At The Co-operators, I was a full-stack mobile developer on an agile team with other developers and a UI/UX team. I grew as a developer and learned a lot about the UX process from my colleagues. We worked closely together to bring their vision to life. I also brought my own technical knowledge and motion-graphics experience.
Making design matter to my project team
One of the first things I did was set up a short weekly meeting with all my teammates called a "Design Check-in." This was my chance to get the whole team on board with the design itself, its goals, and the key metrics we would use to measure success.
Lessons
As a developer working closely with designers, I learned to trust the design decisions made and the rationale behind them, while also knowing when assumptions need to be checked. The people around me are a resource to keep myself honest. I tried to foster an environment where everyone felt comfortable sharing their opinion on a design.
Outcomes
- The team became another resource to verify assumptions and inform decisions
- Developers started asking questions about design decisions and contributing their own suggestions