Digital Projects Gone Horribly Wrong (And the UX Pros Who Still Save the Day) - Dean Schuster

We’ve all experienced our share of digital project catastrophes. Some have been of our own making, others wrought by unruly leaders, clients or stakeholders.

Perhaps our estimates have been wildly off, or we just can’t seem to get access to real users. Maybe we’ve worked to Sistine Ceiling levels of detail on low priority features, and we’ve been slaves to dev processes at the expense of quality. That overbearing director with bad ideas shows up at the worst moments. When it comes to faulty communication, well, the less said there the better.

No matter how or why things fail (or who is in charge), UX pros often find themselves picking up the pieces and making things right. Dean’s presentation will focus on project leadership, UX roles, and disaster avoidance.

UX Y'all 2023

Transcript

1. Digital Projects Gone Horribly Wrong @ExperienceDean And the UX Pros Who Still Save the Day
2. @experiencedean
3. @ExperienceDean
4. @ExperienceDean
5. 79CE @ExperienceDean
6. @ExperienceDean Chegg Prep / www.checgg.com
7. @ExperienceDean Karl Brullov / The Last Days of Pompeii / Public Domain
8. @ExperienceDean Anthony Boyd / Adobe Stock / Apple
9. @ExperienceDean
10. @ExperienceDean
11. @ExperienceDean Adobe Stock
12. @ExperienceDean Digital Project Death Throes
13. @ExperienceDean Why Do Our Projects Fail?
14. Users Hate It / Over Budget / Team Disarray Mediocre Design Accepted / Overworked UX Pros / Zero Executive Commitment to UX / No User Research / Took Too Long / Politics / Over-Delivery / Client Destroys It Afterward / Low Budget / Crazy Expectations / UX Pro All Alone / Design by Committee / Time Utterly Consumed by Project Management / No User Testing / Client Lies / Goals and Metrics Not Tracked or Satis fi ed / Agile Squashes UX / Unseasoned Team / Stakeholder Domination
15. I’m Reminded of a True Story @ExperienceDean
16. Client: ACME Corporation @ExperienceDean
17. @ExperienceDean UX Lead: Dean Schuster
18. @ExperienceDean UX Lead: Sylvia Wiss
19. @ExperienceDean Discovery De fi nition Requirements Design&Development Testing
20. @ExperienceDean
21. @ExperienceDean
22. @ExperienceDean Where did Sylvia go wrong?
23. Two Types of UX Project Failure @ExperienceDean
24. Your Fault @ExperienceDean
25. Not Your Fault @ExperienceDean
26. @ExperienceDean
27. ACME @ExperienceDean Silvia
28. Misread the Project @ExperienceDean Silvia
29. @ExperienceDean Poor Communication Silvia
30. @ExperienceDean Faulty UX Leadership Silvia
31. @ExperienceDean Underestimated Change Silvia
32. @ExperienceDean ACME
33. Incomplete Requirements @ExperienceDean ACME
34. @ExperienceDean Rudderless Team ACME
35. @ExperienceDean Unde fi ned Agile Process ACME
36. @ExperienceDean Unexpected Disruption ACME
37. @ExperienceDean
38. The Parents of Success & Failure @ExperienceDean
39. @ExperienceDean Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.
40. @ExperienceDean Anthony Boyd / Adobe Stock / Apple
41. @ExperienceDean Failure has many fathers,
42. @ExperienceDean Failure has many fathers, success is just elusive.
43. @ExperienceDean
44. @ExperienceDean @ExperienceDean
45. @ExperienceDean The UX Pros Who Still Save the Day @ExperienceDean
46. @ExperienceDean
47. @ExperienceDean Avoiding Pyroclastic Apocalypse
48. @ExperienceDean
49. No Support @ExperienceDean
50. No UX Commitment @ExperienceDean
51. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Resist the urge to teach. @ExperienceDean
52. @ExperienceDean NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Resist the urge to teach. Draw attention to customer issues.
53. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Resist the urge to teach. Draw attention to customer issues. Identify concrete fi xes. @ExperienceDean
54. @ExperienceDean NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Resist the urge to teach. Draw attention to customer issues. Identify concrete fi xes. Research users anyway.
55. Left All Alone @ExperienceDean
56. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Track your time & tasks. @ExperienceDean
57. @ExperienceDean NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Track your time & tasks. Appeal to quality.
58. @ExperienceDean NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Track your time & tasks. Appeal to quality. Identify & prioritize speci fi c roles.
59. @ExperienceDean NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Track your time & tasks. Appeal to quality. Identify & prioritize speci fi c roles. Be patient…
60. @ExperienceDean NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Track your time & tasks. Appeal to quality. Identify & prioritize speci fi c roles. Be patient… to a point.
61. @ExperienceDean
62. @ExperienceDean Not Ready to Die
63. @ExperienceDean Small Budget Big Goals
64. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Client? Don’t say yes. @ExperienceDean
65. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Client? Don’t say yes. Internal? Appeal to scope & timeline. @ExperienceDean
66. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Client? Don’t say yes. Internal? Appeal to scope & timeline. Internal? Ask what priority to drop. @ExperienceDean
67. @ExperienceDean Surface-Level Interest
68. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Client? Help ferret things out fast. @ExperienceDean
69. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Client? Help ferret things out fast. Client? Wait. @ExperienceDean
70. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Client? Help ferret things out fast. Client? Wait. Internal? Opt for incremental wins. @ExperienceDean
71. @ExperienceDean
72. @ExperienceDean Murder, Death, Kill
73. Destructive Maintenance @ExperienceDean
74. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Establish regular check-ins. @ExperienceDean
75. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Establish regular check-ins. Advocate for governance. @ExperienceDean
76. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Establish regular check-ins. Advocate for governance. Train. Train. Train. @ExperienceDean
77. @ExperienceDean
78. @ExperienceDean Fiery Molten Rainfall
79. Dev Process Terror @ExperienceDean
80. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Identify Agile fl avor immediately. @ExperienceDean
81. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Identify Agile fl avor immediately. Form a bond with the product lead. @ExperienceDean
82. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Identify Agile fl avor immediately. Form a bond with the product lead. De fi ne global and fl exible UX inputs. @ExperienceDean
83. Dominant Villains @ExperienceDean
84. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Do not cower in fear. @ExperienceDean
85. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Do not cower in fear. Be a good faith UX “Fiduciary.” @ExperienceDean
86. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Do not cower in fear. Be a good faith UX “Fiduciary.” Always leverage data. @ExperienceDean
87. @ExperienceDean Chaotic Contribution
88. Far Too Pure @ExperienceDean
89. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Think “partner” not “troglodyte.” @ExperienceDean
90. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Think “partner” not “troglodyte.” Pick your battles. @ExperienceDean
91. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Think “partner” not “troglodyte.” Pick your battles. Offer constructive options. @ExperienceDean
92. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Think “partner” not “troglodyte.” Pick your battles. Offer constructive options. Communicate trade-offs. @ExperienceDean
93. Not Pure Enough @ExperienceDean
94. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Be like your car mechanic. @ExperienceDean
95. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Be like your car mechanic. Raise your hand. @ExperienceDean
96. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Be like your car mechanic. Raise your hand. Relentlessly point to users and goals. @ExperienceDean
97. Callow Calamity @ExperienceDean
98. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Dive into the deep end. @ExperienceDean
99. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Dive into the deep end. Emulate a solid practitioner. @ExperienceDean
100. NAVIGATE THE APOCALYPSE Dive into the deep end. Emulate a solid practitioner. Listen and ask. @ExperienceDean
101. @ExperienceDean
102. @ExperienceDean
103. Saving The Day @ExperienceDean
104. Unique Role @ExperienceDean
105. YOUR CENTRALITY UX touches nearly every discipline. @ExperienceDean
106. YOUR CENTRALITY UX touches nearly every discipline. If not you, who? @ExperienceDean
107. Principle Perspective @ExperienceDean
108. @ExperienceDean
109. @ExperienceDean
110. @ExperienceDean Preternatural Calm
111. @ExperienceDean Realistic Clarity
112. @ExperienceDean Flexible Options
113. @ExperienceDean An Open Window
114. @ExperienceDean Calm / Clarity / Flexibility / Opportunity
115. @ExperienceDean Calm / Clarity / Flexibility / Opportunity
116. @ExperienceDean Harried / Dark / Optionless / Trapped
117. @ExperienceDean Harried / Dark / Optionless / Trapped
118. @ExperienceDean ?
119. @ExperienceDean
120. Difference Making @ExperienceDean
121. Take Heart, Sylvia @ExperienceDean
122. MOVING FORWARD Good can come from catastrophe. @ExperienceDean
123. @ExperienceDean MOVING FORWARD Good can come from catastrophe. You can now predict the future.
124. @ExperienceDean MOVING FORWARD Good can come from catastrophe. You can now predict the future. Live to save another day.
125. You Have Agency @ExperienceDean
126. @ExperienceDean SURVIVING & SAVING You can always do something.
127. @ExperienceDean SURVIVING & SAVING You can always do something. Start with your sphere of in fl uence.
128. @ExperienceDean SURVIVING & SAVING You can always do something. Start with your sphere of in fl uence. Be unfailingly constructive.
129. @ExperienceDean SURVIVING & SAVING You can always do something. Start with your sphere of in fl uence. Be unfailingly constructive. You are here. All is never lost.
130. Persevere Always @ExperienceDean
131. @ExperienceDean Questions? @ExperienceDean
132. dean.schuster@truematter.com @ExperienceDean truematter.com/Dean linkedin.com/in/dean-schuster truematter.com/ideas
133. © True Matter, LLC Every element in this slide deck (except where noted) is the property of or licensed to truematter. Content, images, design, or elements may be used only by express written permission. Images are
134. @ExperienceDean truematter.com/DeanSchuster Presentation Notes 
 Digital Projects Gone Horribly Wrong (And the UX Pros Who Still Save the Day)