Gfi is changing. We want to provide our customers not only top of the line technological solutions but also such that will delight end users and give maximum value.
That’s why we decided to focus more on User Experience competencies. But, how do you come about in such a technology-centric environment? We started by looking at some UX Maturity Models, spoke with other specialists in the field and came up with a plan.
The first step – go to the teams. Our UX specialist, Dorota Rajska, knows exactly that nothing can be forced on software engineers, but if you ask them how do they see it, and where UX could be valuable to them, it just might work.
Dorota set off on a quest with a series of individual interviews, that helped her understand what do developers expect from UXers.
That’s why we decided to focus more on User Experience competencies.
Dorota
Here it goes:
- “That they are open to collaboration”
- “They won’t promise anything that we can’t build”
- “Teach me, so that I can build better screens”
- “They’ll not only design the look of a screen but also transitions between screens”
- “That they know the platform on which the system will run, i.e. iOS, Android or Desktop”
- “They will take on the part of discussing requirements with the customers and end-users”
- “That I can suggest my ideas on their designs”
- “A second opinion on what I’ve created”
- “That there is a reason behind they’re ideas, not only their opinion”
- “The UX Designer has to be a part of the team, they cannot disappear once they’ve done their part. They should be available to answer questions”.
- “They have to know their craft, where to put buttons or how the screen should look”
- “Deliver styles and iconography”
- “UX has been entering the project at the right time, meaning at the very beginning. If they come in once the system is already built and they’re changing things, it’s only going to frustrate everyone”
That’s quite a broad understanding of help, and to be totally honest – some of the answers surprised our UX Designer. However, we believe that they will help us work out a strategy, that welcomes the new role in our Organization and not perceives it as an intruder that comes and dictates “This is how things are going to work from now on”.
