UX Strategy, the conjunction between user goals and business strategy

Building a UX strategy involves finding the connection between user goals (user experience) and business strategies (product success measures). Executing this conjunction requires not only technical expertise in UX but also a solid understanding of the market, organization priorities, team resources, and effective solutions for business problems.

Strategic user experience designers establish, direct, and articulate a prioritized vision in the macro context of the product. Having both a particular UX vision (micro) and a general one (macro).

One of the main methodologies followed to construct a UX strategy is based on the book UX Strategy, by Jaime Levy. It addresses 4 basic principles: business strategy, value innovation, user research, and UX.

“UX strategy is the process that should be started first, before the beginning of the project or development of a digital product. It is the vision of a solution that needs to be validated with real potential customers to prove that it is desired in the market." Jaime Levy.

The business strategy identifies the guiding principles of the company. How it will position itself, seek differentiation, and achieve its objectives. Understanding mission, vision, values of the institution or product as well as its future perspectives.

Thus, defining the value proposition is one of the major roles of UX Strategy within the project. A definition usually made by several hands, in conjunction with stakeholders and product managers.

One of the main tools applied in this principle is the good old business model canvas.

Besides the BMC, other tools like the CSD Matrix (Certainties, assumptions, and doubts), Proto-personas, OKRs, product map is, is not, does, does not. Context canvas can also be used.

When working with digital products, the need for knowledge about market dynamics, understanding of the value chain, and the constant search for differentiation and low cost is inevitable.

We say that real value innovation is found when the business model and UX intersect. Airbnb is an example of a company and product that achieves this value innovation. With a user experience and a tempting value proposition, they dove into a large blue ocean and brought to the market a new, totally mobile way of exploring our community's hosts, homes, and neighborhoods.

Here's the simple truth: you can't innovate in products without first innovating the way you build them.

Product vision Board, value proposition canvas, SWOT matrix, empathy map, competitive analysis are some tools that can help you in building this pillar in your UX strategy.

Avoiding guesswork is vital in a UX strategy. And, the main way to avoid it is to go to the facts. Essentially, this principle consists of exposing and validating your product to potential users as early as possible in the process, understanding behaviors, needs, and real problems to solve something that delivers value.

Interviews, user story mapping, focus group, experience map, user journey, cognitive walkthrough are some of the tools that can be applied to this principle.

Understand how the consumer will feel when interacting with the product or service. Simple and summarized, after all, if you already work as a UX Designer here is your comfort zone.

Now, build an action plan with the next steps you will execute for your UX strategy.

Developing a strategy involves exploration, choice, and systematic thinking. You need to find a model that guides you and helps you see all the connections in a big picture.

In addition to your research and definitions, there are actions that, when performed, your strategy will become simpler to be achieved, moving from an abstract concept to something tangible for all those involved.

Decrease the barrier of the organization, connecting the decisions of the main influencers and their effects to customer experiences;

Socialize the value of design and user experience to executives and stakeholders, showing a solid vision of future user experiences and thus enabling non-designer influencers to focus their decisions on delivering value to the customer;

Establish new orientation programs for these influencers and thus build internal proficiency capacity so that you can together boost the user experience to new levels within your organization;

Drive the design vision that produces innovative, metrics-driven products and services;

Aim your organization towards a UX vision based on research, even in "baby steps", but offering new value to customers through innovation;

Lead and drive people, evaluating your team's skills for current and future challenges.

The challenges of your organization are unique. Your UX strategy should also be unique. But start even in drafts and in an evolutionary way, your designed strategy will never be something definitive and static. So create, revise, share. Socialize the design. ?

Main sources for building this narrative: Designing for product (Oreilly); Creating a UX Strategy playbook.