7 Things to Know about Building a User Experience Team
 
Date: 2/28/02
1. Make sure each team member clearly understands the underlying business case for the user experience, and the measures of success.
For team members whose formal background does not include business or marketing, make sure the business goals and drivers are explained in a language they can understand. "Maximize channel return" means nothing to team members who aren't fluent in the concept of ROI.
 
2. Executives and managers should set the standard for "customer-centric" behavior.
Customer-centric means the customer comes first, all the time. We've actually observed executives making fun of customers during usability testing, behind the one-way mirror but in front of marketing and development teams. Behaviors like this set a precedent for team members to believe the customer experience is a joke.
   
3. Hire only team members who are driven to develop the best customer experience - for the customer.
We've observed as a best practice among firms that have developed successful online experiences: hire only people who are excited about developing the best user experience for the customer. Not the jazziest designs for their portfolios. And not to show off their technical prowess.
   
4.

Make ongoing conversation about user experience a part of the company culture.
Hold a monthly lunchtime discussion about user experience, discussing the top usability issues that are challenging the development team or showing up in testing. In an inclusive - not accusatory - manner, discuss how to best deal with these issues effectively.
   
5. Be fluent in the analysis of customer experience data.
Understand how the blend of qualitative (observational) and quantitative (analytic) techniques now tie performance of the user experience to the satisfaction of business goals. Use the most appropriate and cost-effective tools - ranging from using off-the-shelf web site log-file analysis tools, low-cost usability testing, or hiring a specialist firm to perform the analysis and provide a report.
   
6. Understand the impact of integration - or lack thereof - on the user experience.
The best customer experiences fail if their value is hindered by a lack of integration. Know how the delivery platform(s) and the underlying pipes impact the user experience. For example, if dependencies on an underlying personalization engine constrains the layout of the front-end user interface, know how users will react and how these constraints will affect the business.
   
7. Encourage team members to continually learn about new techniques, practices and technologies to enhance their skills in developing better customer experiences.
While some techniques never change - like the time-honored usability technique of observing users performing tasks - new practices, techniques and thinking are constantly adding to what we know about the discipline and practice of user experience. Encourage team members to be active learners to continually enhance their skills in developing, designing and measuring the success of user experiences.
 
 

© 2002, Karen Donoghue. All rights reserved.