Brennan Center for Justice
How I rethought the knowledge transfer process and overcame a lack of client resources.
2023
Workshops, UX Research, UI Design, Handover
Through various projects with the Brennan Center, I was able to innovate on processes and challenge assumptions, both internal and external.
My Role
Design Lead / Senior UX Designer
My Work
Design Consultation
Design Operations
Workshops (Goals, Sitemap, Taxonomy)
Wireframes
Hi-Fidelity Mockups
How might we improve our knowledge transfer processes while reducing time and effort costs?
The Why
Designers and researchers aren't always involved in the same project phases.
It's typical, but not optimal, for designers to have an "I don't know what I don't know" mentality in these instances.
I needed to quickly onboard to the project and identify knowledge gaps before the researcher left the project.
The What
Reviewed existing project documentation and presented my understanding of the project's status and next steps.
Tasked the previous strategist with validating and clarifying project information, rather than presenting.
Improved knowledge transfer and documentation practices.
Highlight
The Why
BCJ's stakeholders came to us fully confident that they knew what their users wanted.
They claimed to not need user research and didn't allocate resources for it.
Within our budget and effort, I needed to persuade the client of the value of user research
The What
I conducted individual exercises with each stakeholder to define their assumptions and product goals.
I compared their assumptions and goals to one another and discovered they were greatly misaligned.
I presented these findings back to the client, emphasizing the only way to truly align was through user research.
Takeaways
My work with the Brennan Center may have started out straightforward, yet there was still room for innovative ideas and creative problem-solving. Even if an effort feels like a "Wash. Rinse. Repeat." scenario, always be on the lookout for ways to improve processes, try out new approaches, and continue growing as an individual and a team through the endeavor.
