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I'm Craig, an experience design & research leader.

As an experience design leader and researcher with over 25 years of product design experience, I have a passion for delivering delightful and meaningful outcomes for users across various industries and domains. I have a NNg UX certificate and a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, which demonstrate my commitment to usability, quality, and efficiency in design and development processes.

I have successfully grown, coached, and mentored design and research teams in both startup and large-scale organizations. I have also influenced and collaborated with senior leadership and stakeholders to promote a design thinking culture and to align experience outcomes with quantitative and qualitative metrics. I have expertise in journey mapping, user research, and several design software tools, as well as agile and SDLC frameworks. I have recently promoted thought leadership as a professional speaker and an award-winning human-centric product design leader.

ABOUT ME

Note: This site is an actual Axure Prototype! Mobile Version coming soon!

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The Experience Strategist

The Experience Strategist can be the new UX Team of One – Leah Buley mentions in her book "The User Experience Team of One". Integrating a hybrid version of Lean UX Frameworks and traditional user research processes will help Key Stakeholders and budget providers make better choices in how their products and software applications are designed and built.

I have been practicing this model for quite some time and decided to share how I've charted my own course through trial and error and iterative improvement. I'm sure many UX folks have at one time or another been in a situation where they were part of an organization that didn't quite "get it". Or belong to an organization of multiple UX strategists but work on teams in where they are the only UX strategist accounting for the user experience. Well, I can empathize!

Discover, Design, Deliver needs RACI

I needed to brake down the tasks / activities of UX and determine a RACI exercise on those tasks. You're probably wondering, RACI? Why and for what? Well, we needed to hold ourselves accountable for certain things as well as be responsible for many tasks. I've outlined all of the tasks associated with UX activities on the RACI exercise below…

(R) Responsible: Those who do the work to achieve the task

(A) Accountable: The one ultimately answerable to task completion

(I) Informed: Those who are kept up-to-date on progress

UX PROCESS

UX Design for Sprint 3

UX Design for Sprint 2

UX Design for

Sprint 1

Core HTML/CSS

Database setup

Tech/Dev

Architecture

Dev for Sprint 2

Dev for Sprint 1

Tech Planning

FEEDBACK DIALOG

KICKSTART

AGILE DEVELOPMENT CYCLES

WEEKS

SPRINT

Discover + Design + Define

Deliver + Release + Learn

Collaborative Design Process

RELEASE

SPRINT

Agile Experience Design Process

So, now that we've figured out who's accountable and responsible for tasks and activities, how do we integrate this into a Design Thinking and Agile Framework? Well, the very nature of Agile is to build fast and learn quickly and often. I thought to myself, how do I incorporate all of the "upfront" research necessary to inform the design and "get it right"? I quickly realized I needed to take a hybrid approach incorporating some Lean UX and traditional user research processes to mold the new "Experience Strategist".

Having a way to incorporate the user research aspect into an Agile Sprint and Kanban format was tricky at first. There needed to be some upfront discovery and definition working collaboratively with cross functional teams. This is critical to ensure we all know the vision of the application or feature and determine how to engage in users. We like to call this phase of the effort a "Kickstart". This gives us the tools and foundation for the vision and ideation to inform the design that will help us build faster during the Agile Sprints and Kanban.

Once we had the foundation, I realized that we could start to incorporate a lot of Lean UX practices during the Agile Sprints in parallel to move very quickly reusing interface components and testing as we go in order to fail fast, but less often and learn quickly. If there is one thing Upper Management (CEO, VPs, etc…) despise more than anything is the word "FAIL". Since "FAIL" and learn quickly is a main staple in Agile SAFe, I needed to demonstrate a way for us to say 'let's fail less often, get most of it right and learn details as we develop!' That was an easier pill to swallow for Senior Leaders while developing in an Agile Environment.

The diagram below helps visualize how we integrated UX into Agile Development…

We run our own design sprints parallel to the dev sprint

This allows the design sprint to stay at least 2 sprints ahead of development

Allows experience design to take on a more prominent role in development…

Also allow us to start collecting feedback from developed products early and often

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Design Thinking Framework

Since Stanford University’s d.school started teaching Design Thinking, it as morphed, changed and shifted to fit the needs of organizations designing product solutions to solve human problems. Design Thinking framework is not a design tool. It's main purpose is to creatively solve problems using a human-centered approach. I think what Design Thinking does extremely well is keep you focused on the problem. Clearly stating that ideas are not solutions. That's the biggest misconception in product development. IDEAS are just IDEAS!!! They need nurturing, critical thinking, collaboration and testing to become truly remarkable solutions. My take on Design Thinking has also morphed and shifted over time from the original framework of Empathize > Define > Ideate > Prototype > Test. I believe a last stage is to “Implement”. So often it’s assumed that if you build it, humans will come. We need to measure our success against the masses.

The Portfolio

MY WORK

Design Thinking Playbook

Includes the DT and JTBD frameworks, UX Engagement Model and Vocabulary Terms

UX Maturity Playbook

Includes NNg’s 6 Stages of UX Maturity, CX Management, Accessibility Guidelines and Vocabulary Terms

Agile Experience Design Playbook

Includes my Agile Experience Design Process, Integrating models and Vocabulary Terms

Design Principles Playbook

Includes 10 Usability Heuristics, First Interaction Design and Visual Design Principles and Vocabulary Terms

Information Architecture Playbook

Includes User Flows, Models, Site Maps, Card Sorting, KJ Method, Affinity Diagramming and Ideation Workshops

Design Systems Playbook

This is a work in progress, but I’m making it available to see the progression.

Testing Playbook

Currently working on this playbook

Coming Soon:

Testing Playbook

Vocabulary Terminology

Currently working on this playbook

Coming Soon:

Vocabulary

My evidence based case studies are available upon request

With respect to the NDAs and legal references to intellectual property of the companies I’ve done work for, I am not able to post my work online. I will be happy to share my work during meetings and interviews where I can demonstrate the context of the Product / Service / Mobile App / Web App, etc. that I have either designed, helped manage and / or was a Manager / Director of team to develop desired outcomes.

Contact me via LinkedIn to arrange such a meeting…

https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigbachmanjr/

Experience Design: UX/CX Playbooks

Project / Product Case Studies

Problem Statement

Customers and Vendors struggled to communicate amongst each other during the booking, staying and post stay process. They needed a better way to fill the gaps of communication in the travel industry in India.

Resolution

Affinity Diagramming (interviewed for mental models)

Ideation workshops (collaborate with executive team)

Critical thinking sessions (define use cases & scenarios)

Design interactive prototype (design critiques)

Usability Testing (remote moderated - qualitative)

Google Analytics Tagging/Reporting (quantitative)

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Social Platform for travelers in India

Summary

I developed a design thinking approach to solving problems for a startup social platform for travelers in India.

My Role

Director of Product Strategy & UX Design

Measurement of Success

Reduce the calls a vendor gets from customer inquiry

Provide an easier way to communicate with vendors

Increase retention rates for vendors

Develop a constant flow of income from travel bookings and vendor subscription services

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Prototype Work & Tone Guide

http://craigbachmanjr.com/TravelUR_prototype/

http://craigbachmanjr.com/TravelUR_Web/#g=1&p=home

TravelUR Web App (POC)

Project Type: UX/CX & Research, Branding

Ideation Workshop

Usability Test Findings

Usability Testing Script

TravelUR Mobile App

TravelUR Web App

TravelUR Booking Portal

TravelUR Travel E-Tickets

TravelUR Web App (Prototype)

http://craigbachmanjr.com/TravelURMobileApp/#g=1&p=app_loading

TravelUR Mobile App (Prototype)

http://craigbachmanjr.com/TravelUR_Templates/#g=1&p=welcome_to_travelur

TravelUR Templates (Prototype)

TravelUR_Voice_Tone_Guide.pdf

TravelUR Voice & Tone Guide

Business Value

Built a customer experience worthy of a $10M valuation

Converted 20% of visitors to sign up month to month

Developed Voice of Customer plan from strategy to support

Guided a process for speed-to-market creating 25% efficiencies in time

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Problem Statement

PointRoll needed a way to provide their customers with self-service tools on an enterprise ad serving platform that also allowed their current “White-Glove” service account operations managers to use as well.

Resolution

Contextual inquiry (interviewed several customers)

Affinity Diagram (Card Sorting Exercise)

Workflow Diagrams (define interaction flows)

Ideation Workshops (collaborate with OPS & dev)

Interactive Prototype (design critiques)

User Tests Remote & Guerrilla Moderated(qualitative)

Developed design pattern principles

Wrote User Stories for each Agile Sprint

Prioritized Sprint Backlog & researched Market Value

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OnPoint Ad Serving Platform Web App

Summary

I lead design & research efforts to deliver a self-service platform for Ad Agencies.

My Role

Sr UX Design & Research Team Lead / Product Owner

Measurement of Success

Reduce downloading to offline spreadsheet work

Reduce the amount of support by 15%

Reduce workflows and processes that would take

Automate workflows that would take hours if not days and transform them into minutes if not seconds!

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Project Artifacts

PTR-AffinityWorkshop_CardSort_CBJR.pdf

PTR-SiteMaps_TaskFlows_ConceptModels_WorkflowDiagrams_CBJR.pdf

OnPoint Affinity Diagram, Workflow, Concept Models & Wireframe

Project Type: Experience Design & Research

http://www.craigbachmanjr.com/UX-Pointroll/

PointRoll Organization Workflow

Internal Dashboard for Analytics

Dynamic Content Optimizer Service Map

OnPoint Wireframe Prototype

OnPoint Visual Redesign

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Problem Statement

PointRoll needed a way for designers to preview their mobile ads on devices (iPads, iPhones, Android etc…) Designers have to create the ad and try to simulate it in a web browser. This causes inaccuracies in how the ads interact and display.

Resolution

Contextual inquiry (interviewed ad designers)

Ideation Workshops (collaborate with designers & dev)

Interactive Prototype (design critiques)

User Tests Remote & Guerrilla Moderated (qualitative)

Developed design pattern principles

Wrote User Stories for each Agile Sprint

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OnPoint Mobile Ad Preview Mobile App

Summary

I lead design & research efforts to deliver a simulated ad preview for mobile ad designers.

My Role

Sr UX Design & Research Team Lead

Measurement of Success

Saved countless hours reducing time between live & test environments which caused tension with customers

Customers now have a real live preview - a legit copy

Saved time and cost on development by involving designers and developers to collaborate on ideation

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Project Artifacts

PointRoll-UX_CaseStudy.pdf

Detailed UX Case Study

Project Type: Experience Design & Research

Ideation Workshop

Visual Designs for iOS

Paper Prototypes

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Problem Statement

A very rigid business unit wanted to learn how to change to a design thinking culture and promote it internally to all of the departments.

Resolution

Contextual Inquiry (interviewed several managers)

Workflow Diagram (intake process)

KJ Prioritization Workshop (SharePoint site themes)

Ideation Workshops (collaborate with managers)

Design Wireframe Prototype (design critiques)

Design Comps of the Internal Website

Intake Request Form

Detailed UX Playbook (Experience Brief)

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Digital CX Sharepoint Site

Summary

I lead a design team to create a UX Playbook for Fannie Mae's internal Customer Experience Team

My Role

Director of User Experience (EPAM)

Measurement of Success

Transfer as much knowledge to the business unit about design thinking and strategic advice

Eliminate confusion and reduce meetings by providing an intake process

Promote the new culture with an internal SharePoint site

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Playbook

Final_FNMA_CDX_Exp_2.pdf

Detailed Experience Brief

Project Type: Experience Design & Research, Branding

Intake Workflow

KJ Prioritization Workshop

SharePoint Wireframe

SharePoint Design Comp

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Problem Statement

Subscribers consume insurance policy content which ISO submits to the state for approval. Currently there is no way for ISO customers to view a filing and its contents as a whole.

Resolution

Contextual inquiry (interviewed several customers)

Ideation workshops (collaborate with customers)

Critical thinking sessions (define use cases & scenarios)

KJ Prioritization workshop (define MVP)

Design interactive prototype (design critiques)

Usability Testing (remote moderated - qualitative)

Survey Customer Sentiment (quantitative)

Adobe Analytics Tagging/Reporting (quantitative)

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