Setting Fire to Silos: How to Bridge the Divide Between Development and Design

The divide between design and development can be vast. Designers lob something over the wall for development without knowledge or perspective of technical limitations, and developers are left to sort out requirements and edge cases. No one is satisfied when designers' visions aren't implemented or developers are expected to explain why something can't be built.

It doesn't have to be this way. I'll cover solutions you can implement on your team to bridge the divide and do your best work.

This version of the talk was presented at Geo Rodeo in Austin, May 2017.

Transcript

1. How to Bridge the Divide Between Development and Design Setting Fire to Silos @glynnisritchie
2. Glynnis Ritchie UX Engineer, New Orleans @glynnisritchie
3. How to Bridge the Divide Between Development and Design Setting Fire to Silos @glynnisritchie @glynnisritchie
4. @glynnisritchie
5. @glynnisritchie
6. @glynnisritchie
7. “ Our current implementation of the phone system needs to be significantly improved through integration with our multiple customer relationship management systems. We also need improved search capabilities so that people answering the phones can more quickly assist customers. @glynnisritchie
8. “ Our current implementation of the phone system needs to be significantly improved through integration with our multiple customer relationship management systems. We also need improved search capabilities so that people answering the phones can more quickly assist customers. @glynnisritchie
9. Building Search (It’s easy, right?) @glynnisritchie
10. Zero to production in 4 months. @glynnisritchie
11. But what’s the secret? Yeah, yeah. That’s cool and all. @glynnisritchie
12. Let’s Talk about Silos @glynnisritchie
13. @glynnisritchie
14. @glynnisritchie
15. @glynnisritchie
16. @glynnisritchie
17. @glynnisritchie
18. When designers don't see their designs implemented the way they envisioned and developers must explain why it can’t be built, no one is happy. @glynnisritchie
19. No one enjoys working this way. @glynnisritchie
23. “Without requirements or design, programming is the art of adding bugs to an empty text file.” –Louis Srygley @glynnisritchie
24. @glynnisritchie @glynnisritchie
25. @glynnisritchie @glynnisritchie
26. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE @glynnisritchie Polish those soft skills!
27. Life outside the silo is scary. @glynnisritchie
28. “Yes, and…” @glynnisritchie
29. Establish a safe space. @glynnisritchie
30. unicorn @glynnisritchie
31. Interdisciplinarity: the combining of two or more disciplines into one activity; creating something new by crossing boundaries as new needs emerge. https:/ /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interdisciplinarity @glynnisritchie
32. “I have experienced first-hand what happens to a project when there is a front-end dev with a strong design sensibility and when there is one without it. In terms of the final design, the difference is as stark as night and day.” Agile UX in the Enterprise, UX Pin @glynnisritchie
33. Interdisciplinary skills and team members are key.
34. Don’t be afraid to ask the obvious questions.
35. Repeat things back to your team mates.
36. DEFINE the problem @glynnisritchie before you argue about the solution.
37. “ Our current implementation of the phone system needs to be significantly improved through integration with our multiple customer relationship management systems. We also need improved search capabilities so that people answering the phones can more quickly assist customers. @glynnisritchie
38. “ Our current implementation of the phone system needs to be significantly improved through integration with our multiple customer relationship management systems. We also need improved search capabilities so that people answering the phones can more quickly assist customers. @glynnisritchie
39. @glynnisritchie
40. collaboration FIRST @glynnisritchie Don’t let hand offs be the only time you talk to each other.
41. @glynnisritchie
42. @glynnisritchie
44. Share meetings. @glynnisritchie
45. @glynnisritchie
46. @glynnisritchie “Too little collaboration means information lost, and designs lack direction. Too much ‘heads- down time’ and the designers find themselves siloed from the rest of the process, handing off their work rather than building something better together.” https:/ /www.invisionapp.com/blog/tuning-design-process/ –Mel DeStefano
47. @glynnisritchie wocintechchat.com
48. @glynnisritchie wocintechchat.com
49. @glynnisritchie DESIGN DEVELOPMENT estimates of effort technical feasibility performance considerations high-level vision user flows visual check of requirements
50. @glynnisritchie DESIGN DEVELOPMENT user testing to validate revisions for scope review of design implementation recommended alternatives review of feasibility
51. @glynnisritchie http:/ /www.gv.com/sprint/ “The sprint gives you a superpower: You can fast- forward into the future to see your finished product and customer reactions, before making any expensive commitments.”
52. DESIGN FOR THE IDEAL STATE @glynnisritchie then scale back or define iterative releases.
54. The team and your company’s perception of them benefit from a common, visible goal. @glynnisritchie
55. @glynnisritchie
56. Glynnis Ritchie UX Engineer, New Orleans @glynnisritchie