A presentation at RefreshDC Meetup in in Arlington County, Arlington, VA, USA by Ben Hong
DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT r #RELATIONSHIPGOALS Speakers: Stephanie Sell & Ben Hong
STEPHANIE SELL Senior UX Designer at CapitalOne @stellar_UX
BEN HONG Lead Frontend Developer at Politico @bencodezen
SLIDES WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE So no need to rush to copy down things
GETTING TO KNOW YOU
GETTING TO KNOW YOU ! 🦄 "
DESIGNERS & DEVELOPERS
DESIGNERS DEVELOPERS
WE SHOULD BE ON THE SAME TEAM.
WHAT ARE SOME COMPLAINTS YOU’VE HEARD OR ENCOUNTERED?
COMMON THEMES
1 / HANDOFF
“ Developers mess up the designs.
“ Developers mess up the designs. Designers forget things & leave us to fill the gaps.
2 / BLAME GAME
“ Developers are the gatekeepers and often say no.
“ Developers are the gatekeepers and often say no. Designers have no regard for how hard something is to build.
3 / VALUE
“ Developers are seen as “more valuable” than design. Designers get all the spotlight and glory and we are forgotten.
THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE RIGHT?
DESIGNERS SHOULD LEARN TO CODE DEVELOPERS SHOULD LEARN TO DESIGN
UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER SIDE.
DESIGNERS Goals ➤ Create beautiful designs ➤ Create the optimal experience for users
DESIGNERS Obstacles ➤ Multiple stakeholders to make happy ➤ No guarantee of project viability / investment ➤ Everyone thinks that they can do your job ➤ Creative process is not linear
DEVELOPERS Goals: ➤ Build cool stuff ➤ Write bug-free features ➤ Build accessible experiences
DEVELOPERS Obstacles: ➤ Specifications are inadequate ➤ Often unreasonable deadlines ➤ Browser compatibility ➤ Third-party contractors
😐
DEVELOPERS Obstacles: ➤ Specifications are inadequate ➤ Tight deadlines ➤ Contractors ➤ Browser compatibility
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
SOLUTION: COUPLES THERAPY
SOLUTION: COUPLES THERAPY
SOLUTION: MORE TOOLS
Image from: https://blog.zeplin.io/introducing-zeplin-2-0-components-and-a-ton-more-goodies-7c09dacc1f48
SOLUTION: MORE TOOLS (Even though tools are great!)
1 / PROXIMITY
PROXIMITY How to achieve this ➤ Get leadership to have the two teams sit within arm’s reach of one another ➤ Increase amount of “water cooler” time ➤ Schedule a routine meeting with one another
2 / COMMUNICATION
COMMUNICATION How to achieve this ➤ Start the conversation as early as possible ➤ Don’t just say “no” to a request. Explain. ➤ Treat one another as a partner in crime ➤ Never assume
3 / EMPATHY
EMPATHY How to achieve this ➤ Leave your ego at the door ➤ Respect the expertise that each team brings to the table ➤ Always remember that we are making the best with what we have
IN SUMMARY
PROXIMITY COMMUNICATION EMPATHY
PCE
AND NOW WE CAN BE BEST FRIENDS RIGHT?
PROBABLY NOT
THANKS! @bencodezen We’ll be around for questions! @stellar_UX
The relationship between design and development is one that should be harmonious and mutually beneficial. Yet, it can often be contentious and frustrating. Designers feel like they are being explicit with their requirements, yet the resulting product is rarely what they envisioned.
In this talk, you'll hear directly from a designer and developer about what is going through their mind during the product life cycle. They will not only focus on key pain points when working together, but will provide ways to address competing priorities and create a positive working relationship.
for free. You
can too.