Strategy & team development
UX team identity transformation
UX team identity transformation
I transformed my UX team from task executors to web experience advisors, guiding stakeholders in user-centric design, UX principles, web best practices
I transformed my UX team from task executors to web experience advisors, guiding stakeholders in user-centric design, UX principles, web best practices
Stages
Problem
Before I joined Sartorius, the web experience was largely dictated by marketing campaign and product managers. The web UX team was expected to build pages exactly as requested, even when those requests conflicted with UX best practices. Campaign and product managers were doing their best, but they were not trained in UX, so decisions often centered on internal goals instead of customer needs.
This setup led to several issues:
Team talents were underutilized and underdeveloped
UX designers felt they had little authority or influence
Voice of the customer was mostly absent from the design process
The result was low team morale and a disjointed buying journey for users.
Problem
Before I joined Sartorius, the web experience was largely dictated by marketing campaign and product managers. The web UX team was expected to build pages exactly as requested, even when those requests conflicted with UX best practices. Campaign and product managers were doing their best, but they were not trained in UX, so decisions often centered on internal goals instead of customer needs.
This setup led to several issues:
Team talents were underutilized and underdeveloped
UX designers felt they had little authority or influence
Voice of the customer was mostly absent from the design process
The result was low team morale and a disjointed buying journey for users.
Strategy
My strategy was to flip the UX team’s identity. I wanted us to be seen as owners of the web experience, using our skills to drive higher‑performing pages and confidently advocate for Sartorius customers. That meant shifting the team from “page builders” to “experience advisors” and backing that shift with the right skills, tools, and visibility.
In my first year as manager, I focused on:
Changing the team mindset from order‑taking to problem‑solving
Earning trust from stakeholders who were used to directing every detail
Establishing UX as a credible, data‑driven partner in web experience decisions
Strategy
My strategy was to flip the UX team’s identity. I wanted us to be seen as owners of the web experience, using our skills to drive higher‑performing pages and confidently advocate for Sartorius customers. That meant shifting the team from “page builders” to “experience advisors” and backing that shift with the right skills, tools, and visibility.
In my first year as manager, I focused on:
Changing the team mindset from order‑taking to problem‑solving
Earning trust from stakeholders who were used to directing every detail
Establishing UX as a credible, data‑driven partner in web experience decisions
Approach & solution
To make this transformation real, I invested in the team’s capabilities across UX methods, analytics, and communication, and gave them opportunities to practice these skills in live projects.
I trained and supported the team in:
Standard UX / UI tools: Defining problems and goals, using analytics to inform decisions, running stakeholder interviews, developing personas, conducting competitive analysis, and creating wireframes, high‑fidelity mockups, and prototypes.
Analytics software: Building competence in tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar so designers could understand user behavior, identify friction points, and support their recommendations with data.
Communication skills: Coaching on diplomacy, design thinking, and persuasion so the team could push back with empathy, propose alternatives, and explain why certain solutions would work better for customers.
Training and certification: Sending the team to a week‑long virtual Nielsen Norman Group UX conference to deepen their understanding of UX methodologies, get inspired by industry examples, and work toward NN/g certification.
These investments turned UX conversations from “what do you want built” into “what are we trying to achieve and how can the experience best support that.”
Approach & solution
To make this transformation real, I invested in the team’s capabilities across UX methods, analytics, and communication, and gave them opportunities to practice these skills in live projects.
I trained and supported the team in:
Standard UX / UI tools: Defining problems and goals, using analytics to inform decisions, running stakeholder interviews, developing personas, conducting competitive analysis, and creating wireframes, high‑fidelity mockups, and prototypes.
Analytics software: Building competence in tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar so designers could understand user behavior, identify friction points, and support their recommendations with data.
Communication skills: Coaching on diplomacy, design thinking, and persuasion so the team could push back with empathy, propose alternatives, and explain why certain solutions would work better for customers.
Training and certification: Sending the team to a week‑long virtual Nielsen Norman Group UX conference to deepen their understanding of UX methodologies, get inspired by industry examples, and work toward NN/g certification.
These investments turned UX conversations from “what do you want built” into “what are we trying to achieve and how can the experience best support that.”
Outcome
New tools led to a better customer experience
Research, analytics, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes gave the team structured ways to understand stakeholder goals and user behavior, compare our experiences to industry leaders, and provide concrete UX guidance.
It took time and care to ease stakeholders into this new approach, but over time they could see the results and began to seek out UX input proactively. Today, they regularly approach the team for advice on how to create the best web experience for their campaigns and products.
Collaborative stakeholder relationships
As the team grew more comfortable with diplomatic communication, relationships with stakeholders improved significantly.
Designers learned how to push back with empathy, offer clear alternatives, and explain the “why” behind their recommendations.
Stakeholders responded well to this style of collaboration, which helped build trust and made it easier to align on user‑centric solutions.
A certified UX team
To reinforce the new team identity, I encouraged everyone to attend the Nielsen Norman Group conference and pursue NN/g UX certification.
The sessions expanded their perception of user experience and introduced new methodologies and tools that fed directly into daily work.
After the conference, each designer attempted the certification assessments and two of three passed. Team morale rose noticeably, and we now had certified UX designers recognized for their expertise.
Download my summary: UX Team Evolution (2021-2023)
After my first year of management I had achieved:
100%
Team trained in standard UX tools
70%
Decrease in stakeholders submitting pre-designed web content
2 of 3
Team members offically UX certified
Outcome
New tools led to a better customer experience
Research, analytics, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes gave the team structured ways to understand stakeholder goals and user behavior, compare our experiences to industry leaders, and provide concrete UX guidance.
It took time and care to ease stakeholders into this new approach, but over time they could see the results and began to seek out UX input proactively. Today, they regularly approach the team for advice on how to create the best web experience for their campaigns and products.
Collaborative stakeholder relationships
As the team grew more comfortable with diplomatic communication, relationships with stakeholders improved significantly.
Designers learned how to push back with empathy, offer clear alternatives, and explain the “why” behind their recommendations.
Stakeholders responded well to this style of collaboration, which helped build trust and made it easier to align on user‑centric solutions.
A certified UX team
To reinforce the new team identity, I encouraged everyone to attend the Nielsen Norman Group conference and pursue NN/g UX certification.
The sessions expanded their perception of user experience and introduced new methodologies and tools that fed directly into daily work.
After the conference, each designer attempted the certification assessments and two of three passed. Team morale rose noticeably, and we now had certified UX designers recognized for their expertise.
Download my summary: UX Team Evolution (2021-2023)
After my first year of management I had achieved:
100%
Team trained in standard UX tools
70%
Decrease in stakeholders submitting pre-designed web content
2 of 3
Team members offically UX certified
Nicholas Fargher
© 2026 Nicholas Fargher
Nicholas Fargher
© 2026 Nicholas Fargher