From Bug Fixes to User Fixes: Engineering Managers Take UX for a Spin!

I am living in a time, where we have to forget about what users need or what experience should we design an user. We are thinking more about what developers need, what release expects and what is easy to develop within a sprint’s time.

What happens when we only think about technical possibilities in a product?

• Each user interface has an end goal for an user and we should help user achieve that. Thinking just about technical possibilities makes the product experience go for a toss.
• User will have to be trained before using the product. Though trainings are by default provided but if we lose the experience part then the training will get more harder.
• You will never learn the essence of implementing user research in design.
• You will never innovate because you will do what exists and what is conventionally easy.
• You will never be able to work on new UX/UI trends because you will know it will take time to develop.
• We don’t talk a lot about MVPs now because our engineering managers do not want to build gradually. We only try to put an end to a feature technically.

How this transition affects our UX journey?

• You can notice your UX meetings will talk more about how you can achieve it technically.
• You will not discuss UX possibilities
• You will not mention any process about design thinking(or any other relevant framework).
• You will not discuss persona.
• You see all jira tickets and its progress but you never know in which design process you work in currently.
• UX team will fail the collaboration with constraints like location, timezones, etc.
• You can never write a case study on such engineering managed projects.
• User research will never help because you will only focus on technical research to achieve the design to code implementation.

UX design teams could become the custodians of their work

• No one in engineering team knows about the UX processes, standards and templates we follow for building any design. We should leverage the opportunity to prepare a documentation of every bit where stakeholders can understand UX value.
• Create opportunities or take initiatives for the ux team members to grow and learn together apart from the usual work you do.
• Create research documentation for every piece of work you do so that you can make sense out of it for users and not just technically.
• Start an exercise where you can think like a designer and understand possibilities. “What better would have you done if you were given to apply your teams design skills in actual?”
• Share knowledge within team.
• Have full transparency of work within team.
• Do not work in silos. That will only make your career more disastrous.

Product’s user experience design can be affected a lot with working in engineering led teams.

See how:-

Working in engineering-led teams can significantly influence the user experience (UX) design of a product.

1. Prioritization of Technical Feasibility

• Engineering Focus: In engineering-led teams, technical feasibility and constraints often take precedence. This can lead to design decisions that prioritize what is technically achievable over what might be the best user experience.
• Impact on UX: Features that are technically complex or require extensive development might be deprioritized, potentially leading to a more cumbersome or less intuitive user experience.

2. Design Iterations and Feedback Cycles

• Engineering Constraints: Engineering teams may have specific timelines and resource limitations that affect how quickly design changes can be implemented.
• Impact on UX: Limited iterations and slower feedback cycles can result in designs that are not fully refined or optimized based on user testing and feedback.

3. Communication and Collaboration

• Interdisciplinary Barriers: Engineers may not always fully understand the nuances of UX design principles or the importance of certain design choices.
• Impact on UX: This can lead to misaligned priorities where user needs are overshadowed by technical constraints or misunderstandings, potentially resulting in a product that is functional but not user-friendly.

4. Design Decisions Driven by Technical Constraints

• Technical Solutions: Engineering-led teams might opt for technical solutions that they are familiar with or that are easier to implement, even if they are not the best for the user experience.
• Impact on UX: This can lead to interfaces or features that are less intuitive or user-friendly because they are shaped more by technical limitations than by user needs.

5. User Research and Testing

• Focus on Implementation: Engineering teams may prioritize development over user research and testing, which can lead to a lack of user-centered design.
• Impact on UX: Without sufficient user research and testing, the final product might not align with user expectations or solve user problems effectively, impacting overall satisfaction.

6. Speed of Delivery

• Time Constraints: Engineering teams often work under tight deadlines to deliver functional products quickly.
• Impact on UX: Rushed development can result in a less polished user experience, with potential bugs, incomplete features, or design inconsistencies that were not fully addressed due to time constraints.

7. Technical Debt

• Short-Term Solutions: Engineering teams might opt for quick fixes or short-term solutions to meet deadlines, which can accumulate technical debt.
• Impact on UX: Over time, technical debt can lead to a degraded user experience as the product becomes harder to maintain, resulting in performance issues or the inability to implement future improvements seamlessly.

8. Alignment with Business Goals

• Business Priorities: Engineering teams might focus on features that align with business goals or technical advancements rather than strictly on user experience improvements.
• Impact on UX: This can create a mismatch between user needs and business objectives, where user experience might be compromised for the sake of achieving business metrics or technological milestones.

Mitigating the Impact

To ensure a balanced approach where UX is not overshadowed by engineering priorities, consider the following strategies:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Foster strong communication and collaboration between UX designers and engineers to ensure that user needs and technical constraints are both considered in the decision-making process.
• Early and Continuous Testing: Incorporate user research and testing early in the design process and throughout development to catch issues early and make user-centered adjustments.
• Shared Goals: Align engineering and UX teams around shared goals that emphasize both technical excellence and exceptional user experience.

UX team needs to have unity to achieve their goals and grow in an engineering led company.

By addressing these dynamics, teams can create a more harmonious and user-centered product that balances technical feasibility with a great user experience.

Thanks for reading. Hope this will help you take a step and do good for you and your team today :)