Organization Design for Design Organizations - CanUX 2015

Organization Design for Design Organizations Peter Merholz e: [email protected] t: @peterme

To deliver great user experiences…

I just need to get the design rightstrategy

organization

Why are companies investing more in design?

Generates new business value Software is eating the world

The Expanding Role of Design

All design is service design

Definition Execution

Definitio

n / Requirem

entsIterative design Implem

entation

Strategy and plan, aka “Build the right thing.”

Working through tradeoffs to deliver optimal solution, aka “Build the thing right.”

Ideation/Generation

Understand the market

Product Strategy

Prototype

Customer empathy Ideation

Experience strategy

Prototype solutions

Flesh out solution Refine

Sketch options

Test prototypes

User test Build

design makes strategy concrete design supports delightful, engaging experiences

Plan Ship

Analyze

By Peter Merholz, http://peterme.com. If you use it, please attribute it. Thanks.

Initial Insight

Design informs planning

Henrik Kniberg

The Three-Legged Stool

product/servicebu

sine

ss

tech

nolo

gy

desi

gnAdapted from Don Norman

Organizational Models for Design Teams

Capability Assessment

1 ft

SurfaceTypography, color, layout, interface design, spacing, animation, transitions

40%

10,000 ft

1,000 ft

The Big PictureIntegrated view of company’s entire offering, brand traits

5%

100 ft

StrategyRequirements, briefs, desired results, planning, vision, campaign concepts

15%

10 ft

StructureFlows, service blueprints, wireframes, wayfinding, navigation, brand standards and guidelines, visual language

40%

Centralized Internal ServicesYour in-house agency Project-based, organized by function

PROS

Strong design community Clear lines of authority

Wide range of projects

Interface consistency

Efficiencies of work product

Optimized headcount

CONS

Design is not strategic Little influence on important “upstream” decisions

Designers easily dismissed

Us vs Them Business unit disconnection

D D

DP P P P P P

E E

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E

E

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DE

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page

CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/Reviews

D D DDD

Leadership

Decentralized and Embedded

Decentralized and EmbeddedEveryone Gets A Designer! Program-based

PROS

Business units gain control Part of the team

Design included throughout entire lifecycle

Feeling of ownership Quick iterations post-launch

CONS One narrow problem for a long time Lonely

Fractured user experience

Less efficient use of time and people

So, you’re screwed either way?

D D

DP P P P P P

E E

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E

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DE

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page


D D DDD

Leadership

S S

DP P P P P P

E E

E E

E E

E E

E E

E E

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E E

E

E

E

E

DE

D D D

DD

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page


Leadership

S S

DP P P P P P

E E

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E

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DE

D D D

DD

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page


Leadership

Centralized Partnership

Centralized PartnershipBest of both worlds Designers supported in career, development, and day-to-day. Design teams maintain commitment across a meaningful set of products/features. Yet centralization helps maintain a holistic view across the entire customer experience. Freedom to shift after ‘tours of duty’. Not disrupted by inevitable re-organizations.

Think in terms of design teams

Structure of each design team

4-7 folks Singular strong leadership

• Manages down – gets the most and best out of their team • Manages across – collaborates with cross-functional partners • Manages up – presents to executives and other stakeholders

Best organized around business problems, not functions Spread of skills – strategy, planning, research, IxD, IA, visual design, prototyping

10,000 ft

1 ft

10 ft

100 ft

1,000 ft

S

S

D

DD

DD



Product Strategy

Prototype


Experience strategy

Prototype solutions

Flesh out solution Refine

Sketch options

Test prototypes

User test Build

Initial Insight Plan Ship

Analyze




Product Strategy

Prototype


Experience strategy

Initial Insight


Plan

That said...



Product Strategy

Prototype


Experience strategy

Initial Insight


Plan

It’s better to iterate here...

...than here

Organize for the customer journey

If you’re designing for this...

Then it is senseless to have marketing and product/UX design on different teams. It’s all the same customer journey.

Keep teams focused on user types

Search / Browse Details Purchase

List Offering Enter Details

Redeem

Redeem

Review

Analyze

BUYER

SELLER Sell item

Search / Browse

Keep teams focused on user types

Details Purchase

List Offering Enter Details

Redeem

Redeem

Review

Analyze

BUYER

SELLER

Book

UpdateCalendar

Make a Reservation

Sell item

Where does Design report?

Creative Operational

photo: David Shankbone

Designers can keep a lot of other people busy

S S

DP P P P P P

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D D D

DD

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

6

21-31

With a 1) centralized partnership, 2) teams with strong leadership, 3) influencing definition, and 4) a relatively small team, you have leverage.

Leverage = Power

There’s no reason design can’t be the driving force.

We just need confidence, evidence, and commitment.

One more thing...

D D

DP P P P P P

E E

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E E

E E

E E

E

E

E

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DE

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page


D D DDD

Leadership

Decentralized and Embedded

S S

DP P P P P P

E E

E E

E E

E E

E E

E E

E E

E E

E

E

E

E

DE

D D D

DD

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page


Leadership

Centralized Partnership

Technology Features Experience

S S

DP P P P P P

E E

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DE

D D D

DD

DESIGN

PRODUCTMGMT

ENGINEERING

Search/Browse

Product Page


Leadership

Still stuck in a “features” world

S S

Design Team

D D D

DD

Shopping Experience

Gifting

Merchandising

Sharing

Social

Wishlists

In-store pickup

Style guidePLUS

Search/Browse

Product Page


Thank you for your consideration.Peter Merholz e: [email protected] t: @peterme

Organization Design for Design Organizations - CanUX 2015

Design

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