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*Below presuppose a team that has embraced a human-centered process
(See tab 2 for Proficiency levels)
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Competency x DomainDescription / Example Behavior (DRAFT)AssociateDesignerSeniorPrincipalDirector
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Experience: 2+ yearsExperience: 4+ yearsExperience: 6+ yearsExperience: 6+ years
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Scale: FeaturesScale: FeaturesScale: End-to-EndScale: End-to-End, EcosystemScale: End-to-End, Ecosystem
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Role: SupportRole: Support, PartnerRole: Partner, LeadRole: Lead, Evangelize, OperationalizeRole: Manage (people), Lead, Evangelize, Operationalize
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Core Competency #1: Product ThinkingAbility to shape & define product jobsNovice-IntermediateIntermediateAdvancedAdvanced-ExpertAdvanced-Expert
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Discover and validate user needs and problemsConduct user interviews, baseline usability tests, and/or current status audit and synthesize / share findings with the larger team.
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Define product / feature goals and success criteriaBegin all projects with documented goal and success criteria; open all shareouts of progress against project with a reminder of these.
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Design under constraints and understand tradeoffsPresent design deliverables that reflect understanding of data model and tech stack
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Develop and define business requirementsWork with Product and BAs to identify use and document cases
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Understand product performance against success criteria to drive iterationsGather customer feedback and usage data; synthesize and report findings to larger teams to inform roadmap
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Understand industry landscape and trendsWorking knowledge of ed tech and general UX/Product space and competitors.
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Core Competency #2: UX / Interaction DesignAbility to use and create patterns and interactions suitable for a product's jobsNovice-IntermediateIntermediateAdvancedAdvanced-ExpertAdvanced-Expert
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Conduct user researchDefine research scope, recruit participants, conduct interviews and usability tests, synthesize and share findings.
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Develop flows, wireframes, prototypes, information architectureCreate detailed and easy-to-follow artifacts that meet user needs across primary and unhappy paths.
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Solve problems creatively within a complex ecosystemRecommend designs that take into account the larger picture of the platform, business, and customer context.
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Design scalable and reusable UX patternsRecommend solutions that can be reused across features, products and journeys.
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Document detailed functional specsDeliver annotated mocks and component variant specs that make expectations clear to developers at project outset.
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Understand UX design landscape and trendsRead / listen / watch industry SMEs; share learnings back to team, recommend continuous improvements to our UX practice.
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(Candidate: Systems Thinking)
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Core Competency #3: UI DesignAbility to create and implement UI that is on-brand, attractive and usable for a specific userbase and maintainable over timeNovice-IntermediateIntermediateAdvancedAdvanced-ExpertAdvanced-Expert
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Design experiences that are on-brand and visually appealingMake elegant use of type, space, color and other elements to create clear hierarchy in accordance with users' primary task(s).
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Design experiences that are responsive and accessibleMock up design deliverables at a variety of screen sizes; ensure all type has 4.5:1 contrast; focus states and alt text specified in specs
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Design experiences that flex to accommodate real dataTest all design deliverables with average and outlier data use cases
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Contribute to and maintain a future-friendly design systemPresent designs that use existing styles and components, or prompt enhancements to them. Ticket out FE dev stories to create new Storybook components
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Document detailed visual specsWrite To Do section in any story with UI changes and link to detailed Figma specs. As design gets implemented, "true up" specs to reflect what is actually in code.
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Track release cycle and QA designsPresent designs at kickoff, ongoing desk checks during development, sign off in staging before release.
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Understand UI design landscape and trendsRead / listen / watch industry SMEs; share learnings back to team, recommend continuous improvements to our design practice.
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Team SkillsAbility to create synergic impact on product, team, and companyNovice-IntermediateIntermediateAdvancedAdvanced-ExpertAdvanced-Expert
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Collaborate and build relationships / trust across functionsInitiate desk checks with front-end engineers on in-flight work; partner with CX on customer-facing storytelling around new features; partner with AM on user research efforts that their customers participate in.
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Define and improve team opsWrite and share documentation about how a repeatable process works; design tools and systems that improve team efficiency and produc quality; Set up rituals with team members who need to share information regularly.
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Manage efficient project executionUnderstand scope and timing; Define and communicate out milestones; Break down larger projects into sequence of smaller action items.
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Evangelize and storytell with the lens of problems solved and impact deliveredWhen sharing a design for review, frame the problem / pain point the design is addressing; walk audience through that current state first to help them empathize with the user. Present in Product School or Office Hours
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Operate with a growth mindsetAsk for feedback from team members; bring honest reflections to team retros; Seek out new skills and expertise.
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Lead and inspire team members, take initiativeDemonstrate company values in daily actions and attitude. Find a bug in production while testing another flow --> log it! Notice a common need across platform for a new pattern --> surface the opportunity and advocate for including it in future roadmap.
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Optional - Bonus Design SkillsAdditional nice-to-have skills to round out the teamNovice-IntermediateVariesVariesVariesVaries
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Data visualizationPresent a compelling and visually appealing data story according to industry best practices
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CopywritingWrite thoughtful, on-brand product copy into designs; when encountering confusing copy in production, suggest improvements.
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CodingInspec elements and recommend changes in code to improve the experience. Commit changes in Github if / when appropriate.
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Community / Industry EngagementGive a talk at a UX event or conference; write a post on personal or company blog
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Managers Only - Management SkillsAbility to "get better outcomes from a group of people working together"N/AN/AN/AN/AVaries - ideally Advanced-Expert
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Manage team and team operationsEnsure all team members understand priorities in short and long term; Establish rituals to keep team productive and engaged.
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Develop team members and help them growSet conditions for team members to define and work toward personal and professional goals.
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Company Management Philosophy - Effective CommunicatorGive / ask for feedback regularly, share clear priorities, communicate expectations.
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Company Management Philosophy - CoachAsk questions that help team think more strategically and empower them to find solutions to challenges and roadblocks
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Company Management Philosophy - Inclusive LeaderFoster a work environment that values diversity of thought, backgrounds and experiences
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Company Management Philosophy - Multiplier first, doer secondManagers are successful when each team member gets results. Great managers are always on the lookout for opportunities to help team learn and grow.
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Company Management Philosophy - Role modelChampion and model company values. Our behaviors and habits signal company values and should model what we expect to see.
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