The love story of UX designers and developers
Being a UX designer — you work with user experience while the responsibility of user experience lies on the whole team. No product is worth building if it can’t be used. That’s why developers should be your best friend — not a receiver of design specs. If you don’t know the building blocks you can’t design — so show respect and love for the devs and wonderful music will start playing! I have setup a playlist of keys to your love story with developers.
I work with user experience in the EV business. A relatively new area of business where a lot of tech and user challenges are new. We struggle with different protocol standards, changing regulations, a fast developing market and a wide variety of customers.
The products developed range from driver apps to a SaaS platform. I work with a number of development teams with different areas of responsibilities in the world of EVs. All with different characteristics but with a common challenge. The better the teams collaborate the better products we provide. So here’s the playlist and some things to think about to keep the love story between UX Designers and developers going:
You don’t have to design every little detail
Tame Impala — The less I know the better
If you continuously share designs with developers and get feedback the borders of what is created by designers and the developers disappears. The product is created by the team. If you are on the same page you don’t have to design every little detail and if your designs are easy to understand but not too detailed the more creative the developer can be.
You have a better understanding of what is possible to do
You’re the inspiration — Chicago
Learn a developers world and you have a better knowledge of what is possible to do. And to know where the pitfalls are.
You are never done
Sonny and Cher — Cowboy’s work is never done
The days where design is something that is created in the beginning of a project are over. Things will always change. Just because the designers have done a decent work on creating components, prototypes etc. it doesn’t mean that it is done.
Conditions will change so be prepared to think again — and for that journey to not be a struggle, stay close to the developers. You always have to reevaluate your designs.
Commit to the product not to the design
Together forever — Rick Astley
If you start to care about the product rather than the design you will care more about everyone involved, both in your team and the users.
There’s nothing like a design that is done as well as the product.
Back-enders are also designers
A design for life — Manic Street Preachers
Don’t forget that you don’t only work with the surface. Developers (also back-enders) are also designers and create the building blocks on which the user experience takes place.
There are many information architects — unite are you rule the world
As an examples of a common aspect of solution — information architecture. There are so many roles claiming they work with that — different types of architects, developers, designers, product owners etc. I think knowing the information and have a common view on that is a success factor for your product development.
Have developers in your network
Ariel Pink — Put you number in my phone
I think developers are stars of scene nowadays. So you better love to be their roadie. Keep them close. You will always need them.
So lean back — enjoy the music… and the developers in your team.
