VIEW PROJECTSummary:
Client: MNTN
Position: Head of Product Design
Overview
In March 2022, I transitioned from my role as Director of UX at Newsday to join MNTN as an individual contributor. This move marked a significant shift from leading teams to focusing on design implementation. MNTN’s product development culture, primarily engineering-driven, required a strategic overhaul to incorporate design more prominently into its workflow.
Objectives
The primary goal was to develop a unified design process that would seamlessly integrate with engineering and product management, improving communication and collaboration across departments. The need to foster a culture of design-thinking was critical to drive innovation and streamline decision-making.
Approach
Working closely with engineers, designers, and product managers, I established a structured UX workflow. This involved rethinking existing frameworks and introducing tools that improved cross-functional teamwork. The process was broken down into phases including research, wireframing, prototyping, testing, and iteration. My focus was on increasing speed without sacrificing quality.
Tools and Methodologies
The workflow included the adoption of collaborative tools such as Figma for design systems, Jira for task tracking, and Slack for communication. Regular feedback loops were built into the process to ensure continuous improvement. Stakeholder involvement was prioritized at key milestones to maintain alignment with business objectives.
Results
The new workflow resulted in increased efficiency and more cohesive product development cycles. Teams were able to iterate faster while maintaining higher standards of user experience. This shift not only improved the quality of designs but also led to quicker feature releases and more robust products.
Conclusion
The success of this project lay in bridging the gap between design and engineering. By introducing a well-defined process, we were able to foster a culture where design played a pivotal role in shaping MNTN’s product offerings, driving both innovation and consistency across the board.
Workflow Visual
If your visual learner like most designers, I took that into account and created this Figjam and is the source of the above explanation.
