UX Roadmap Informed by Field Research
Executive Summary
As UX Strategy Manager, I addressed the challenge of improving a complex application's usability and sales performance by incorporating field research insights into the product roadmap. This involved synthesizing findings, aligning with stakeholders, and creating strategic themes to integrate into the roadmap. The impact includes enhanced clarity and context for stakeholders, with UX initiatives prioritized alongside other product efforts. Key metrics demonstrate a 5-year UX improvement plan, significant feature concepts derived from UX research, and proactive addressing of UX debt. Positive feedback highlights improved resource allocation and growth efficiency.
The outcome [of using UX Research to inform the product roadmap] is better investment of engineering resources by building the things that will drive growth more efficiently
Problem
A robust, complex application was hard to use and lost sales due to outdated and overwhelming interfaces.
My Role
UX Strategy, Lead Designer, UX Research Project Manager
Process
- Educate leadership on human-centered and data-informed product design
- Conduct field research to uncover latent needs
- Synthesize findings into recommendations
- Facilitate workshops to flesh out the themes into tangible, feasible concepts
- Lead communications to stay aligned with stakeholders on priorities and dependencies
Solution
- Create three strategic UX Roadmap themes, each with target outcomes
- Collaborate with Product Manager to incorporate these outcomes into the Product Roadmap
Impact
Clarity
Stakeholders and engineering teams understand the big picture - the HOW, the WHO, and WHY behind it.
Context
UI/UX projects are prioritized alongside other Product Roadmap initiatives, giving aesthetics and usability a seat at the table.
Action
Currently, UX Roadmap holds the largest shared of feature initiatives on the product roadmap.improvements.
Results
- Product has a 5-year plan for improving the user experience
- Since 2020, at least 50% of roadmap feature concepts were derived from UX Research findings & recommendations
- New concept areas added to recurring product roadmap: UX Debt, with ongoing reserved bucket of story points each quarter
- Product has a UX Vision, which guides decisions even when UX is not in the room
- Success of this project led to a full-time hire for UX Researcher position on my team
Amy ... has grown from an Associate Product Manager to an indispensable and visionary leader on the product team. She has expertly chaperoned the field of User Experience into the culture and development practices of the company. Amy is now leading all North American UX and Product Design resources and bringing her expertise to more products.
The Product team would like to extend a special recognition to the Product Design team, under the direction of Amy Breitkreutz, for instigating the Evolution project and remaining a true and constant north star guiding us to “build the right thing and build the thing right” through proven research methodologies enabling data-driven decision making.
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