Product Management & User Experience:Are they the right career paths for you?

Rob HouserSr Director, Product Management

@ Sage

About Me Technical Writing Training Usability/Design UX Consulting Managing UX Teams Product Management Managing PM Team Career focused on understanding

users of software and designing ways to help them achieve their goals

So they will buy our products and services and my company will generate revenue for its shareholders

Later in LifeRealization:

What do we have in common? Problem Solving Innovation Curiosity Knowledge Learning Enjoyment of Technology

+ PATTERN IDENTIFICATION

What is UX?USER EXPERIENCEIntentional design of the end-to-end series of interactions for products, systems, and servicesDeveloping products and services through a user-centered design processNot just about making products easy to use, but also about making the entire experience enjoyableFocused on users (not usually on customers) – how people work

What UX jobs are available?Traditional UX JobsUsability AnalystInteraction DesignersInformation ArchitectVisual Designer

Adjacent OpportunitiesPrototype DeveloperUI Developer

Usability AnalystsWhat do they do?

Conduct user research (in the lab and in the field) Create personas and scenarios to keep the focus on the users Analyze user research and identify key UX moments of truth Works with PM and R&D on product innovation/improvement

What skills do they need? Interview and observe users for insights Surveys, usability tests, contextual inquiries, card sorts, affinity

diagrams, and other methods for understanding user needs Strong analytical skills to identify key findings from studies Psychology, statistics, human factors/human-computer interaction

What personality types are attracted to this job? Detail-oriented, analytical, thorough, empathetic, organized,

objective, able to apply established principles to new situations

Interaction DesignersWhat do they do?

Identify layout of software UI Choose appropriate interactions and behaviors based on usability

requirements Ensure consistency of design patterns Creates wireframes (and mockups) to provide design requirements

What skills do they need? Problem solving, conceptualize complex systems and make them

simpler, UI knowledge (know what is possible), flow charting, wireframes

What personality types are attracted to this job? Big picture people who see patterns easily, strong conceptual thinkers,

comfortable with frequent change, able to identify multiple solutions to a problem quickly, collaboration, creative thinkers, logical, thick-skinned

Information ArchitectWhat do they do?

Organizes and labels information (websites, communities, applications) Creates navigation and signage Sometimes the same person as the Interaction Designer

What skills do they need? Flow analysis/diagramming, visual design, conceptualize complex

systems and make them simpler, knowledge of wayfinding

What personality types are attracted to this job? Big picture people who see patterns easily, strong conceptual thinkers,

comfortable with frequent change, able to identify multiple solutions to a problem quickly, collaboration

Visual DesignersWhat do they do?

Develop mockups and graphic assets for the UI, create the skins for the UI, sometimes oversee/manage UI requirements/consistency

What skills do they need? Graphic design, artistic ability, sometimes basic prototyping (not usually

coded in the target language), animation, video creation/editing

What personality types are attracted to this job? Artists, highly creative, extremely detail-oriented, perfectionists, introverts

Adjacent OpportunitiesPrototype DevelopersUI Developers

Is UX right for you? Do you enjoy the early phases of software development,

especially the analysis and design phases? Do any of these specific UX jobs sound interesting to you? Do you tend to interact with products and services and

immediately see ways to make them better?

What is PM?PRODUCT MANAGEMENTFocused on customers (more than users) – why people buyResponsible for understanding the market and developing (build, buy, or partner) products and servicesStrong emphasis on the business side of software developmentOften the bridge between R&D and the rest of the business (Sales/Marketing/Partner Channel/Support)

What PM jobs are available?Traditional PM JobsProduct ManagerBusiness AnalystMarket Researcher

Adjacent OpportunitiesBA/SME for complex/technical systemsAnalytics expert/interpreter

Product ManagersWhat do they do?

Talks to customers frequently to understand their wants and needs Sets product roadmaps and strategy working with business leaders Develops and presents business cases to drive new business Represents the business at public events, especially trade shows Product evangelist, conducting demos to customers and prospects Often responsible for leading product innovation

What skills do they need? Market research, business planning/financial analysis, persuasive

presentations, leadership, project management, strong interviewing skills, problem solver, MBA a big plus

What personality types are attracted to this job? Creative, analytical thinkers, futuristic/strategic thinkers (can see

possibilities), innovators, strong collaboration, interested in helping people

Business AnalystsWhat do they do?

Identifies requirements for products, systems, and services Creates stories for agile teams Works with R&D on day-to-day development; may also be the primary

interface with IS/IT or external data/systems management May serve as product owner

What skills do they need? Technical knowledge of the system(s) being extended or connected to, ability

to write requirements documentation from a user perspective (stories), project management, highly organized, collaboration, problem solving

What personality types are attracted to this job? Extremely detail and schedule oriented, enjoys completion/closure,

practical/pragmatic, responsible, dependable, well-organized, hard working,many are introverted

Market ResearchersWhat do they do?

Creates, conducts, and analyzes survey results Run or organize focus groups or other customer interview methods Analyzes market research from third parties Reviews events and stories in the news media Conducts competitive analyses Shares important data and insights with the internal organization

What skills do they need? Market research, analysis, written communication (reports), presentations,

knowledge of business finances and market valuations

What personality types are attracted to this job? Extremely detail-oriented, practical, analytical, introverted, well-organized

Adjacent OpportunitiesBAs/SMEs for complex/technical systemsAnalytics expert/interpreters

Is PM right for you? Are you interested in the business side of software as much

as the technical side? Are you able to get others to do what you need them to do? Do you want to manage the business one day (outside of

managing a single group/department)?

Relative Pay Visual Designer

Interaction Designer Information Architect Market Researcher Analytics expert/interpreter

Usability Analyst Prototype Developer Business Analyst

Baseline: Software Developer

UI Developer BA/SME for complex/technical systems

Product Manager

Warning: This list is meant to be illustrativeand is not based on any research. Salarieshave wide ranges and are based on morefactors than job title alone.

Q&A

rob.houser@sage.com

Traditional UX JobsUsability AnalystInteraction DesignerInformation ArchitectVisual Designer

Adjacent OpportunitiesPrototype DeveloperUI Developer

Traditional PM JobsProduct ManagerBusiness AnalystMarket Researcher

Adjacent Opportunities BA/SME for complex/technical systemsAnalytics expert/interpreter