Managing research requests for the design system during roadmap planning was challenging due to inefficiencies in coordinating multiple meetings, resulting in misaligned priorities and objectives among different teams. Additionally, there was a need to properly understand and define the real problems requiring solutions.

In a large organization like ING's Wholesale Banking division, multiple teams are involved in developing and maintaining various applications. Ensuring UX consistency across these applications is crucial, especially when integrating a component-based design system. However, managing research requests from different stakeholders can become chaotic without a structured process. The key challenges we faced were:

• Misaligned Priorities and Objectives: Different teams had varying priorities, leading to conflicting objectives and a lack of unified direction.

• Inefficient Communication: Coordinating research requests through multiple meetings was time-consuming and often resulted in miscommunication.

• Undefined Problems: Stakeholders often presented solutions rather than identifying the core problems, which led to building features that might not address the real user needs.

Problems We Aimed to Solve

For Stakeholders

1. Clarity in Requests: Stakeholders needed a clear and straightforward way to communicate their research needs without lengthy meetings.

2. Aligned Objectives: Ensuring that the research and design efforts align with business goals and user needs.

3. Visibility and Transparency: Providing visibility into the status and prioritization of their requests to maintain transparency and manage expectations.
   

For the UX Team

1. Efficient Management: Streamlining the process of handling research requests to reduce administrative overhead and focus on high-value tasks.

2. Problem-Focused Solutions: Shifting the focus from proposed solutions to identifying and solving real user problems.

3. Scalable Components: Ensuring the components designed are reusable and scalable across multiple teams and solutions

Solution

To identify core issues and align research needs, we initiated discovery sprints at the beginning of the project. These sprints focused on uncovering the real problems using frameworks like Jobs To Be Done (JTBD). This process generated well-defined research requests, highlighting the necessity for a streamlined solution to manage these requests effectively.

We implemented a structured research request form tailored specifically for design system needs, incorporating prioritization criteria to ensure alignment with business goals. The form included the following fields:

• Learning Objectives: What specific goals or questions do you want to address regarding the design system?

• Priority Level: Categories (Low, Medium, High) indicating the urgency and importance of the request.

• Impact on Work: How will this impact your work or decisions related to the design system?

• Timeline: Deadline for when insights are needed.

• Additional Context: Any relevant documents or additional information that provide context.

Form submissions were automatically integrated into a Jira board for streamlined management and review.

Process

1. Discovery Sprints: Conducted discovery sprints to uncover real problems and accurately define research needs using JTBD and other frameworks.

2. Form Creation: Designed a custom form using a form builder tool, tailored specifically for design system research requests, and shared it with all teams via email and internal communication channels.

3. Data Collection: Teams filled out the form, providing detailed information about their design system research needs.

4. Automated Workflow: Set up an integration between the form builder and Jira to automatically populate the data into a designated board.

5. Review and Input: Research leads and project managers reviewed the requests on the Jira board, filtering based on priority, deadlines, and impact, and provided additional input directly on the platform.

6. Follow-Up: For teams that encountered difficulties with the form, we scheduled short meetings or provided guidance via chat to assist them in accurately completing the form.

Intake Request Flow for New Design System Components

Types of Requests:

1. Design:

   • Incremental: Small changes, usually styling updates that do not alter functionality.

   • Innovation: Changes that involve new functionality or significant modifications to existing components.

2. Discovery:

   • Unknown Impact/Complexity: When the impact or complexity of the solution is not clear.

   • New Solutions: For proposing solutions that are not currently part of the design system.

3. Research:

   • Problem Identification: For identifying the root cause of issues such as drop-off rates or low task completion rates.

Intake Request Process:

1. Submission:

   • Teams submit a request via the structured research request form, providing detailed information and specifying the type of request (Design, Discovery, or Research).

   • Each request must include data, either existing or a request for new data to support the need for the change or research.

2. Automated Integration:

   • The submitted form automatically populates the data into the designated Jira board.

3. Initial Review:

   • Research leads and project managers review the requests, categorizing them based on type and priority.

   • For design requests, they identify whether the request is incremental or innovation.

   • For discovery and research requests, they assess the need for further exploration or data collection.

4. Prioritization:

   • Requests are prioritized using a set of predefined criteria:

     • Direct impact on company goals.

     • Severity of the impact.

     • Usage of the research results.

     • Resource availability.

     • Known and unknown factors.

     • Number of products impacted.

     • Addressing current user problems.

     • Percentage of users impacted.

     • Stakeholder alignment.

     • Experience of running research by the requestor.

     • Confidence in acting on research recommendations.

     • Alignment with personal development goals.

5. Detailed Analysis:

   • For high-priority requests, a detailed analysis is conducted to determine the feasibility and resource requirements.

   • For discovery requests, additional sprints may be scheduled to explore the problem space and potential solutions.

6. Execution:

   • Approved requests are assigned to the appropriate teams for execution.

   • Progress and updates are tracked on the Jira board, ensuring transparency and alignment among stakeholders.

Benefits

• Time Efficiency: The structured form and automated workflow significantly reduce the need for multiple meetings.

• Enhanced Organization: Clear categorization and prioritization streamline the management of design system requests.

• Stakeholder Visibility: All stakeholders have visibility into the requests, ensuring alignment and clarity.

• Proactive Support: Continuous proactive search for meaningful design system improvements complements the structured process.

Early Takeaways

• The new approach proved to be a valuable time saver and organizational tool.

• Initial challenges with the form were addressed through guided assistance.

• The structured process facilitated informed decision-making based on the design system research insights provided.

Future Enhancements

• Feedback Mechanism: Implement a feedback loop to continuously improve the process.

• Training Sessions: Conduct regular training to help teams get started with the form.

• Automated Reminders: Use automation to remind stakeholders about deadlines.

• Tool Integration: Integrate the form data with other project management tools for seamless updates.

• Dashboard Creation: Develop a dashboard on Jira to visualize the status of all design system research requests.

  
  

OUR STORY

Conclusion

By implementing this structured approach, the ING Wholesale Banking UX team has significantly improved the efficiency and alignment of design system research request management during the crucial roadmap planning period. This initiative, coupled with the dual-track agile workflow and the 'UX Center of Excellence,' ensured a cohesive design across multiple business silos, fostering alignment and a shared vision outlined in a clear roadmap with prioritized epics and user stories for a streamlined path forward.