Project Overview
Project type: Management, DesignOps & Content Strategy
Product: Research/Thought Models
Company: SoftwareReviews & Info-Tech Research Group
Timeline: 2022/2024
Role: UX Designer
Team: Collaborated closely with Research Analysts, UX Team, Design Directors & Product Designers
Problem: Significant backlog of thought models projects pose challenges in Agile for stakeholders, designers and members.
Solution: Manage process to streamline thought model creation and delivery.
Impact: Successful implementation of pilot project on SoftwareReviews team, saw improvement in time delivery and flow, while designers and stakeholders were brought in alignment.
Deliverables:
-- Wireframes
-- Wireframes
Current State | Blueprint page & thought model SoftwareReviews
Strategic UX lead
_______ evolving mental models
As a UX designer at Info-Tech, I played a role in transforming stakeholder requirements and research insights into visual frameworks called Thought Models, fundamental to ITRG's product lineup. Working closely with stakeholders, I led intake sessions and facilitated brainstorming workshops with product designers to ensure our designs effectively translated intricate concepts into user-friendly visual frameworks.
What is a Thought Model?
The tech research is conducted by analyst teams with specialized expertise to assist IT organizations, working in three-month cycles. Following each research cycle, a Thought Model is developed as a visual framework derived from problem space insights, intended to support IT professionals. This Thought Model along with the rest of the research findings is accessible online via blueprint pages and can be downloaded by members through a subscription model.
The tech research is conducted by analyst teams with specialized expertise to assist IT organizations, working in three-month cycles. Following each research cycle, a Thought Model is developed as a visual framework derived from problem space insights, intended to support IT professionals. This Thought Model along with the rest of the research findings is accessible online via blueprint pages and can be downloaded by members through a subscription model.
Additionally, I played a key role in integrating UX processes across other product teams, like SoftwareReviews, by training designers on Thought Model best practices. Leveraging my background in illustration, I brought a unique perspective to concept creation, blending information models with abstract ideas and branding elements. Through this pilot initiative, to bridge the gap between UX and design teams, I facilitated collaboration and alignment.
Design Challenge
The UX team has identified a significant backlog of thought model projects within the organization, which pose challenges for product designers in understanding and creating them effectively. As the missing link between stakeholders, designers, and members, the UX team is tasked with streamlining the process and enhancing the accessibility and usability of thought models.
How can the UX team effectively manage the thought model creation process to ensure seamless collaboration between stakeholders and designers while optimizing the delivery of thought models to members? How can they improve the clarity and digestibility of thought models to better meet the needs of product designers and ultimately enhance the overall user experience for members?
How can the UX team effectively manage the thought model creation process to ensure seamless collaboration between stakeholders and designers while optimizing the delivery of thought models to members? How can they improve the clarity and digestibility of thought models to better meet the needs of product designers and ultimately enhance the overall user experience for members?
Agile Challenges
Despite the analyst research team's three-month timeline for blueprint development, the creation of the accompanying thought model—the visual framework summarizing the research—was expected to take only two weeks (20 hours) following agile methodologies. However, designers struggled to grasp the subject matter, causing Jira backlogs and delays in final product delivery. With the UX team stepping in to bridge the gap between business requirements and design comprehension, the process saw improvement, helping designers streamline their work.
Phase 1 - ITRG Thought Models
Following meetings with stakeholders, UX team members initiated the process by presenting black-and-white wireframes for stakeholder approval before engaging product designers to join the project. Subsequently, designers were tasked with finalizing the thought models by adding color and branding elements. This process proved effective for designers as it provided clarity on content and information groupings before finalization and publication of the thought models.
It also proved to have challenges as designers felt restricted by the wireframes without having context on the decisions that led to the final black and white wireframe.
Phase 1, Thought Model Process
The following examples showcase the collaborative efforts between myself and product designers on the ITRG thought models. On the left black and white wireframes can be seen that I created as a result of the collaboration and feedback between myself, UX team and the research analysts. On the right the final output of the thought models can be seen, finalized by product designers.
ITRG Select Thought Models
Phase 2 - SoftwareReviews Thought Models
Phase 2, Thought Model Process Improvement
Following the implementation of phase 1 of the thought model process, UX team members were integrated into various product teams. Part of my role was specifically within the SoftwareReviews team, where I led a pilot initiative aimed at enhancing the process based on feedback from the design team during the initial phase.
Key Insight:
-- Designers expressed concerns about feeling constrained creatively when joining the project after the creation of black and white wireframes, resulting in final thought models lacking cohesive storytelling elements.
To mitigate this concern, I initiated early collaboration with designers throughout the entire process, starting from intakes to final approval of the wireframes. By implementing collaborative ceremonies and jointly determining content groupings, we integrated storytelling elements earlier in the process, ensuring alignment with content and stakeholders.
Process Work
Outcome
-- The second part of the Thought Models that I led was very successful on the SoftwareReviews team and it was used as a framework by other UX designers integrated in other product teams.
-- Designers loved collaborating early in the process by being part of the stakeholder intakes all the way to iterating on solutions.
"Working with Felicia in my latest TM brought UX and design together. We were able to discuss ideas early on in the process. It helped make the iteration process more enjoyable, and it allowed Felicia to also heavily weigh-in her thoughts on visuals and final design solutions. I felt backed up by Felicia through out the process, and it also made me understand a lot of the prep work I wasn’t part of previously. TONS OF LEARNING.
The process became more a collaboration than line work and making a piece pretty, and in a way as a designer, made me feel more useful in the TM process." Product Designer, SoftwareReviews
The process became more a collaboration than line work and making a piece pretty, and in a way as a designer, made me feel more useful in the TM process." Product Designer, SoftwareReviews
"The pilot for SoftwareReviews has been very successful and it was evident from the beginning that this was the case. It has been such a huge benefit to the designers." UX Director, ITRG
