Making the case for the unification of product strategy and UX strategy

Let’s dive deep into the world of strategies. Specifically, I’d like to unravel the intricate threads that bind and differentiate product strategy and user experience (UX) strategy and explore the question:

First, let’s clear the air with some conventional definitions:

Product strategy: This is the high-level plan that outlines the end-to-end journey of a product from conception to market. It’s all about identifying a unique product value proposition, defining the key product goals, and aligning them with your business objectives. In short, a focus on viability.

UX strategy: This is the plan that guides the design and development of user experiences for a product. It’s the blueprint that ensures the product is not only functional and usable, but also provides delightful experiences that keep users coming back for more. In short, a focus on desirability.

The compelling similarities

Product strategy and UX strategy share some key similarities:

Goal-oriented: Both are all about setting clear, measurable goals that align with overall business objectives. Both strategies keep the end goal in sight, whether launching a new product or improving the user experience.

User-centric: The user is at the heart of both strategies. Whether it’s understanding the user needs for product development or designing experiences that users love, both strategies prioritize the user above all else.

Iterative process: Both strategies are not a one-and-done deal. They involve continuous learning, testing, refining, and iterating based on user feedback and market trends.

Cross-functional collaboration: Both strategies require a high level of collaboration between different teams. Whether it’s product managers, UX designers, developers, marketers, or stakeholders, everyone plays a vital role in shaping the product or the user experience.

The distinguishing differences

Despite the similarities, product and UX strategy have key differences that make them unique:

Scope: Product strategy looks at the big picture, from market analysis and business objectives to product development and launch. On the other hand, UX strategy is more focused on user pain, needs, motivations, the user interface and the user’s interaction with the product.

Outcome: The primary outcome of a product strategy is a successful product that achieves business goals. The outcome of a UX strategy is a delightful, intuitive, and seamless user experience that enhances user satisfaction and loyalty.

Metrics: Product strategy often uses business-centric metrics like market share, revenue, and cost of customer acquisition. UX strategy, however, leans towards user-centric metrics like user satisfaction, task success rate, and usability scores.

Approach: While product strategy is often business-led, balancing user needs, market demand, and business goals, UX strategy is predominantly user-led, focusing on creating experiences that meet user needs and expectations.

While product strategy and UX strategy are distinct, they are also closely intertwined. The success of a product depends not only on a solid product strategy but also on a well-executed UX strategy. So, let’s dive into what I call the “fusion phenomenon” – blending product and UX strategy roles.

Diving into the fusion phenomenon

It’s an unconventional concept for the industry – the fusion of product strategy and UX strategy roles into a single, unified position. The premise is simple: one strategic maestro steering both the product and user experience strategies.

The unification process

So, how exactly will this fusion occur? Let’s deconstruct it:

Cross-skilling: The first step will involve developing a diverse skill set that spans both disciplines. This means one of the below must be true: 1) a product strategist gets their hands dirty with UX design principles, or 2) a UX strategist gets comfortable with business and market analysis.To realize successful role unification, the evolution of the UX strategist role to include business and market research, is the preferred path. I’ll cover this more later.

Vision unification: Next, there needs to be a unified vision that aligns the product and UX goals. This means defining an integrated strategy that ensures the product delivers business objectives while also providing delightful experiences to solve user problems and support user needs. This is the true balance and intersection of business needs and user needs.

Collaborative execution: The unified role will require seamless collaboration with multiple teams – from product development and marketing to design and customer support. This ensures a holistic product and user experience that ticks all the boxes.

The impact on disciplines

With the integration of these roles, both the product management and UX disciplines are bound to experience some significant shifts:

Holistic approach: The fusion will lead to a more holistic approach to product development and user experience design. Instead of operating in silos, the two strategies will be intertwined, resulting in products that are not only business-savvy but also user-centric.

Efficiency: A single strategist steering the product and UX strategies can lead to more efficient decision-making. The integrated role can reduce back-and-forths and streamline the process from concept to launch.

Improved user satisfaction: With a combined focus on product and UX, user satisfaction is bound to improve. The integrated role ensures the product meets business objectives and provides a delightful and seamless user experience.

Greater innovation: This fusion can also lead to greater innovation. With a deep understanding of product and UX strategies, the integrated role can push boundaries and create unique, innovative solutions that appeal to users and drive business success. The fusion of product and UX strategy roles can be a game-changer, ushering in a new era of integrated, user-centric product delivery. But remember, it’s not without its challenges. It demands a broad skill set, strategic vision, and seamless collaboration. But the pay-off? A truly unified strategy that delivers business success and user delight.

That said, it’s critical we don’t overlook the potential pitfalls. Like any major evolution, merging these two roles can have unintended consequences. Let’s explore the consequences and countermeasures of navigating the fusion of roles.

Potential pitfalls

Overburdened role: The fusion could lead to an overly demanding role. Balancing the diverse responsibilities of product and UX strategies can be overwhelming and lead to burnout.

Dilution of expertise: With the need to master a broad array of skills, there’s a risk that the depth of expertise in both areas could get diluted. A jack of all trades can sometimes become a master of none.

Bias towards one discipline: There’s a risk that one discipline might dominate the other. For instance, the focus might tilt towards business objectives, unintentionally sidelining user-centricity.

Lack of checks and balances: The separation of roles can serve as a system of checks and balances, ensuring that each strategy is effectively executed. The fusion might lead to unchecked decisions that could harm the product or user experience.

Mitigation strategies

Clearly defined role: To avoid overwhelming the role, clearly define the responsibilities and expectations. It’s not about doing everything, but about strategically leading both disciplines and delegating tasks to respective teams.

Continuous growth and learning: Encourage continuous professional development to maintain the depth of expertise in both areas. This can be through many growth opportunities, including workshops, conferences, or online courses.

Balanced focus: Ensure a balanced focus on both disciplines. Regularly review and adjust the focus as needed to make sure both product objectives and user needs are being met.

Peer review and feedback: Implement a system of peer review and feedback to maintain checks and balances. Regular audits and reviews can help ensure that the integrated strategy is on the right track. This model doesn’t eliminate a ‘pod concept’, but rather establishes focused accountability for strategy.

The fusion of product strategy and UX strategy roles isn’t without its challenges, but with strategic planning and proactive measures, these challenges can be effectively managed. After all, the path to innovation is rarely smooth, but with perseverance and foresight, it can lead to the realization of incredible outcomes.

In conclusion, you may ask yourself, ‘How do we get started?’ There are some handy steps to unification below.

Evaluate current structure: The first step is understanding the organizational structure and roles. Evaluate how the current product strategy and UX strategy roles function and interact.

Identify skill gaps: Identify any skill gaps in the current roles. Understand the competencies that need to be developed for a successful unification.

Develop an education plan: Based on the identified skill gaps, develop a comprehensive education plan. This can include workshops, mentoring sessions, and online courses.

Draft a unified role description: Create a role description for the new integrated position that clearly outlines responsibilities, expectations, and performance metrics.

Pilot the integration: Start by integrating the roles in a single project or team. This pilot will provide valuable insights and allow for necessary adjustments before a full-scale implementation. Basically, the same concept as ‘experimentation’ practice every day by product teams.

Collect feedback and iterate: Regularly collect feedback from all relevant stakeholders, including the individual in the unified role, team members, and leadership. Use this feedback to make necessary adjustments to the role and the unification process. Full-scale roll out: Once the pilot phase has been evaluated and refined, proceed with a full-scale implementation of the integrated role across the organization.

Continuous review and improvement: Post-implementation, it’s crucial to continue reviewing the role and its impact on the organization. This allows for ongoing improvements and adaptations as the business and market conditions evolve.

Remember, the unification of product strategy and UX strategy roles is not a one-time event but a continuous process that requires adaptability, commitment to learning, and iterative improvements.

How will you evolve and mature your product and design disciplines to realize success?

Originally published on www.mindtheproduct.com, August 18, 2023.