Leah Buley and Joe Natoli have teamed up to make something great (check out the reviews on Amazon!) even greater. How? Well, considering that The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide was written more than a decade ago, it was time to revisit the content and make it even more relevant for today’s UX teams. After all, times have changed.

But the fundamental principles of the original book haven’t changed. They are as solid today as they were 11 years ago. What has changed is that the methods have been adapted for the speed of change in today’s businesses.

Joe says it best: “These methods are shorter. They're simpler. They’re more direct in a lot of ways, and they cut to the chase in a way that longer processes don’t. I've met plenty of senior people who are throwing up their hands and going, ‘We're doing all the things. Why isn't this working?’ And the truth is, they're kind of overworking and overthinking. Everything in this book is practical and direct and gets you from point A to B. I just don't think there's any better way to get there.”

What You'll Learn from this Episode:

- About Leah’s experience as a solo UX practitioner and the inspiration behind the first edition of UX Team of One

- How the UX field has changed over the past decade

- How the second edition aims to provide comprehensive yet practical UX methods that can be applied in various organizational settings

- About the shortcomings of UX boot camps and educational programs

- A perspective that balances UX advocacy with business objectives and the reality of corporate politics

- How to navigate and thrive in a UX career despite industry challenges, focusing on practical, adaptable methods and tools.

Quick Reference Guide:

0:46 - Introduction of Leah and Joe

1:33 - The User Experience Team of One, second edition

6:46 - Large or small team, Leah and Joe’s book is comprehensive without being overwhelming

8:58 - Righting wrongs

12:14 - What’s new in the second edition – striving to do more with less

15:58 - Break - plug for the Rosenverse

18:20 - The current shitstorm

21:39 - On speed

24:40 - On toolkits. Tools and methods are two different things.

28:16 - Who needs The User Experience Team of One?

30:45 - Leah and Joe’s gifts for the audience

Resources and Links from Today's Episode:

Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886

Jakob Bro, jazz guitarist https://jakobbro.com/web/

Confessions of a Pricing Man by Hermann Simon https://www.amazon.com/Confessions-Pricing-Man-Affects-Everything/dp/3319203991

Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe https://www.amazon.com/Bonfire-Vanities-Tom-Wolfe/dp/0312427573

The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide by Leah Buley and Joe Natoli https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/the-user-experience-team-of-one-second-edition/