D E S I G N I N G & D R I V I N G U X C A R E E R SA F R A M E W O R K f o r E M P O W E R I N G U X T E A M S

Ian Swinson Global Head of UX, Anaplan @iswinson

Background & Inspiration

Career & Coaching Framework

Workshop Overview

A G E N D A

W E S TA R T E D S M A L L

T H E N G R E W - I N S I Z E A N D D I V E R S I T Y

A N D E V E N T U A L LY S P L I T

C O M P L E X I T Y ! = C L A R I T Y

Team of 90+ Designers, Researchers & Prototypers

TA K I N G S T O C K

W E H A D A N A L I G N M E N T P R O B L E MS O U N D S L I K E A N O P P O R T U N I T Y F O R D E S I G N T H I N K I N G

1. Hiring

2. Nurturing talent

3. Tracking careers

4. Building teams

5. Tracking team success

6. Maintaining culture & values

U N I V E R S A L U X C H A L L E N G E S

S O M E G O O D . S O M E B A D . Consistent coaching was tr icky

E A C H 1 : 1 W A S D I F F E R E N T

R O L E S

Associate

Staff

Senior

Lead

Principal

Architect

PrincipalArchitect

Chief DesignOfficer

Manager

SeniorManager

Director

SeniorDirector

Vice President

This is a big deal! Or...is it? SVP

R O L E S

?

Creative Director

Interaction Designer

UX Designer

Design Strategist

Product Lead

Program Manager

User Interface Designer

HTML Programmer

Product Manager

UX Director

Information ArchitectProduct Designer

Usability Analyst

User Researcher

Pixel Ninja

Experience Architect

Service Designer

Creative Technologist

“The Graphics Person”

Front-End Engineer

Prototyper

Experience Architect

Visual Designer

Graphic Designer

W H AT ’ S T H E R I G H T PAT H ?

D O Y O U N E E D A PAT H ?

LADDER vs FRAMEWORK

L A D D E R S A R E L I N E A R C A R E E R S A R E N O T

UX pros with master’s degrees follow the same pattern as their colleagues with undergraduate degrees: that is, no pattern.http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-career-advice/

W H Y D O N ’ T W E T R E AT C A R E E R S L I K E D E S I G N P R O J E C T S ?

F R A M E W O R KP U T T I N G I T T O G E T H E R

A B I L I T I E S F R A M E W O R K

Culture

Innovation

Core Skills

Personal Skills

Team Skills

Knowledge

Technical

Communication

Leadership

Design

Research

A B I L I T I E S F R A M E W O R K

Culture

Innovation

Core Skills

Personal Skills

Team Skills

Knowledge

Technical

Communication

Leadership

Design

Research

A B I L I T I E S F R A M E W O R K

Culture

Innovation

Core Skills

Personal Skills

Team Skills

Knowledge

Technical

Communication

Leadership

Design

Research

A B I L I T I E S F R A M E W O R K

Culture

Innovation

Core Skills

Personal Skills

Team Skills

Knowledge

Technical

Communication

Leadership

Design

Research

Design

Research

Knowledge

Technical

Communication

Leadership

Culture

Innovation

Product Skills

Personal Skills

Team Skills

Design ImpactYou drive the design and delivery

InteractionFrom concepts to whiteboards to prototyping VisualYou make beautiful products PrototypingYou know when and which method to use ToolsYou’re on top of your game for the requisite tools ProcessYou utilize them effectively and appropriately ResearchYour design and process is driven by insights

CORE

Research ImpactYou drive the research and strategic direction

CommunicationYour message is clearly conveyed, heard, and respected

EmpathyYou bring customer data to life MethodologiesYou know when and which method to use KnowledgeYou continue to improve product expertise RoadmapYou accurately plan the research for a release DomainYou understand the problem space and customer needs

CORE

Knowledge CustomerYou know the Personas, company types, sizes, etc. for your product area. You know how your customers use your product.

Product You know your product(s) and product lines

Industry/CompetitiveYou know the overall industry and related products Company/BusinessYou know the why/how/what of your company vision and how you compete within your industry or market Organization AwarenessYou can effectively navigate the organization. You know how UX operates and fits into the company at large.

PERSONAL

Technical Systems ThinkingYou are an architect at heart. You bring new perspective to problems to provide system-level insights and innovations.

HTMLYou can code quickly and semantically

CSSYou can control your semantic code effectively and create pixel-perfect designs JS/JQuery/Framer.jsYour prototypes are rich, interactive & feel like a real product DatStat/Morae/Eye Tracking You leverage a rich collection of tools to increase design and research effectiveness

PERSONAL

Communication DailyYou’re transparent with your manager and teams

PresentationsFrom Keynotes to prototypes...you communicate effectively

WrittenFrom emails to blogs...you are a clear, concise, compelling and convincing writer MeetingsYou involve the right people at the right time. You clearly communicate action items and decisions. ResourcefulnessYou leverage the company and network to remove blockers Leveraging Feedback/Reviews You collect feedback and apply it to gain insights and build relationships

PERSONAL

Leadership Product You know your product inside and out. Competitors too.

MentoringYou take time to help co-workers develop their skills

ProcessYou know the process, how to use it and help your co-workers identify opportunities to improve. Design/ResearchYou are sought for your expertise. You are a multiplying factor in the quality of work produced by your teammates and co-workers. CustomerYou have a detailed understanding of your customers, their needs, and day-to-day tasks

PERSONAL

Culture OptimisticYou bring a positive, collaborative and engaging attitude to your work and the team

Solution FocusedIdentifying problems is easy. You’re driven to find solutions.

Team BuilderYou reach out and build relationships beyond your core team. You build relationships across disciplines. Customer OutreachYou comport yourself professionally, cordially and enthusiastically when interacting with customers. Curiosity is your guide. MotivatorYou actively support your team members - both professionally and personally

TEAM

Innovation FuturistYou think beyond the current scope of your road map. You invent entirely new business opportunities.

TechnologyYou are in touch with the latest gadgets, trends, technology, competitors, frameworks, etc.

PatentsYou actively identify opportunities to protect your intellectual property. ProcessYou recognize that invention goes far beyond products. You are constantly looking for new ways to practice your craft. FearlessYou are fearless. You are dauntless in your next to deliver better experiences.

TEAM

Design

Resea

rch

Knowled

ge

Techn

ical

Commun

icatio

n

Lead

ership

Innov

ation

Culture

Project Skills Personal Skills Team Skills

Current

+1

+2

-2

-1

1

3

5=over

=at

=under

G O A L S A S S E S S M E N T

Design

Resea

rch

Knowled

ge

Techn

ical

Commun

icatio

n

Lead

ership

Innov

ation

Culture

Project Skills Personal Skills Team Skills

Current

+1

+2

-2

-1

1

3

5=over

=at

=under

A B I L I T I E S A S S E S S M E N T i n A C T I O N

V I S U A L I Z E Y O U R T E A M

Design Research

Culture Innovation

Technical Knowledge

Leadership Communication

1

5

3

2

4

T H E 8 - S I D E D D I E

T H E T O T E MD I D S O M E O N E S A Y D n D ?

TH

E T

OT

EM

T H E W O R K S H O P

The future is not something that happens to you. The future is something you do. Glen Hiemstra, futurist.com

Your career is the one project you will exclusively own.

Make it a great one!

Individual

W O R K S H O P F L O W

Pre-work

Iterate

Workshop

Manager check-in

Implement

8 - 10 Participants

Mix it up

Different roles and disciplines

Varying levels of seniority

Pull from different teams

W O R K S H O P AT T E N D E E S

Who are you? What’s your brand?

What are your prior experiences?

Where are you now? Where do you want to be?

Planning. Values, Vision and Goals.

Building your network.

Defining your north star.

Set your itinerary.

W O R K S H O P A G E N D A

Exercise 1: Setting your compass

1: Who Are You?

My name is __________________ and I am a ___________________

at _____________________. I work in __________________,

__________________, on the _____________ which is famous for

making the best ____________________ ever. I’ve attended _____

design conferences and been in the industry for _____ years.

My current position is __________________________. When I was

10-years-old I wanted to be a(n)_______________________________.

I work best in environments that are __________________________.

Customers of my work appreciate me because I’m ______________.

I feel most productive after __________________________.

My super power is _______________________. If there’s one thing

I’d like to get out of today’s workshop it would be: ___________

name role (not title)

company

product

title or role

adjective

noun /occupation

noun

activity

why?

city

country team

#

#

walmartlabs

Brand yourself for the career you want, not the job you have.

Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.

Dan Schawbel, 2010

Chris Drucker, 2010

Exercise 2: Mapping where you’ve been

Role: Type of work? Responsibilities?Common deliverables?

Current Experience

Environment:Describe the company. Size? Industry? Product catagory? Team dynamic?

The best parts were:What were they and why?

The worst parts were:What were they and why?

Use the space provided to reflect on your past experiences with professional development.

What have you learned?

3a: Reflection

Role: Type of work? Responsibilities?Common deliverables?

Your previous job

Environment:Describe the company. Size? Industry? Product catagory? Team dynamic?

The best parts were:What were they and why?

The worst parts were:What were they and why?

Use the space provided to reflect on your past experiences with professional development.

What have you learned?

3b: Reflection

Exercise 3: Where are you now?

Use the metrics below to help assess your skills as they are today. Feel free to make it more meaningful to you or your role by customizing the categories and specific skills associated.

What have you learned?

4a: Assessment

Impact

Interaction

Visual

Tools

Process Knowledge

Research

Impact

Flexibility

Tools

Prioritization Skills

Functionality / Logic

Appearance

Interactions

Impact

Communication

Empathy

Methods

Roadmap

Domain Expertise

ResearchPrototypingDesign

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

Plot where you are today with an X in each column below. Then go back and mark where you want to be with a circle. Which gaps are you most excited about closing? Which ones feel most urgent?

Where do you want to be?

4d: Assessment

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

1 5

ResearchPrototypingDesign

CommunicationTechnicalKnowledge

InnovationCultureLeadership

Exercise 4: Planning your path

The future is not something that happens to you. The future issomething you do.

Glen Hiemstra, futurist.com

walmartlabs

5c: Goal #1

What do you want to accomplish?

What might get in your way?

How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal?

Exercise 5: Building Your Network

Types of mentors

StrategicBusinessOrganizational AwarenessStrategic AlliesExternal View points

OperationalGenerally technical and functional contactsHelp you get your job done

Types of mentors

Personal AdviceOrganizational insightProfessional / Personal development

Your network is your net worth.Porter Gale, 2013

walmartlabs6: Connections

Name & Role

Meeting frequency

Why did you select this person? How will they help?

Name & Role

Meeting frequency

Why did you select this person? How will they help?

Name & Role

Meeting frequency

Why did you select this person? How will they help?

Exercise 6: Defining your north star

walmartlabs

I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life'.

Maya Angelou

7: Future Plan 1.0

Where?

How?

What?

Who?

Wrap Up: The Itinerary

8: Your Itinerary

Values

1 2 3

1 2 3

Vision

Goals

Connections

walmartlabs

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life...Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

Everything else is secondary.Steve Jobs

Standardized language

Recognized careers as a design project

Built identity and camaraderie

Efficiency gains in 1:1’s

Promotion cycles with minimal debate

Empowered employees and managers

R E S U LT S

Ian Swinson

Global Head of UX, Anaplan

@iswinson

T H A N K S !

ian.swinson@anaplan.com

The Smart Business Platform™

Your career is the one project you will exclusively own.

Make it a great one!