You're facing developers inexperienced in UX concepts. How can you guide them towards user-centric design?

I would introduce it like this : User Experience (UX) Design is the process of creating products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users. This involves the design of the entire process of acquiring and integrating the product, including aspects of branding, design, usability, and function. The goal of UX design is to enhance user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction with the product.

Per my opinion, the activity of creating and enhancing a product or service’s usability and accessibility to satisfy the requirements and expectations of its users is known as UX (User Experience). Understanding the demands, actions, and motivations of the user helps UX Designers create solutions that are logical, simple, and effective.

As a UI/UX designer with a deep focus on user-centric design, I’ve found that collaboration with developers is key to creating experiences that truly resonate with users. Here’s how I approach it: - Involve Developers Early - Provide Clear Documentation - Maintain Consistent Communication - Foster Empathy for Users - Prototype Together

Devs have immediate skepticism around anything that could reduce their actual coding time - particularly in smaller teams or meeting-centric organisations. So to engage developers you need to put benefits to them first and the benefits to your process second. UX design means more actual development time for them, more meaningful problem solving - solutions actually go into the end product, and less meeting time because there's less unknowns in a user-led process. I wouldn't introduce all the terms to do with UX design in one go like a lesson, I'd explain as we went along in our sprints. E.g., we have a spike coming up on a new product feature - I can point to user personas to cover the needs of the feature, and explain then what they are.

Understanding users on a deeper level is crucial for creating products that truly meet their needs. Empathy is a powerful tool for achieving this understanding, enabling developers to connect with users' experiences, challenges, and needs. By engaging with real users or imagining themselves in the users' shoes, developers can gain valuable insights that lead to more intuitive user interfaces and foster a culture of user advocacy within the development team.

Devs have the closest understanding you can get of effort and time needed per change or addition to a product. Therefore if you can pair that knowledge with user advocacy / a clear picture of what users need most, you can make a very efficient product team. I would highlight this value to devs, and where possible show the difference in success of a product that didn't start with user empathy vs one that did, and then drill down into the specifics of how you know you're really listening to users.

In my experience, we as UX designer should empathize with non-designers. One most important thing while considering collaborative designing activities is to setup a design thinking workshop. This workshop should be facilitated by you and the purpose should be to help them understand the iterative design cycle and the entire process that we follow. Give simple examples of everyday things while explaining each phase in the design thinking process. Also, give a small problem to solve and let them follow the process with your guidance. For example: People miss logging their time on Fridays. Let them understand why and how is design thinking used and it is not limited to just using tools to create a user interface.

A collaborative design approach is vital for creating user-centered products. It involves developers working closely with UX designers or taking on some of these roles themselves. The importance of multidisciplinary teams cannot be overstated, as insights from various perspectives contribute to a holistic understanding of the user experience.

Fortunately, with the emergence of Agile, it is easier to combine UX approaches, which are iterative. UX combines Agile with user-centered design, emphasizing iterative development, user feedback, and collaboration. Key elements include sprints—short, focused work periods for rapid prototyping and user testing—and the involvement of UX designers, developers, product owners, and stakeholders. This approach promotes continuous learning and improvement, allowing teams to adapt quickly based on user needs.

The key aspect is to involve developers directly in usability testing sessions. By doing so, developers can directly observe the consequences and impacts of design decisions on the final product. This approach also helps to address the common issue of developers feeling disconnected from business decisions, allowing them to contribute directly to product improvements. Additionally, developers will enhance their sensitivity to design considerations by witnessing the effects firsthand. If direct involvement in testing sessions is not feasible, it is crucial to at least provide a detailed debrief of the test results specifically for the development teams.