From Generalists to Specialists: Unlocking the Team’s Potential
When I joined the design team, we were all hired as generalists. As the team grew and the Concept Sprint introduced stronger collaboration among designers, it became clear that splitting responsibilities into UX and UI roles—with some overlap—could significantly improve both the quality of work and team satisfaction.
However, no clear process existed to determine who would take on which role or how we could align responsibilities with strengths and interests. Allocation was often dictated by availability, and team members took on roles regardless of where their passion or expertise lay. This lack of clarity led to inefficiencies and missed opportunities to leverage individual strengths, which negatively impacted design quality and project outcomes. It was time to rethink how we worked.
Challenge
Through team discussions and my observations, we identified several key issues:
Undefined Roles: UX and UI were treated as one trade, with no clear division of responsibilities or emphasis on individual strengths.
Inefficient Allocation: Designers were assigned to projects based on availability rather than skill or interest, leading to inconsistent outcomes.
Budget Transparency: Design work was billed as part of development, creating a lack of visibility into how design budgets were allocated or consumed.
Impact on Quality: Projects relying on generalists often struggled to achieve the same quality as those with focused UX or UI involvement.
Additionally, team members expressed frustrations about not being able to fully lean into their areas of passion and expertise, which affected motivation and growth.
Solution
To address these challenges, I proposed a structured process to redefine the team’s roles and responsibilities. This included the following steps:
Current Status and Needs
I conducted workshops and one-on-one interviews to identify pain points, limitations, tasks, and responsibilities in the existing structure.
Outcome: A clear understanding of where we stood and what needed improvement.
Problem Statement and Vision
Problem Statement: “At Ambient, UX and UI are seen and sold as a single trade. This underutilizes individual skills and interests, negatively impacting design quality and project budgets.”
Vision: “In Ambient's design department, specialists work according to their strengths and interests, creating higher design quality, budget transparency, and more innovative solutions for clients.”
Defining Roles and Responsibilities
We collaboratively decided on three role types: UX Specialists, UI Specialists, and UX/UI Generalists, ensuring flexibility and coverage based on project needs.
Each designer chose their path based on their strengths, interests, and goals.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Risks such as knowledge silos, over-specialization, and reduced flexibility were identified and prioritized.
Mitigation strategies included regular knowledge-sharing sessions and clear cross-role collaboration practices.
Implementation and Buy-In
The process was pitched to management with a focus on its long-term benefits for quality, transparency, and team satisfaction.
Outcome: Management supported the proposal, and the team transitioned to the new structure.
Results
The new structure has already led to tangible improvements:
Higher Team Satisfaction: A team survey showed designers feeling more fulfilled, with greater alignment between their work and their strengths.
Improved Design Quality: Metrics such as the frequency of user tests and the relevance of user research have increased significantly.
Strengthened Specialization: UX specialists have driven initiatives to improve research practices, while UI specialists have refined the evaluation of design frameworks.
Budget Clarity: The clearer division of labor allowed for better budget estimations, making design efforts more visible and transparent internally and to clients.
These outcomes reflect not just a shift in structure but a cultural change toward valuing specialization and collaboration.
Reflection
The transition to specialized roles reinforced several key lessons:
People Thrive in Their Strengths: Allowing team members to focus on their passions—whether UX, UI, or a combination—improves both satisfaction and output.
Collaboration is Key: Flexibility and cross-role knowledge-sharing mitigate the risks of specialization and ensure team cohesion.
Articulating the Value of Change is Crucial: Presenting a clear problem statement, vision, and implementation plan was essential to gaining management and team buy-in.
While this shift was a collaborative effort, my role in defining the process, facilitating discussions, and guiding the transition was significant. By advocating for and implementing these changes, we’ve built a stronger, happier team that delivers better design solutions.