How much onus do you place on process within your role?

One team of one I spoke with said, “We don’t have the process in place that we need to have. In the next year, I’m going to push for that.” This desire for more process is common. But too much emphasis on process can be a distraction that takes your energy and attention away from relationships, which are more important—particularly when UX is still trying to establish itself in an organization and as a field. You can have all the processes in the world, but if people don’t participate or support them, they’re a fruitless exercise. And processes may need to change—often right in the middle of them—but principles can keep the work anchored. Principles are deceptively simple; they’re just statements, really. They are a way for you to articulate a vision for what your user-centered approach should ultimately entail. Principles can apply to not just what you make, but also how you work. Think of the following principles as core tenets for how to work as a team of one. With startling consistency, the most happy and successful teams of one explain that it’s their mindset, not just their methods, that keep them going. This mindset is embodied by the following principles of engagement.