Milan Guenther’s recently-published “Intersection: How Enterprise Design Bridges the Gap Between Business, Technology and People” takes an in-depth look at the broad set of disciplines and techniques that fall under the term “enterprise design” – a subject close to our heart. →

Recently we’ve looked at the business aspects of UX management, from the characteristics of successful UX teams, to the role of the UX manager itself. An in-depth look and analysis of UX management itself seems in order. →

Hierarchical structures and organizational silos are common within modern businesses, but their existence both hampers customer experience and impedes efficiency, according to some. In this post, we look at both issues, and solutions that have been proposed. →

“Put your staff first, customers second, and shareholders third.” If that advice sounds illogical, you might expect it’s come from someone with little business success to speak of. But think again; it’s from none other than Sir Richard Branson (who, not coincidentally, knows a thing or two about customer experience too). →

Do your customers behave differently than you’d hope and expect? Don’t simply label them as “fickle”, but instead recognize that they probably represent the “new consumer normal”; empowered by choice and rarely loyal to a given product or service. →

It’s perhaps no surprise – given the firm’s decades-long record of success – that another “Designer in suit” featured here belongs to the IDEO stable. Tom Kelley (brother of founder David Kelley) is IDEO’s general manager, and a firm proponent of the value of innovation in creating success. →

If you wanted to instill “design thinking” into today’s organizations, integrating it into a design school curriculum might seem like a good start. But Richard Buchanan made a more astute choice, leaving a design school to teach at a management school, and ensuring that MBA students leave with a truly innovative perspective. →

According to Forrester, we’re in the “Age of the Customer”. Enterprise CRM offers a technological approach to delivering a better customer experience, but it must be supported by strategic goals as well. Where is the enterprise CRM market headed? →

As the topic of customer experience gains traction and recognition world-wide, one firm is leading the way in the United States: Forrester. In addition to research and reports, they just wrapped up a two-day conference in NYC entitled “Outside In: The Power of Putting Customers At The Center of Your Business”. Here’s what was learned. →

Branding… usability… look-and-feel… There are many tangible aspects that contribute to customer experience. However a critically-important factor is something that’s invisible to end-users, but makes itself known as soon as interactions go awry: Business processes. →

Enterprise technology is a key competitive differentiator, and those organizations that don’t try to stay ahead of the curve risk a difficult game of catch-up. What trends should the forward-thinking company adopt? Dion Hinchcliffe has ten answers. →

At Informaat, our methodology hinges on the use of prototypes, and not only for their technical value. In this academic paper, the authors review recent literature and outline a list of benefits that a prototype provides, focussing especially on business value. →

Investments in technology… A shiny new website… A re-invigorated brand… There are many tangible efforts that can be made to pursue customer experience goals. But they need to be complemented by activities that affect the organization more deeply. →

The community of user experience design still struggles to get a foothold in large organizations. Contrary to business that proves profitability through price and marketing, UX must show that investments in UX equals increased conversion and/or better experiences, which then result in long-term effects on loyalty, trust, and profitability. →