How to escape pixel pushing

Tactics for getting more influence and escaping pixel traps

[Quick note: I’m the opening keynote speaker for UX Camp, a virtual event, on Sat. November 9th. I’ll be talking about Why Design Is Hard. It’s an excellent and low cost event ($7 early bird! 7 tickets for under $50!). Hope to see you there.]

A recent LinkedIn post I wrote about ROI of UX earned ~400 reactions and 39 comments. There were many good counterarguments and learning from others is part of why I write so much.

One great question was from designer Frankie Kastenbaum. It’s interesting enough to warrant a longer reply here. She wrote:

And I agree that there are times when being a pixel pusher is what gains you the respect and that seat at the table. But I wonder then in those situations, when is it time to push back on that and gain respect for what UX truly is?

In the book, one of the nine situations we emphasize mastering is what to do when no one listens to your suggestions, and this question is a variant of it.

First, it’s important to say that pushing pixels can be important. Pixels matter. Making things beautiful and perfect can be critical. It’s not necessarily trivial work (although often it is treated that way). If you love it and are paid well for it that’s great.

For starters I’d reframe pushing back into solving a problem for the project or a person. Why? Pushing back can be egocentric. It can easily be heard as “I want this because I want it" which is easy to ignore. Everyone wants more power or to make their jobs more fun for their own reasons.

However, solving an important problem for the project instantly makes allies of all the other people who want that problem solved. It’s easier to get things when teammates feel they will benefit from giving it to you. If instead you can say, “If you give me an afternoon to make a user flow diagram <or whatever UX task is appropriate>, the team will make better decisions and waste lest time later in the project.” Boom. People like having problems solved for them. People love having their jobs become easier. Why would they stop you?

This reframing does of course require some homework. You need answers to questions like:

• What project problem or goal gets solved by giving you more responsibility?

• Do the project goals really need better UX? Some businesses don’t benefit much from better UX. Know the real goals instead of assuming UX is a priority.

• Do you have at least one ally who you know will support you in this?

• Have you already demonstrated you are reliable and trustworthy? Even if it has been trivial tasks, delivering quality work on-time earns credibility.

• Are you confident that you have the skills to deliver on your promise? It’s better to under promise and over deliver when you are asking for more responsibility.

• Who currently is doing what you want to do (e.g. make UX decisions) and how can letting you do it instead benefit them?

You need answers to these questions. It might not be the right project or the right time for you to push for more and patience is the way to go for now. When asking for more responsibility timing and reading the landscape may matter more than anything else.