The UX Process

The UX process is essential for creating products that are intuitive, user-friendly, and aligned with customer needs. By following a structured approach that includes research, design, testing, and iteration, teams can make informed decisions, reduce development risks, and deliver better user experiences that drive engagement and satisfaction.

At Ivanti, the need for a standardized UX process was even more critical. As a company built through numerous acquisitions, Ivanti's UX team operated as a shared resource across the organization, responsible for over 20 different products spanning five major focus areas. Unlike PM and Engineering, which were product-specific, UX had to function seamlessly across multiple teams and workflows. My team of nine designers was responsible for three major areas, Device Management, IT Security, and Network Security, which meant working across 10+ different products. Each designer interfaced with 2-4 PMs and multiple engineering teams simultaneously, all with different working styles and expectations.

From the outset, it was clear to me and the two other UX leadership members that we needed a standardized way for these teams to engage with UX and a structured framework for our designers to operate efficiently. A generic UX model like the Double Diamond Framework wasn’t enough, we needed a customized approach tailored to Ivanti’s unique structure.

To achieve this, we developed a UX process anchored in the 5 W’s, Who, What, Why, Where, and When, to create a phased framework with clearly defined owners, stakeholders, timeframes, deliverables, and accountability. This ensured that from the very beginning of a project, requirements, responsibilities, and expectations were clearly established, reducing ambiguity and misalignment.

By implementing this structured process, we improved prioritization, communication, and workload management. We also integrated Confluence pages and ADO boards to maintain transparency and streamline collaboration with stakeholders. This not only helped us distribute work efficiently but also ensured that designers weren’t overburdened, and commitments remained realistic and achievable.

Through this approach, we transformed UX at Ivanti into a scalable, predictable, and efficient function that seamlessly supported multiple products while maintaining high-quality user experiences.