There is no such thing as UX strategy

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS
UX STRATEGY
JEFF GOTHELF / @JBOOGIE / JEFF@GOTHELF.CO

GOTHELF.CO / @JBOOGIE
EVERYONE WANTS A SEAT AT
THE TABLE

THE TABLE
ENGINEERING

THE TABLE
ENGINEERING
FINANCE

THE TABLE
ENGINEERING
FINANCE
MARKETING

THE TABLE
ENGINEERING
FINANCE
MARKETING
PRODUCT

THE TABLE
ENGINEERING
FINANCE
MARKETING
PRODUCT
THE BOSS

THE TABLE
ENGINEERING
FINANCE
MARKETING
PRODUCT
WHERE DOES UX SIT?
THE BOSS

DIFFERENTIATION IS THE PATH
TO THE TABLE

DIFFERENTIATION IS THE PATH
TO THE TABLE
OR IS IT?

ENTER UX STRATEGY

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS UX STRATEGY
STRATEGY IS ESSENTIALLY AN
INTENT RATHER THAN A PLAN.
Steven Bungay, Art of Action (2011)

A STRATEGY IS A SET OF
HYPOTHESES ABOUT CAUSE
AND EFFECT.
Robert Kaplan & David Norton (1996)

BUT WHAT IS
UX STRATEGY?
7

THE RAPIDLY GROWING RANKS OF UX STRATEGISTS USE
DATA FROM CUSTOMER AND MARKET RESEARCH, UX
RESEARCH, ANALYTICS, MARKET AND SALES DATA,
COMPETITIVE ASSESSMENTS, AND MANY OTHER SOURCES
TO PRODUCE A GAME PLAN, OR NORTH STAR, FOR THEIR
UX, CX, PRODUCT, OR SERVICE DESIGN EFFORTS.
Paul Bryan
(http://uxstrat.com/blog/what-is-ux-strategy/)

UX STRATEGY IS NOT A
NORTH STAR.
Jaime Levy, Author “UX Strategy”

IT’S THE VISION OF A SOLUTION THAT NEEDS TO BE VALIDATED WITH
REAL POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS TO PROVE THAT IT’S DESIRED IN THE
MARKETPLACE. ALTHOUGH UX DESIGN ENCOMPASSES NUMEROUS
DETAILS SUCH AS VISUAL DESIGN, CONTENT MESSAGING, AND HOW
EASY IT IS FOR A USER TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK, UX STRATEGY IS THE
“BIG PICTURE.” IT IS THE HIGH-LEVEL PLAN TO ACHIEVE ONE OR
MORE BUSINESS GOALS UNDER CONDITIONS OF UNCERTAINTY
Jaime Levy, Author “UX Strategy”

UX STRATEGY IS A LONG-TERM PLAN
TO ALIGN EVERY CUSTOMER
TOUCHPOINT WITH YOUR VISION FOR
USER EXPERIENCE.
Tim Loo, Strategy Director, Foolproof UK

THE CHALLENGES OF
DEFINING UX STRATEGY ARE
REFLECTED IN THE
CHALLENGES OF EXECUTING IT
12

TO BUILD COLLABORATIVE TEAMS
WE EMPHASIZE SKILLS NOT ROLES
THEREFORE
WE MUST EMPHASIZE
COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY, NOT
DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC STRATEGY
13

AN EXPERIENCE STRATEGY IS THAT COLLECTION OF ACTIVITIES
THAT AN ORGANIZATION CHOOSES TO UNDERTAKE TO DELIVER A
SERIES OF (POSITIVE, EXCEPTIONAL) INTERACTIONS WHICH, WHEN
TAKEN TOGETHER, CONSTITUTE AN (PRODUCT OR SERVICE)
OFFERING THAT IS SUPERIOR IN SOME MEANINGFUL, HARD-TO-
REPLICATE WAY; THAT IS UNIQUE, DISTINCT & DISTINGUISHABLE
FROM THAT AVAILABLE FROM A COMPETITOR.
Steve Baty, Founder, Meld Studios (2009)
14

THE STRATEGY YOU DEVELOP FOR YOUR PRODUCT
OUGHT NOT EVOLVE IN ISOLATION. EVEN THOUGH THE
VALUE OF USER EXPERIENCE IS CLEAR, YOUR OVER-
ARCHING REASONS FOR PROVIDING SOMETHING
SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WITH EQUAL WEIGHT.
Indi Young, Author Mental Models (2008)

USER EXPERIENCE STRATEGY IMPLIES THAT IT’S SET
APART FROM, SAY THE BUSINESS STRATEGY, OR THE
MARKETING STRATEGY, OR EVEN THE PRODUCT
STRATEGY AND IT SHOULDN’T BE. STRATEGY COMES
FROM THIS COLLECTIVE VISION OF THE BUSINESS
AND ITS CUSTOMERS.
Holly North, UX Designer @ Medianorth as quoted in “UX Strategy”

YOU CAN LOOK AT DESIGN IN STRATEGIC WAYS BUT I
DON'T THINK THE OUTPUTS OF THAT DESERVE THEIR
OWN LABEL. THEY FEED INTO PRODUCT STRATEGY,
MARKETING STRATEGY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
STRATEGY.
Cennydd Bowles, Designer (2014)

THERE IS NO SUCH THING
AS A STAND-ALONE UX
STRATEGY.

IN FACT, IT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL:

‣ INCREASES OVERHEAD & PROCESS BLOAT

‣ REDUCES COLLABORATION

‣ INCREASES TERRITORIALITY

‣ INCREASES TERRITORIALITY
‣ CREATES HURT FEELINGS

ENTER PRODUCT STRATEGY

PRODUCT STRATEGY ASKS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS
▸ Who are you building the product for?
▸ What problem are you solving for these people?
▸ How will you solve it?
▸ How will you attract initial users?
▸ How will you retain users?
▸ How will you make money?
▸ Who are you competing against?
▸ How is your product different/better than the competition?
▸ How will your product look? Behave?

THE REAL PROBLEM:
A LACK OF
ORGANIZATIONAL VALUE
FOR UX DESIGN

UNITE THE CLANS
INSTEAD OF DIVIDING EFFORTS…

THE HOLY TRINITY
WORK TO BUILD SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF…

Source: http://www.inovis.cc/

Source: http://www.inovis.cc/
FOCUS ON THIS

EXAMPLE:
WE BELIEVE A DEVICE-AGNOSTIC REAL ESTATE
COMPARISON SERVICE THAT DELIVERS GEO-TARGETED
PRODUCT LISTINGS WILL INCREASE CUSTOMER
RETENTION, SALES AND DRIVE NEW USER ACQUISITION.

EXAMPLE:
A HYPOTHESIS STATEMENT

EXAMPLE:
BUSINESS STRATEGY

EXAMPLE:
PRODUCT/ENGINEERING STRATEGY

EXAMPLE:
UX STRATEGY

EXAMPLE:
SUCCESS CRITERIA/BUSINESS GOALS

ID
PRODUCT STRATEGY:
SEAMLESS USER EXPERIENCE

ID
PRODUCT STRATEGY:
REDUCED COST OF LABOR

ID
PRODUCT STRATEGY:
UBIQUITOUS PRESENCE

ID
PRODUCT STRATEGY:
UBIQUITOUS PRESENCE
CROSS-CHANNEL DATA COLLECTION

ID
PRODUCT STRATEGY:
UBIQUITOUS PRESENCE
CROSS-CHANNEL DATA COLLECTION
DEEP CONSUMER INSIGHTS

WORKING TOGETHER AS A COLLABORATIVE TEAM TO
STRENGTHEN OUR PRODUCT STRATEGY HYPOTHESES
MEANS WE'RE ALWAYS OPTIMIZING THE WEAKEST
PARTS OF THAT STRATEGY.
SOMETIMES THAT'S UX AND OTHER TIMES IT'S NOT.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS IS A LOVE STORY…
…A BRINGING TOGETHER OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
AND UX (AND ENGINEERING).

THANK YOU!
JEFF GOTHELF / @JBOOGIE / JEFF@GOTHELF.CO
NEW BOOK SOON: SENSINGBOOK.COM

There is no such thing as UX strategy

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