it disappears forever. It just doesn’t deserve your attention right now. Triage is about protecting your limited capacity from being drained by low-impact work.Step Two: Score and Build Your BacklogWhen a job comes in, score it immediately. This scoring system is your triage method and determines where each request sits in your backlog. I use four simple criteria, each ranked 1 to 5:Business alignment: 5 if it's central to strategy, 1 if it's unrelated.Effort required: 5 if trivial, 1 if it's huge.User group impact: 5 if it affects your core audience, 1 if it barely touches anyone.User need: 5 if it addresses a critical need, 1 if it's minor.Add up the scores, and you've got a clear view of where each project belongs in your prioritized backlog.As new jobs come in, they are assessed and then slotted into the appropriate place in the backlog.An ExampleSay marketing asks for a new landing page. You score it like this:Business alignment: 4 (supports acquisition, a current business goal)Effort required: 3 (will take some design and dev time, but manageable)User group impact: 2 (only affects one segment, not core users)User need: 3 (helps users, but not a burning problem)That gives a total of 12 out of 20. Useful, but not top priority. It slots into your backlog beneath projects with higher scores.The beauty of this system is that you’re not saying “no.” You’re simply placing requests in order. Lower-value work naturally slides to the bottom of the pile.Managing the BacklogKeep your backlog visible. Maintain separate lists if you handle both major projects and small “business as usual” work.I recommend most digital teams are split into two work streams. One focuses on “business as usual” (optimization), the other on larger, future focused projects (innovation.Whenever a new request comes in, score it and slot it in transparently. This takes the politics out of the process. People can see for themselves why their project sits where it does.Over time, you’ll find the backlog itself becomes a communication tool. It helps you show leadership how much demand there is and how you’re focusing on the projects that deliver the most value.Handling PushbackOf course, not everyone will like where their project lands. Here’s how to handle it and some of the common objections you’ll hear:Urgent queue-jumpers: Make it policy that deadlines are agreed with you upfront. If someone comes late in the process, they may need to go to an external supplier. A common objection here is: “But what if everything feels urgent?” The truth is, not everything can be urgent. If everything is top priority, nothing really is. Triage forces tough but necessary trade-offs.Disagreements over scoring: Define an escalation path. If stakeholders challenge your scoring, who makes the final call? Having this agreed in advance avoids endless debates.Some worry: “Doesn’t scoring everything slow us down?” In practice, scoring is quick, just minutes of work that save weeks of wasted effort on the wrong priorities.Stakeholders ignoring the backlog: Digital Triage needs to be approved as an organizational policy, not your personal system. When leadership endorses it, people tend to fall inline, especially when you don’t back down.Leadership overrides: When senior managers bypass the system, don’t resist. Instead, invite them to refine the scoring criteria so they better reflect leadership’s priorities. Often this nudges them back toward consistency.Perception of bureaucracy: Some will say, “Isn’t this just bureaucracy?” Not if you keep it simple. A lightweight scoring system and transparent backlog is far less bureaucratic than endless meetings arguing over priorities.The great thing about this approach is that it prevents you from being perceived as the bottleneck or the “bad guy.” As I said in the last lesson, policies are not personal. You are just implementing a policy equally to all and working within the resources you have been given.Why It WorksThis approach makes your workload transparent, fair, and defensible. It reduces politics and ensures your energy goes into projects with the biggest impact on both users and the business. Most importantly, it shifts you from reactive firefighting to proactive leadership.This system has another hidden benefit for UX professionals. You too can submit projects to be scored alongside everyone else's requests.Because of your knowledge and experience, these strategic UX initiatives will typically rank well when scored against business objectives and user needs. This means all that strategic work you've always wanted to do (like user research, design system improvements, or accessibility audits) won't keep getting pushed to the bottom of the pile in favor of tactical requests.Next time, we're going to talk about bringing all of these policies and procedures, alongside training material, together into a digital playbook. Find The Latest Show Notes

In this episode, we look at why trust is key to good UX, especially with scams, deepfakes, and AI blurring the line between helpful and deceptive. We also ask if emotion-reading apps are helpful or just unsettling, and explore the tricky process of turning services into products. Plus, we discuss a framework from Nielsen Norman Group, tackle a listener's question on productization, and end with Marcus's joke.App of the WeekCheck out Emotion Sense Pro—a Chrome extension that analyzes micro‑expressions and emotional tone in real time during Google Meet calls, while keeping all data safely on your device. It's privacy-first, insightful, and a bit unsettling. But if you're moderating user tests, hosting webinars, or running interviews, it gives a useful look into unseen emotional cues.Topic of the Week: Trust as Your UX SuperpowerThis week's topic dives into why trust is absolutely essential in today's digital landscape. Here's a summary of what was discussed, but we encourage you to listen to the whole show for more detailed insights.We're convinced trust isn't optional, it's foundational. Amid a haze of misinformation, broken customer promises, slick AI-generated content, and user fatigue, building trust isn't just ethical, it's strategic.Why Trust Is Harder to Earn (But More Rewarding)Trust isn't automatic anymore. Big brands used to get the benefit of the doubt. Now users are skeptical. Scams and data breaches have made people cautious. Small problems like unfamiliar checkout pages, strange wording, or awkward user flows make people suspicious.UX Choices That Build (or Break) TrustKeep your visuals and interface consistent so users don't have to work hard. When people get confused, they put their guard up. Think about clicking through to a payment page with no familiar branding. That tiny moment can kill trust. Messages like "Only 3 left in stock" can seem manipulative if users don't trust you yet.Speak Like a HumanTalking about "the company" instead of "we" creates distance. Use normal conversation with "you" and "we" instead of "students" or "customers." Skip the marketing language. And remember that if your photos don't show people like your users, they might leave without saying why.Trust-Building in ActionHere are concrete steps that showcase trust-building in real-world scenarios. Implementing these practices can transform how users perceive and interact with your digital experiences:Audit for trust breakpoints. Look for spots where your UI might confuse users.Loop in legal early. This stops compliance from ruining your tone with last-minute jargon.Test trust directly. Ask "Would you feel comfortable sharing your data here?" during testing.Use authentic social proof. Link testimonials to sources, use third-party reviews. Even better? Simple, unpolished video testimonials.Prioritize clarity over cleverness. Skip the buzzwords.Make human support obvious. This is one of the strongest trust signals you can offer.Trust runs through every part of your experience. Get it right and it becomes your biggest advantage.Read of the WeekThis week's read is "Hierarchy of Trust: The 5 Experiential Levels of Commitment" by Nielsen Norman Group. They outline a trust pyramid:Baseline trust. Can the site meet my needs?Interest & preference. Is this better than alternatives?Trust with personal info. Worth registering?Trust with sensitive data. Can I trust you with payments?Long-term commitment. Will I come back?Main point? Don't ask for level-3 or level-4 commitments before earning levels 1 and 2. Users leave when you push for sign-ups or newsletter pop-ups too early. Build trust in stages.Listener Question of the Week"Is productizing my services a good idea, and if so, how should I approach it?It depends. Productisation can add clarity but might limit your value by putting your service in a rigid box. We find it works better to focus on outcomes rather than fixed processes.If you do want to productise:Focus on the outcome, not the deliverable. Example: "Conversion rate strategy" not "5 interviews and wireframes."Stay flexible. Your process should change as the project develops.Don't use fixed pricing that punishes change.Think about your service's value, not just features.Most of us will get further with a custom toolkit and clear outcomes than a one-size-fits-all "product."Marcus’s Joke“I removed the shell from my racing snail. I thought it would make it faster, but if anything, it’s more sluggish.” Find The Latest Show Notes

In this discussion, Sarah Zama, the UX Lead at the University of Oxford with a passion for enhancing design, shares her insights on navigating UX in a decentralized environment. She reveals her journey of establishing a UX center of excellence and fostering a culture of user-centered design. The conversation touches on Apple’s design shortcomings regarding accessibility and humorous thoughts on AI wearables. Additionally, Sarah introduces the Zuko Form Analytics app, a game-changer for optimizing user engagement and conversion.

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Discover how emotional design can elevate user experiences beyond mere usability. The conversation reveals surprising insights about friction enhancing interactions and the importance of creating memorable interfaces. There's a critical look at AI-powered design tools, showcasing both their limitations and potential for user research. The hosts share personal anecdotes, including adventurous plans and wedding updates, while offering tips for giving constructive feedback in a collaborative environment. Expect a mix of humor and valuable design wisdom!

Unlock the secrets to redefining your role as a UX design leader and taking charge of your influence in organizations. Discover the precarious state of UX agencies and how they can thrive amidst evolving challenges. Explore the dual nature of AI as both a boon and a distraction, reshaping collaboration in UX design. This week’s tool, UXPressia, empowers teams to visualize customer journeys and engage non-designers in research. Dive into strategies for enhancing your impact and embracing a new era of user experience!

Dive into the fascinating world of invisible user research, where UX practitioners learn to conduct vital research seamlessly without stakeholder buy-in. Explore the challenges of UX debt and the importance of integrating research into daily workflows. Discover the versatile user-testing platform, Useberry, which simplifies the user research process with its affordable and scalable options. The discussion also touches on the delicate balance of accessibility in design and the pivotal role of design leaders in navigating organizational expectations.