Many design leaders are in a difficult situation. On the one hand, senior management has read articles praising the incredible ROI of UX design. McKinsey says that design-led firms achieve 56% greater returns to shareholders. Forrester claims that every dollar spent on UX returns 100 dollars. When I talk to design leaders, the reality is quite different. Most design leaders are under-resourced and have tiny teams that are expected to support hundreds projects across their organization. The result? We are so spread out that we barely scratch the surface. The problem is not just about resources. It’s all about expectations and how you define your role. We are often positioned (or others position us) as implementors – the people who conduct user research, create prototypes, and conduct usability testing. This is not sustainable, especially with digital affecting every aspect of our organizations. Time for a New Approach We must stop trying to do it all ourselves and instead focus our efforts on empowering others within the organization to improve user experience. We need to become leaders, not just practitioners. This doesn’t mean letting go of control or lowering the standards. It’s all about maximizing impact by working with others. Imagine this: Would you prefer to be directly involved in 90% of projects, or have some influence on 90% of them? What Does This Look like In Practice? We need to change our mindset to one of enabling rather than doing. This means: Offering focused services instead of trying to be involved with everything; Providing mentoring and coaching to help others understand UX concepts; Creating resources to empower others to make more informed UX decisions; Setting up standards and guidelines to scale across the entire organization. Let’s examine each of these areas. Focus on high-value, targeted services instead of trying to be involved with every project. This will have the greatest impact. This could include: Running the discovery phases for major projectsBy strategically initiating the discovery phases of critical projects, it is possible to ensure that they begin with a solid, user-focused base. This can include tools such as the Strategic User-Driven Project Assessment, which helps validate ideas before making major investments by assessing audience values, user needs and feasibility. SUPA ensures that projects are not only built correctly but are also the right ones to be built. Project-Specific UX Guidelines

Regular feedback on design assets keeps UX principles at the forefront of a project. This can be achieved through UX audits or periodic check-ins for progress assessment, or by offering design reviews at key milestones. Facilitating problem-solving and workshop sessions

With your guidance, teams can overcome design challenges by themselves when you lead workshops or brainstorming sessions. These sessions are tailored to help teams make better decisions based on user needs and resolve issues themselves. They also spread UX capabilities outside your team. It is important to spend your time strategically, focusing on those activities that will have a ripple effect throughout the organization. Coaching and Mentoring One of most effective ways to scale up your impact is by coaching. This could include UX Office Hours

Establish times when anyone in the company can drop by to get quick UX guidance. This informal setting allows stakeholders to learn and solve issues as they arise. One-on-one or group coaching

Check-ins are a great way to address issues directly, mentor individuals who need extra help, and ensure alignment with the best practices. Regular 1:1 or small group coaching helps keep UX priorities on track, and provides valuable guidance where and when it’s most needed. Customized Problem-Solving Session

By providing bespoke guidance to specific challenges teams face, they are empowered to overcome design obstacles and internalize the principles of good UX. These sessions can be extremely valuable in ensuring that teams can solve future problems on their own. The goal is not to turn everyone into UX specialists, but to help them to understand enough so that they can make better decisions at work. It’s important to also recognize that other people may not deliver work with the same quality as you. It’s okay. The primary goal of UX is to engage and excite people. If we criticize every time they fall below perfection, we run the risk of undermining their excitement. We need to create an environment that is supportive and encourages improvement over time. Create resources and tools that will help others to apply UX principles on their own. Design Systems, for example

Create and maintain a comprehensive system that integrates UX practices into the UI throughout the organization. A well-crafted system will ensure that everyone, from designers to developers, is aligned on consistent best practices. This will make it easier for teams, while maintaining high standards, to work independently. This includes reusable components, clear documentation and alignment between development and design. UX Tool Suite

By providing teams with pre-selected user research, prototyping and user testing tools, you can maintain quality while saving time. You can provide teams with the tools they need to conduct UX tasks on their own, without extensive onboarding. Research Repository

Maintain a central repository of user research results that can be accessed across the organization. A well-organized repository of research findings can reduce duplication, provide insights for different initiatives, and enable teams to learn from one another’s findings. This encourages the consistent application of user insight across projects. Supplier Lists

A list of approved suppliers and external agencies can help ensure consistency in the work that is outsourced. It allows for quick access to high quality resources, reduces risk and builds trust among suppliers who understand your standards. Self-Service Training Resources

Create a library with training materials on demand that teams can access whenever they need. This should include video guides, interactive exercises and case studies as well as step-by-step instructions for common UX tasks such conducting user interviews, creating avatars or running usability testing. Self-paced learning is more effective than scheduled workshops because it allows people to access information when they need to, resulting in better retention and practical application. These resources should be accessible and practical, making it easier for teams to do what is right. Setting Standards Create a framework to guide UX decisions throughout the organization: Design Principles

Establish core design principles aligned with your organization’s goals and values. These principles ensure consistency and clarity when making decisions. As an example, define six to ten core principles that all stakeholders have agreed on, ensuring consistency and broader buy-in. Policies for UX

Create clear policies to standardize processes such as work requests, user testing and research, and stakeholder participation. These policies help to set expectations, align efforts with organizational goals, make it easier for non UX professionals to understand best practices, and keep them aligned. Project Prioritization Policies

By establishing clear guidelines for the prioritization of projects, UX can be given the attention it deserves during the planning stage and not overlooked or marginalized. Establish policies to align project value with user needs and organization priorities. It is important to make these standards useful, rather than bureaucratic. They should not create unnecessary barriers, but instead enable better work. Bring It All Together These elements should be brought together into what I call a UX Playbook – a single source that contains all the information teams need to deliver a better user experience. This is not just another document that will collect dust. It’s a resource that helps others get started in their UX journey and demonstrates your leadership. It’s not easy to make the transition from practitioner into leader. It’s hard to let go of control and trust others to carry on UX principles. It’s the only thing that will create a lasting change at a large scale. If you are struggling with this transition, in February I will be running a workshop about design leadership. I would be happy to discuss your situation at the workshop.