I joined W.W. Norton as its first UX Director in August 2015.
Six years later, Norton’s UX team has matured greatly with well-established design ops practices that allow our UX designers to work efficiently across multiple digital products. Design is embedded on projects from kickoff through product launch. The UX team handles everything from research and accessibility, to UX writing and design.
Creating a design for a product is easy compared to getting a group of people aligned on a product vision that’s solving real problems for users. UX Design has an important role in fostering collaboration in product development to build usable digital products. Design-thinking workshops, design research and usability testing are invaluable tools to deliver successful digital products.
You’re only as good as the people on your team. As a design manager, it’s important to cultivate a culture of mutual respect among designers. Vigorous design discussions are a sign of a healthy, mature design team; personal rapport keeps work friendly and enjoyable. Inclusion and diversity are key.