Good UX Manager/Bad UX Manager
With apologies to Ben Horowitz
Good UX team managers feel responsible for the overall work product of their UX and UI designers, researchers, and prototypers. They care deeply about creating useful, usable, and craveable products, and they make sure the team is designing the right things for customers and the business. They ensure designs are consistent across products, features, and across designers, and they foster the development of design pattern libraries that benefit the entire company. They clearly set and communicate the right priorities.
Bad UX design managers lose themselves in the weeds. They fuss over unimportant details, losing sight of the more strategic design issues that only someone at their level can see. They’re defensive in the face of criticism, and they blame the designers, the PMs, and engineers for getting it wrong.
Good UX managers direct and coach their team. They help their team understand the appropriate context so that product designers can focus on the fun work of problem solving. They provide regular, timely, and helpful feedback. They line up the right internal and external resources when needed. They listen to the team and understand what motivates, and discourages, individual designers. They mentor the team and provide paths for growth.
