Things You Need To Know Before Working With UX/UI Designers

Q: "How should Product Managers work with UI/UX designers. Who does what? What are best practices when working with them?"

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Let's take the first question - the responsibilities of design.

Does the Product Manager develop all the wireframes and hand that to the designer? Do they need to be hi-fidelity or lo-fidelity? Or does the designer take the lead from the start?

The answer to this varies depending who is leading design on the team & what they expect from you.

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There are 3 types of designers I've worked with in the product world & each need a slightly different tactic:

The UX Crafter

A proper product designer with a love for user research, interaction design & deep understanding on how to solve functional problems through elegant user flows.

The Makeover Magician

A UI guru who can take any wireframe and turn it into a work of art. Their focus is on aesthetics & beauty.

The Polisher

Usually a front-end developer, they act as the bridge between a wireframe and a consumable PSD. They don't apply too much of their creativity rather just polish the design & make it brand-compliant.

In all 3 cases, it's important to discuss what the end goal is and what problem you're out to solve.

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But what you seed them as a starting point sort of changes.

• UX Crafter ⇒ I've seen developing lo-fidelity wireframes or even a mindmap suffices. You want to afford them space to go through their design process & devise a solution
• Makeover Magician ⇒ I would deliver low to medium fidelity wireframes that defines the sequence of the user flow & must-have elements. They then take care of the rest
• Polisher ⇒ I would go all the way to a high fidelity wireframe or working prototype that needs some design corrections

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Best Practices

Some guidelines I've seen work well over the years:

• Involve them early to give them ample time to ideate. You can't rush an artist
• Always discuss the Why. What are we trying to solve for the user?

Refrain from projecting your opinion all over the design brief. Get some evidence to back it up like a Hotjar video, analytics, user feedback, etc.

• If you're making customer calls as part of your design process, get your designer to attend
• Give specific references

However, don't limit yourself to the usual competitors and social media sites. Look at other products where audiences potentially overlap with yours.

• Don't commit to a solution "you" love too early with a UX crafter. Discuss
• You will not always be on the same page on aesthetics. However, it's important to respect their design choices & be open to considering them
• When in doubt, bring the design to a user test. Ask customers. Share with others
• Finally, give meaningful & specific feedback