Thread by @jaffoneh

One of the best partners designers can have are *engineering architects*.

This might seem a bit counterintuitive but here is a bit more on why this is the case & how designers/design leaders can help transform user experience by partnering with engineering architects.

Thread 🧵

(2/ 15) Design architects have similar goals to many designers: solve complex problems by thinking through the use cases, build scalable systems, and ensure that these systems aren't necessarily always limited by today's tech (or that we can draw a line from here to there).

(3/ 15) Architects also have the responsibility to look through multiple different systems and need to ensure they're looking at the end to end experience, not just a narrow use case or a single siloed product or service.

(4/ 15) Architects are also (generally) looking for partners across the organization to dig deeper through some of the very large and complex issues they've seen. They've seen it all and they know they can't solve it all. They're looking for partners to help.

(5/ 15) In addition, architects realize the power design brings to solving complex problems & the power design can bring to ensuring the systems they're building are being built for the right users/use cases.

They don't want to re-architect all of this in a few months.

(6/ 15) So knowing all of this, how do you build the right partnerships with engineering architects?

Which ones do I reach out to? How do I get their attention?

(7/ 15) First, you need to identify the right architects in your organization.

Who are people-oriented architects in your org that are generally focused on building multi-product portfolio-wide systems?

(8/ 15) In the last engineering all hands, who were the architects that were front and center talking about *use cases* and *customers* instead of just engineering systems?

Those are the ones you want to start with.

(9/ 15) "Yeah, they're really busy though. I don't think they care about me pitching design to them."

You're right. You're not going to pitch design to them. You're going to help *them* solve the problems they're focused on solving.

(10/ 15) Work on finding out the end to end experiences they're focused on and work closely with them.

Pair with them your most technically focused designer who's also a great systems-level thinker (they do exist).

(11/ 15) Help them see the power of pairing design architects with engineering architects.

Every single time I've done it, it was hugely impactful.

(12/ 15) Focus on how you can align with them on user goals and help them tell the story of the underlying systems through the user-focused stories design is good at.

(13/ 15) Now that you've made a successful partnership work, watch the amount of influence an eng architect can bring by highlighting the importance of that partnership to their success.

Not only are you getting more arch. on board, you're getting the whole eng. team with them.

(14/ 15) Finally, never stop learning from them.

Engineering architects are an amazing resource to learn about the technology, underlying systems, and the way solutions truly happen.

(15/ 15) I don't know if I have to add this disclaimer but generally, this is more successful in engineering-driven companies and not all architects are the same. Amazing ones can make a huge shift in how design is seen and they're an amazing partner to help drive better UX.