UX communication within a team

This article is primarily intended for consultants working with large teams comprising various profiles. Often it may be that some of the actors are not necessarily aligned with these values ​​and associate UX-Design with a purely visual aspect through ignorance.
We can hypothesize that this fact comes in particular from decoration programs in which we hear “it's Design” all the time to describe something pretty, or sites like Dribbble or Behance which generate a real obsession with “beautiful” to the detriment of “functional”. It is then up to us to explain exactly what Design is and more particularly UX-Design!

HOW TO EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF UX IN YOUR TEAM? 
UX embodies values ​​centered around users. Yet even today, UX is still too often perceived as an abstract feature, or even completely unknown to people outside the field.  
During your career as a designer, you will even come across people who see the world only from their own point of view, with a look that one could judge as often biased or referring to a complex mental scheme.  
And if you are still a junior, your goal is to prove yourself to your client, by responding quickly and well to their needs, even if they deviate from your qualifications (UI, illustration, icons, user story, etc.) .  
Don't hesitate when you join a new team to present your profession, and to do small interviews with the actors of the project, during one-off meetings or during coffee breaks.  
WHY DO MINI INTERVIEWS?
Don't forget that a salesperson's speech will not be the same as that of an engineer, this is also true for project user referents and end users.  
Pay attention during this exchange, to the cognitive biases of each person, do not hesitate to bounce on each information delivered to understand where it comes from.  
 

 
Each point of view of each actor of the project can allow you to create proto persona, customer journey, job to be done, which will serve as a working basis and which can then be challenged when you are in contact with the real users of the project you are developing.  
DON'T FORGET!
Explain how UX and UI work, raise your needs to be productive, in order to meet their expectations!  
It is important to make your colleagues understand that design is modeled on collaborative working methods, and that during the different phases of a project, the designer must be in contact with different users to ensure that the new product or evolution of an existing product meet the need identified during the empathy phase.   
IF MY COLLEAGUES DON'T UNDERSTAND UX?
Don't be discouraged if the first attempts to communicate about UX Design are failures.  
Talking about UX and the different “design” methodologies around you is a daily job.  
Do not hesitate to bring a pdf presentation with meaningful images, to give examples of application or to illustrate your remarks.  
Don't forget that the different design methods are not necessarily known in the structure where you will be working, but that doesn't mean that they can't bring them a benefit. If you have a lot of leeway, then be proactive, and organize different workshops to optimize the team's velocity. 
 

 
Be careful though, even if they are open to change, some workshops can be set up easily, but they can be difficult to conduct with individuals unaccustomed to agile methods. 
At UX-Republic we make Brown Bag Lunches for our customers, a simple concept that some of us strongly deploy: 
“We bring an expert, a subject to your premises and you bring lunch.” 
The application format is simple, it lasts approximately 1 hour and is divided between 30 minutes of presentation and 30 minutes of Questions/Answers.
WHY INVOLVE PEOPLE WHO STILL LITTLE MATURE IN UX DESIGN METHODS? 
If you want to dig deeper into the subject of the maturity of a team and its organization, the “Nielsen Norman Group” site should be consulted. I advise you to take the time to read the articles on their site. 
 From experience, involving everyone helps to retain them in the project, to give them power, visibility on what you are doing, and above all to create a pleasant working atmosphere and co-construction.  
It is essential to collect the points of view of the various stakeholders, in order to understand from our side the objectives, the stakes and the constraints of the project.  
Assume that each individual will have interesting and relevant ideas to express.  
 

 
In your speeches, emphasize the importance of end-user testing. It is difficult to take a step back and remain objective throughout the progress of the project. 
 User tests via models or prototypes are essential in project management.  
One or two tests can reveal problems that went unnoticed during the design phases.  
HOW TO OPTIMIZE MY DELIVERABLES? 
Always try to present your models in black and white if the maturity of your collaborators allows it.  
It is more effective for your future reiterations of models, to present your work without any graphic aspect (color, icons, elaborate graphics).  
The goal is to guide feedback on the user experience.  
The color or shape of an icon can be blocking elements during meetings.  
Often the participants digress on the color which is not to their liking.  
Avoid getting them used to high quality models from the start of the project, especially if the new iterations are heavy in terms of workload.
 

 
TO CONCLUDE 
Highlight your human qualities, don't forget to remain humble and open to those around you. It is possible that if you are the only UX designer in the project, to develop "impostor syndrome", or to be afraid of your own ego.  
If you are a person susceptible to "impostor syndrome", you will tend to deny your personal accomplishment, and attribute the results of your work to your luck, your overtime, or your colleagues. 
Fight this bias, but be careful, just because you're the only designer on your team doesn't mean you have to think you know all the solutions to every problem. Never forget the role of empathy in your missions and learn to put your ego at a distance to always keep a clear mind.  
Your role as a creative is also to listen and take into account what everyone expresses. 
Stay positive and don't be closed to criticism, on the contrary provide feedback on each deliverable you do. 
 I hope that my vision has allowed you to find arguments or tools to convince your future colleagues to use Ux Design within a work team. 
 
RÉFÉRENCES

 
Enguerran Chambaraud, UX Designer @UX-Republic