Book Review: The UX Team of One by Leah Buley
I decided to select Leah Buley’s book, The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide, for my report. From the first paragraph, Leah addresses who would benefit from reading her book.
“This book is for anyone who is interested in taking on the challenging and rewarding work of spreading a user-centred mindset to new places where it’s never been before.”
Venturing into anything new can be exciting — yet, quite daunting. Four months ago, I decided to take a flying leap towards the unknown world of Interactive Media. Going in, I was acutely aware of how little I really knew. However, what I did know was that I wanted to use my background in child development in new and interesting ways.
It was the title of Leah’s book that grabbed my attention. I remember thinking, this will be a good read. She’s divided the book into two sections, with the first part primarily focused on providing a thorough introduction to the field of User Experience. The second part takes you through the entire design process and provides best practices, time lines and what to expect for each phase. Essentially, the first section contains the bones of UX, while part two provides the meat.
Although the title promotes a team of one, the information inside is applicable to all UX-ers. Whether you work alone or as a part of a design agency, Leah has done an excellent job of covering all that UX involves. At the end of each chapter, there’s a section titled, “If you can only do one of these, do….” As a newbie to UX, I found that to be most helpful since there is SO much involved in great user experience design. If there’s only one thing I should do, I want to know!
The Takeaways
Research, Research, Reaserch
The research phase is where you make sure you’re going in the right direction. This is the point of the UX process where you really come to understand an industry and its targeted audience. Instead of sprinting ahead to the design phase, being prepared with a solid plan saves you a lot of time and effort in the end.
Collecting data through research techniques such as interviews and testing sessions is the best way to clearly see whom you’re designing for and what those users really want.
Cross-functionality
Leah points out that as a UX Team of One, whether in an organization or as an independent consultant, you may feel like a jack of all trades and a master of none. Why? Well, you could often find yourself responsible for a variety of work that includes design, writing, research and evangelism (more on this to come).
If working as a part of a team, aim to speak to key stakeholders (marketing, content strategists, web developers) so that you can see the project from a variety of angles. Conducting an Opportunity Workshop with the other members on the project is a quick way to identify what the highest priority is from a business perspective as well as to assess what work needs to be improved from a user experience standpoint.
UX + Evangelism
One of the major challenges Leah highlights (outside of feeling like you never have enough time) is the need to evangelize, or preach, the benefits of UX. Once in the industry, we may be faced with the task of educating others on the purpose and value of a strong UX practice.
Becoming a UX Ambassador of sorts, whether working solo or as a part of a team, means creating opportunities for discussion and collaboration as you will get more done if others are on board.
Conclusion
The UX Team of One is jam packed with tips and resources. It’s available for purchase online and I highly recommend it as a go to for all things UX.
