UX Engagement

A UX community can thrive if the basics are in place to cultivate trust, belonging and motivation.

Why is engagement important?

My leadership roles have allowed me to help organisations recognise the importance of UX engagement, community, and culture. Working with peers and team members I have proved that building a community around UX fosters a sense of belonging, collaboration, and shared purpose - amplifying our collective potential for innovation and growth. Additionally, nurturing a UX-centric culture within the organisation instills a deep commitment to user satisfaction, ultimately leading to the creation of superior products that genuinely meet users' needs and expectations.

The Approach

Reviewing the basics to establish UX, is a great place to start! My approach is to ensure that foundations are present and build upwards for durability and sustainability. For example, Mission and Vision, Learning and Development, Feedback and Design standards. And lets not forget FUN!

Mission and Vision

At Cazoo, defining the mission provided a unifying purpose, helping team members understand the larger impact of their work. Workshopping collaboratively on the mission to align with the values and goals of individuals, fuelled a sense of purpose, fostering enthusiasm and commitment.

We also needed a compelling vision for the desired future state, inspiring the team to strive for innovation and excellence. It also acted as a compass to guiding or design decision-making when creating roadmaps. The team felt empowered and motivated because they could visualise the collective goal and understand how their efforts contribute to achieving it.

Feedback

I prioritise 121s to discuss progress, challenges, and goals in a personalised setting. I also use this time to demonstrate that contributions are valued as it is my responsibility to ensure that team members feel heard, empowered, and motivated to excel in their roles.

My leadership style enables a culture of openness, where team members are encouraged to feedback and understand their impact on others and work collaboratively. Constructive feedback helps team members understand their strengths and areas for development, enabling them to make informed decisions and enhance their skills - creating a strong sense of connection and trust within the team.

Career and Learning

Developing a robust learning and development plan for a team of designers is essential for their growth and the success of the overall user experience. Below are the steps I follow to create a strategic plan:

Assess individual skills and goals
Identify skill gaps and training needs
Define learning objectives (SMART)
Provide diverse training options
Encourage skill development and cross-training
Support continuous learning
Provide opportunities for practical application
Monitor progress
Offer growth opportunities

Alongside the L&D plan a career matrix provides a clear and structured framework that outlines career paths, skills progression, roles, responsibilities, and expectations within the team.

Community

Establishing a community vibe is the cherry on the cake for team engagement. Building a sense of community cultivates a unique team culture where individuals respect and appreciate one another. It promotes empathy, inclusion, and a positive work atmosphere, which, in turn, leads to better collaboration and productivity.

I have implemented the following as a wrapper to the formality of engagement tasks:

Team Health monitoring (via anon survey)
Monthly UX All Hands meeting
Speaker events
Regular Socials