How UX Designers Work with Engineers? (Productivity + UX Interview Tips 2021)

Summary

In this video, Justine shares valuable insights on how UX designers can effectively collaborate with engineers. She addresses common challenges such as speaking up about design discrepancies, enhancing communication, handling pushback, and properly handing off design assets. The video offers actionable tips for junior designers and students, as well as guidance on how to discuss these topics in UX interviews.

Takeaways

• 😀 Engineers and designers must collaborate closely as part of the same team, interacting frequently to ensure smooth progress.
• 👍 Speaking up about design inconsistencies is essential, even if it requires engineers to rework something; this saves time in the long run.
• 📅 Regular check-ins and a final review are useful tools to maintain alignment and avoid miscommunication between designers and engineers.
• 👂 If engineers push back on design decisions, open communication is key to understanding their concerns and finding a solution.
• ☕ Building a friendly relationship with engineers (e.g., through casual coffee chats) can facilitate smoother collaboration and help resolve conflicts.
• 🎨 Designers need to understand how to properly hand off design assets, ensuring everything is redlined, annotated, and clear for engineers to implement.
• 💬 Asking engineers what they specifically need in terms of documentation, file structure, and other design details is the best way to ensure effective collaboration.
• 🔍 Designers should use tools like Figma and study industry standards (e.g., Material Design) to improve how they document and present their designs to engineers.
• 💡 In UX interviews, candidates can showcase their experience working with engineers by describing their design process, communication strategies, and problem-solving approaches.
• 🎥 Maintaining a collaborative mindset, being proactive in communication, and addressing design issues early on can help designers and engineers create better products together.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is how UX designers can effectively work with engineers.

Who submitted the topic for the video?

The topic was submitted by a viewer named Moon.

Why is the topic relevant for both junior designers and design students?

The topic is relevant because junior designers will eventually work with software engineers, and design students may need to discuss such collaboration during job interviews.

What are the two parts of the video's agenda?

The first part highlights four common issues when working with software engineers and provides actionable items to address them. The second part gives examples of how these issues can be turned into interview questions.

What is the first common issue discussed in the video?

The first common issue is how to speak up when engineers implement designs incorrectly.

Why is it important for designers to speak up about design discrepancies?

Designers should speak up because they are responsible for ensuring the product has a good user experience and usability, and fixing issues early saves time in the long run.

What is the suggested action for designers who are hesitant to speak up?

The suggested action is to communicate directly with the engineers about the discrepancies and work together to fix them.

What is the second common issue mentioned in the video?

The second common issue is the lack of interaction between designers and engineers.

Why should designers interact more with engineers?

Designers and engineers are on the same team, and increased interaction can lead to better collaboration and understanding of each other's work.

What actions can designers take to improve interaction with engineers?

Designers can schedule weekly check-ins, have final reviews with larger groups, and engage in casual meetings to understand engineers' perspectives.

What is the third common issue discussed?

The third common issue is what to do when engineers don't listen to design feedback or push back for various reasons.

What are some strategies to handle engineers who push back on design decisions?

Strategies include clear communication of design rationale, understanding their perspective through casual meetings, and escalating to management if necessary.

What is the fourth common issue?

The fourth common issue is how to properly hand off design mockups and assets to engineers.

What actions can designers take to ensure a smooth handoff of design assets?

Designers can use redlining tools, study how established design systems document their work, and ask engineers directly about their needs.

How can the information in the video help someone during a UX interview?

The video provides insights into common challenges in designer-engineer collaboration, which can be used to answer interview questions about teamwork and problem-solving.

What is the advice for someone who hasn't worked with engineers yet?

The advice is to research how designers work with engineers, understand the secrets of good collaboration, or review the video for more information.