Lauren Hanford

Most designers are trained to present work to our peers, but as your career matures, your audience expands to include many other departments who don’t speak “design”. This article resonated with me and offers some sage advice about the use of storytelling and a “business lens” to craft more compelling presentations. #ProductDesign #Storytelling #UserResearch #BusinessObjectives

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I'd like to share some valuable lessons that have completely transformed the way I approach communications. Plus, I've added some tips for product designers and design partners. 💡Case 1: Answer the Question I thought I knew how to answer questions until I got this feedback: "When an executive asks you a question, start with a clear 'yes' or 'no', or state 'I don't know, but I will get back to you by X date'." While variations exist, the key is to answer the question first. Too much information usually doesn't help - Answer the question, then let them ask probing questions. This advice resonated with me so much that I created a desktop wallpaper to look at it every day. 🤝 Case 2: Manage Meeting Effectively Another tip I learned is how to manage meetings. Based on tips from mentors and coworkers, here are three essential points to remember: 1. Why we are here: Ensure every meeting has a clear purpose. No one has time for irrelevant meetings. 2. What we aim to achieve: Clearly define the meeting's objectives. 3. What decisions we will make: Identify decision-makers and criteria.
 Applying this to design meetings, merely sharing in-progress designs often lacks value. Instead, structure the meeting to: 1. Clearly define the meeting's purpose and type: For example, specify if it’s a review and instruct people on the type of review you need. 2. Clarify the objectives: Are we finalizing designs to send to engineering, or aligning on problem statements with products? 3. Identify decision-makers and criteria for decisions: Then, make a decision. Of course, in both cases, summarize the outcome of the meetings and share it right away. ✨ Case 3: Clarify Expectations At workplaces, confusion and fires happen. Sometimes you're not sure what's going on. You don't want to overpromise or overstep, but you need to know what action is required. When I heard this question "What am I accountable for?" in the middle of a foggy meeting, my brain just cleared. Yes. We need clear ownership and accountability to navigate ambiguous situations. It was a sentence that resonated with me, and I still remember how we were able to move on to the next steps. To build on this, I also advise my partners to communicate their asks clearly. I hear a variety of design requests. Some people articulate their asks with intended outcomes, expectations, and timelines, while others just share desires and disappear. Clarity in your asks is key—it's almost a job requirement. Remember, others can't read your mind. If you believe in your idea, it's important to articulate it clearly. #CommunicationTips #ProductDesign #DesignPartnerships

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Over the years I've tried many approaches to design critiques with the teams I've managed. Without fail these 4 simple principles impact the effectiveness of design critiques greater than anything else when established as ground rules. For presenters: ✦ Describe the problem you're solving ✦ State the target audience* ✦ Specify the feedback you're seeking All of the above can be done in less than a minute, either verbally or in written format. For participants: ✦ Ask questions before comments "I think you should go with blue instead of red" is less effective than first asking "Why did you choose red for this?" The additional context that comes from asking questions will lead to more effective feedback. Design critiques are the easiest and most important thing design teams can do to improve design quality. Alone they are not a silver bullet. But they are the foundation for all other improvements to design quality. If you're not holding regular design critiques (usually weekly), this is step 1 for improving design quality. If you're already holding regular design critiques but not doing the 4 principles above well, this is step 1 for improving your design critiques. Better critiques. Better quality. * "Everyone" is rarely acceptable as the target audience. Even if the feature being presented is intended for everyone, 99% of the time there's a specific segment or archetype you're aiming for. #design #critiques #quality

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Diversity in design isn't just a buzzword—it's a business imperative. 🌈 As a hiring manager, I've seen firsthand how diverse teams boost creativity, product quality, and profitability. I believe in building teams that reflect our users and bring fresh perspectives to every project. How do you ensure fairness during the hiring process when you have to look at portfolios? Here is my perspective on the challenges of inclusive hiring. #DiversityInDesign #InclusiveHiring #TeamBuilding

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Worth reading through this article on the ever important topic of Accessibility. https://lnkd.in/e8JamZSS #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui

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I'm a big fan of Ben Callahan and the "The Question" sessions. I'm also a big fan of Dan Donald, who's co-hosting the "design systems failures" topic. On this topic of missing the mark with *building the thing your org actually needs* not "here's what the 'how to design system' article told me", I humbly submit this HFWNW (hopes, fears, working, not working) framework/model and activity as one of many ways to start that data gathering and synthesis journey. I was lucky enough to present it during Figma's Schema event last year. Give the talk a watch, if you're interested (its only 20m) and download the provided resources to try it at your org/with your team: https://lnkd.in/g-Jj6Ede

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⏱ “Just in time accessibility docs” I think I’ve been doing it all wrong. As we build out our design system, we’ve been continuing to add lengthy accessibility documentation to each of our components, check. But is it actually helpful? → W3C Guidelines are verbose and many of the guidelines become redundant once the component has been built. → Text based documentation can be hard to visualize without examples or access to assistive technology. → While components may test accessible in isolation, new issues come up when components are used in context. 👏 Some folks who are doing it right that we're trying to learn from at Exygy → Carbon design system from IBM provides context specific tips for both designers and developers. The guidelines they provide act as quick implementation checklists. https://lnkd.in/gbmeJe5F → GOLD Design System by Design System AU is really unique in the way that it provides accessibility previews of components. I really dig how they simulate keyboard navigation and color blindness! https://lnkd.in/gDBgUiyN → USWDS from GSA goes above and beyond any system that I have seen by providing accessibility testing documentation that can be used when doing QA of components in the wild. ...whoa https://lnkd.in/gYP2ptrR 💎 A couple of things our team has taken away from these amazing resources that might be helpful to others: → Focus component documentation on the most "actionable" implementation details for both designers and engineers. → Reserve verbose technical setup requirements for the initial component acceptance criteria. → Experiment with ways to easily preview accessibility options and outputs. → If possible, document how someone could test issues that could come up during ongoing product feature development and QA. 🧙‍♂️ This post was in part inspired by a talk from Dan Mall at the last Figma Config when he referenced "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" to describe the "notes in the margins that help Harry improve his potion skills" as a way to describe better "just in time" design system documentation. If you do actually need the verbose stuff for component acceptance criteria you can always get it here: → W3C Authoring practices guide https://lnkd.in/g_MUENbn #accessibility #designsystems #documentation #ui #uidesign

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🔥Hot Take for PMs: Please don't hand me a solution to a problem. Instead, focus on detailing the problem and help me understand the why. We will ideate and find a solution together. Next week, in our first episode of ⚫️Bounce, Claire and I continue to unpack the PD + PM working relationship. Buckle up. Subscribe today - links in comments 👇

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Isn't it strange how the types of process materials in portfolios is different than how real work is done in UX? I talk about what materials we commonly see in portfolios that are never used in real work, then I talk about some that we really do use. https://lnkd.in/g45JT7Qk

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Highly recommend this course!

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Wow, spot on… Also consider the complexity of a “design system factory” product intended to offer design system stability to the diverse clientele of a consultancy with vastly unique clients, all with critically important needs. I often describe(d) the design tokens and design system as the CENTER of the tech ecosystem, or at minimum on par with the most critical data APIs. Few were ready for what that would cost. Financially, technically and emotionally. #outofwork

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10 basic lessons of a design system. Being someone who has worked within and created many design systems, brand guidelines, and UI libraries, I've encountered many bumps along the way. What would you add or remove from this list? #designsystem #UX #lessonslearned #basics https://lnkd.in/evFxwP79

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One puzzlement that ebbs and flows for me over my decades of working in Interaction Design and UX through user-centered design methodology is this: 'What's with all of the Animal Dominance Behavior going on between members in The Holy Triad of Product ( Design )?' And 'Why are we not operating as One Unified Team yet in 2024?' What's The Deal? 'C'mon People, c'mon' Any ideas? 'Why is it SO important right now for Product Management to overpower Design and Engineering? This latest Season and Episode of The UX Show has been particularly brutal. And not just for UXrs, but also for Eng, Prod, and for Organizations themselves, in SO many cases. Inspired by Darren Hood and his amazing series of Real UX Talk, specifically this recent LI post: https://lnkd.in/eDHr8yeX

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The Jobs to Be Done framework is crucial for product designers, especially as the line between product managers and designers continues to blur. This article can revolutionize how we approach problem discovery and opportunity identification, offering deeper insights during the design phase. It's a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their design process and deliver exceptional results.

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UX has a language problem. We use various terms to describe the same concepts or processes, which can lead to confusion and miscommunication. For instance, consider how we interchangeably use terms like "user journey," "user flow," and "task flow," or how we describe activities like "wireframing," "mockups," and "prototyping." These may be clear to practitioners but can baffle stakeholders and clients. Our main issue is our reliance on activity-oriented language. We need to make a shift towards outcome-oriented language. Instead of talking to stakeholders about running usability testing or heuristic reviews, we need to pitch that we can identify the issues with the experience. If stakeholders can align with that goal, we can devise the best approach to achieving it depending on the timing and budget.  By refining our language to be more outcome-focused, we can better articulate the value of our work and bridge the gap between UX professionals and other stakeholders. It's time to simplify our UX vocabulary. What are some UX terms that outcome-oriented language should replace? Have an outcome you are looking to achieve with your product or service experience? Akendi can deliver it. #UXDesign #UserExperience #LanguageMatters #ContentClarity #SimplifyUX #OutcomeDrivenDesign

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My leadership interview from earlier this week with Frank Myles. Turns out he's the first person I talked to that I didn't already somewhat know - and what a blast! If you'd prefer to read this on Medium, I've included the link: https://lnkd.in/gjAHfXDb I really enjoy people, but boy did I love chatting with Frank. His ethos of joy and humor comes through in conversation, and in his work. If you don’t believe me, you need only check out his amazing portfolio site. Anyway, my takeaways from our chat are as follows: // Design = empathy = storytelling I often forget this myself, but so much of our work revolves around communicating with others. Frank has made it a part of his brand, his way of working, to keep his audience in mind. Meetings are fun, cover the high points and none of the boring stuff. Early in his career someone nodded off during a large online meeting, and he’s vowed to never let that happen again! He even uses the script from Empire Strikes Back instead of Lorem Ipsum to keep things fresh. // Leadership is owning your expertise It can be easy to fall into the impostor syndrome trap, no matter how long you’ve been designing. But Frank encourages you to remember that when you’re in the room, you are the foremost expert on UX. This doesn’t mean you have to bludgeon people over the head with it, but more quietly own it. Confidently edit out the details. Embody it. Speak from a place of confidence, from your well-deserved seat at the table. // Be someone who unlocks progress This line stuck with me: "If I talk to you, we will make progress on something." So often designers are perceived as either slowing things down (often for the right reasons, like more research or discovery), or putting up roadblocks in the form of questions. Frank intentionally creates a culture where questions are OK, even expected, and that when he works with someone they both leave feeling better and optimistic about ways forward. // Education is part of the deal Many designers lament the need to constantly educate people on what UX is — but not Frank. "This is the work. I don’t just get to nerd out on a component, I have to teach people about what I do." A pretty healthy attitude and good reminder for the rest of us. // Non-linear leadership is possible — and 100% OK Frank admits that he’s a non-traditional leader. Often a one man band, a team of 1, his superpower is leading teams through ambiguity. Helping them get from 0 to 1. He hasn’t managed large teams or had lofty titles, but that’s not what matters when it comes to leadership. I couldn’t agree more. --- If you want to be interviewed and contribute to the book, sign up here www.leadinguxbook.com

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I recently wrote about design system metrics, including adoption. Adoption can be pushed as a mandate. Having seen hundreds of design systems up close Dan Mall points out that there is no definitive evidence that high adoption doesn’t hurt. But, it certainly doesn’t differentiate between useful design systems and that frankenstack monster that has documentation in Excel with hundreds of links to a private Git repo along with multiple swim lanes with infinite scroll. The only reason why adoption persists as a common metric is because even really bad design systems have the ability to generate significant value. Full article in the comments.

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I’m noticing a peculiar design related anti-pattern of sorts in the post ZIRP economic environment. It’s where companies have the budget to staff design talent, albeit in lower numbers, but the development budget is so limited that teams are unable to implement the work designers produce. This is the third economic downturn I’ve experienced and we always get pendulum swings. In this one, there seems to be a bias toward austerity and implementing the least expensive solution.

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Like sellouts, many unemployable UX "thought leaders" prioritize telling businesses what they want to hear over what is best for the business, the product/service or customers. There's a significant shift away from focusing on quality in design and user experience, favoring quick production and fake testing instead. I argue that prioritizing profit over ethical considerations has led to serious societal harms, like; Boeing, Teflon scandal, Tesla and OxyContin. Individuals who challenge harmful business practices risk being marginalized or labeled as troublemakers, especially during periods of corporate restructuring or in a downturn. "If you stand in the gap between a business doing harm to the customer, you're going to be labeled as someone who's a problem and you're going to be on your way out. Especially when there's multiple rounds of layoffs. They identify the potential whistleblowers and they're like, okay, we got a boy scout over here on team X. We need to get rid of this guy. He's talking about people's feelings and, doing right by them 'n stuff. I don't know what all this empathy shit is, but we need to get rid of it post-haste because THAT doesn't sound like profit." —Me With Jennifer Blatz. #UXLeaders #Ethics #UserExperience #CX https://lnkd.in/gMFJxnaK

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