Peter Merholz: "Customer-centered Design Organizations" Enterprise UX 2017 • June 8-9, 2017 • San Francisco, CA, USA http://2017.enterpriseux.net

1. Customer-centered
Design Organizations
Peter Merholz
@peterme, peterme@peterme.com
http://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com

2. Customer-centered
Design Organizations
Peter Merholz
@peterme, peterme@peterme.com
http://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com

3. To deliver great user experiences…

4. To deliver great user experiences…
I just need to get the design right

5. To deliver great user experiences…
I just need to get the design right
strategy

6. To deliver great user experiences…
I just need to get the design right
strategy
organization

7. 2013-2014
Lost in first round of playoffs

8. 2014-2015
NBA Champions

10. Organizational Models

11. Organizational Models

12. Centralized Internal Services
Your in-house agency
Project-based, organized by function

13. Centralized Internal Services
Your in-house agency
Project-based, organized by function
PROS
Strong design community
Clear lines of authority
Wide range of projects
Interface consistency
Efficiencies of work product
Optimized headcount

14. Centralized Internal Services
Your in-house agency
Project-based, organized by function
PROS
Strong design community
Clear lines of authority
Wide range of projects
Interface consistency
Efficiencies of work product
Optimized headcount
CONS
Design is not strategic
Little influence on important
“upstream” decisions
Designers easily dismissed
Us vs Them
Slow

16. Decentralized and Embedded
Everyone Gets A Designer!
Program-based

17. Decentralized and Embedded

18. Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Decentralized and Embedded

19. DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Decentralized and Embedded

20. DP
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
DL
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded

21. DP P
E E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
DDL
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded
+n

22. D
DP P P
E E
E
E E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
DDL
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded
+n +n

23. D
DP P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D DDL
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded
+n +n +n

24. D D
DP P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
DE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D DDL
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded
+n +n +n +n

25. D D
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D D DDL
Leadership
Decentralized and Embedded
+n +n +n +n +n

26. Decentralized and Embedded
Everyone Gets A Designer!
Program-based

27. Decentralized and Embedded
Everyone Gets A Designer!
Program-based
PROS
Business units gain control
Part of the team
Design included throughout entire
lifecycle
Feeling of ownership
Quick iterations post-launch

28. Decentralized and Embedded
Everyone Gets A Designer!
Program-based
PROS
Business units gain control
Part of the team
Design included throughout entire
lifecycle
Feeling of ownership
Quick iterations post-launch
CONS
One narrow problem for a long time
Lonely
Less efficient use of time and people
Little room for research or content
strategy
Fractured user experience

30. So, you’re screwed either way?

32. Think in terms of design teams

33. Think in terms of design teams

34. Think in terms of design teams

35. Think in terms of design teams

36. D D
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
D D DDL
Leadership
+n +n +n +n +n

37. S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
D D D
DL
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
+n +n +n +n +n

38. S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
D D D
DL
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
+n +n +n +n +n

39. S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
D D D
DL
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
+n +n +n +n +n

40. S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
D D D
DL
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
+n +n +n +n +n

41. S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
D D D
DL
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
CS
+n +n +n +n +n

42. S S
DP P P P P P
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E E
E
E
E
EDE
D D
TL
DESIGN
PRODUCT
MGMT
ENGINEERING
Search/
Browse
Product
Page
CheckoutPersonalizationUGC/
Reviews
Leadership
Centralized Partnership
+n +n +n +n +n
CS

43. Centralized Partnership
aka “hybrid”, “federated”
Designers supported in career, development, and day-to-day.
Design teams maintain commitment across a meaningful set of
products/features.
Yet centralization helps maintain a holistic view across the entire
customer experience.
Teams allow for complete spread of needed skills.
Freedom for junior designers to shift after ‘tours of duty’.
“Load balancing” keeps designers most productive.

44. A team I inherited…
CD
CDCD
CD
CD
CD
CD
CD
UXR
UXR
UXR
PjM
VP
PD
PD
PD
PD
PDPD
PD PD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PD

45. 10,000 ft
1 ft
10 ft
100 ft
1,000 ft

46. 10,000 ft
1 ft
10 ft
100 ft
1,000 ft
VP

47. 10,000 ft
1 ft
10 ft
100 ft
1,000 ft
VP
UXR
UXR

48. 10,000 ft
1 ft
10 ft
100 ft
1,000 ft
VP
UXR
UXR
CD
CD
CD CD
CD
CD
CD
CD
PjM
PD
PD
PD
PD
PDPD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PD
PDPD
UXR

49. Structure of each design team
4-7 folks
Singular strong leadership
• Manages down – gets the most and best out of their team
• Manages across – collaborates with cross-functional partners
• Manages up – presents to executives and other stakeholders
Dedicated to a customer type and their journey
Spread of skills – strategy, planning, research, IxD,
IA, visual design, prototyping
10,000 ft
1 ft
10 ft
100 ft
1,000 ft
S
S
CS
D
D
TL

50. Let’s say you have a set of product teams…
Growth Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews

51. Focus design on customer experiences
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews

52. Focus design on customer experiences
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience

53. Focus design on customer experiences
Buyer
Design
Team
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience
S S
D
TL
D

54. Focus design on customer experiences
Buyer
Design
Team
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience
Seller
Experience
S S
D
TL
D

55. Focus design on customer experiences
Buyer
Design
Team
Seller
Design
Team
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience
Seller
Experience
S S
D D
TL
S S
D
TL
D

56. Buyer
Design
Team
Seller
Design
Team
S S
D D
TL
S S
D D
TL
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience
Seller
Experience
D
Focus design on customer experiences

57. Make
an
Appointment
Buyer
Design
Team
Seller
Design
Team
S S
D D
TL
S S
D D
TL
Growth
Seller Tools
Search/
Browse
Product Page
Shopping Cart
and Checkout
Reviews
Buyer
Experience
Seller
Experience
D
Focus design on customer experiences

58. S
S
D
CSDD
Purchase
Design Team
S
D
D D
TL
S
D
D
TL
Growth
Promotions
Search/
browse
Detail Page
Shopping
Cart
Reviews
Make a
Reservation
Checkout
Share
experience
Redeem
D
CS
TL
PM
UR UR
And stick with it as you scale…
Post-Purchase
Design Team
Discovery
Design Team
Buyer
Design
Team
Buyer
Experience

59. From Ken Norton’s “Don't Ship The Org Chart” Parts 1 and 2

60. Ken Norton
From Ken Norton’s “Don't Ship The Org Chart” Parts 1 and 2

61. Ken Norton
From Ken Norton’s “Don't Ship The Org Chart” Parts 1 and 2
Organize your product managers around
customers, not code repositories.
Connect PM areas of ownership to users and
their product experiences. Maybe you have a
buyer PM and a seller PM instead of back-end
and front-end PMs.
“
”

62. Ken Norton
Noah Weiss
From Ken Norton’s “Don't Ship The Org Chart” Parts 1 and 2
Organize your product managers around
customers, not code repositories.
Connect PM areas of ownership to users and
their product experiences. Maybe you have a
buyer PM and a seller PM instead of back-end
and front-end PMs.
“
”

63. Ken Norton
Noah Weiss
From Ken Norton’s “Don't Ship The Org Chart” Parts 1 and 2
Organize your product managers around
customers, not code repositories.
Connect PM areas of ownership to users and
their product experiences. Maybe you have a
buyer PM and a seller PM instead of back-end
and front-end PMs.
“
”
Just like it’s ideal to organize your PM team
around customers and use cases, the same
goes for engineering.
Otherwise, you risk having a PM responsible
for a use case having to work with half a
dozen engineering teams to ship a feature:
server, web, iOS, Android, infra, etc.
“
”

64. Establish and uphold
standards of quality

65. Establish and uphold
standards of quality

66. Engineering quality:
Uptime, speed of performance,
number of bugs

67. Engineering quality:
Uptime, speed of performance,
number of bugs
Design quality:

68. Engineering quality:
Uptime, speed of performance,
number of bugs
Design quality:
Um….

69. Engineering quality:
Uptime, speed of performance,
number of bugs
Design quality:
Um….
I know it when I see it?

70. This uncertainty can
paralyze a team

71. Establish quality standards…
Brand characteristics
Experience principles
Design guidelines and systems
Measures of success
Examples of quality work

72. …and uphold quality standards
Say “No” to work that can’t be done well

73. …and uphold quality standards
Say “No” to work that can’t be done well

74. Process is not a proxy for quality
From usability.gov

75. Process is not a proxy for quality
From usability.gov

76. Thank you for your
consideration.
Peter Merholz
@peterme, peterme@peterme.com
http://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com

77. Thank you for your
consideration.
Peter Merholz
@peterme, peterme@peterme.com
http://orgdesignfordesignorgs.com