We must evolve.
User experience design is at a cross-roads. The value of user-centered design as an approach and a practice is now obvious, with countless proof points available. The number of UX roles in organizations large and small has exploded, and professionals with deep knowledge and credentials can demand (and get) high salaries. And yet…
While UX has a seat at the table, we aren’t in charge. While we can influence a product’s experience and roadmap, we don’t make the final “call” when it comes to capital investment and prioritization. This needs to change.
We need to become Product Owners.
If you are not familiar with the role, it is the person on the product development team that owns the roadmap and “backlog” of features for the product. The main job of the Product Owner is to serve the needs of the end-user, customers or stakeholders – Usually all of the above. A good Product Owner has a clear view of the market for the product, a deep understanding of the needs of the users of the product, and an ability to adapt to new inputs and collaborate with cross disciplinary teams to design and execute the product.
Sounds a lot like user experience design to me – Not the detailed wire-frame type of work, but the strategic thinking that senior UX professionals bring to the table. And that is who I’m directing this advocacy to: The senior UX Leads and Architects that have worked in a particular industry for many years.
When it comes to the UX “job ladder” (as I like to call it) once you get past a certain point in the user experience profession there tends to be only two paths: people-manager or Director. I suggest this as a third path.
This idea, I’m sure, is hardly new. But it is a natural step in the evolution of experience design. If you have been successful as a senior UXer then you will have (in all likelihood) learned a lot about a particular industry vertical. If you’ve lead the design effort on multiple projects you’ve partnered with cross-functional teams, large and small. The only “gap” that may exist is around developing KPIs and becoming proficient at backlog grooming, but both are quite approachable and learnable.
And even if Product Owner is not your eventual career goal, knowing the basic responsibilities of the role and getting deeper knowledge of Agile methodology can help you become a better design partner and collaborator. Which is a net positive, all-around.
So there you have my modest proposal. While there are a lot more UX jobs out there than Product Owners, the demand for Product Owners is increasing, as more and more companies transition into Agile software development. Think about it… I know I will.