that business wants to achieve? Not everything we do supports business priorities; we have to balance it with the needs and priorities of the customer or end user. Nonetheless, to support business priorities we need to understand them. Typically, they’re about increasing revenues, driving costs savings, and increasing market share. If you’re not supporting those, you’re not designing the right solution. I’ve worked with some outstanding business strategists from whom I’ve learned a great deal, and I’m very grateful for that. 4. Do you think it’s helpful for UX designers who are aspiring strategists to get an MBA or have a business degree? I didn’t go to business school, so I’m not entirely sure. I do wonder, however, if the time and financial investment is really worth it. Honestly, I’m not sure if business school would have the same impact on the careers of aspiring UX strategists as it would on the careers of management consultants or investment bankers. If you are doing it for the big paycheck, go into banking or finance. If you want to gain the specialized knowledge and skills required to be a UX strategist, you won’t find it in business school, you’ll find it in the workplace and working with other UX professionals. There’s also a plethora of UX-centric resources out there: free online resources, books (like this one, for example), conferences, master classes, as well as university degrees, which certainly weren’t available when I started out. 5. What types of products have you done the strategy for that were the most exciting or fun to work on? Being involved in the development of a truly innovative product or service is certainly a lot of fun. But honestly, given the time, the budgets, or the aversion that many organizations have to risk-taking, it can be a challenge to create truly innovative products. I was lucky enough to work with the Google Glass team helping to think about the customer experience strategy for part of the business, not that of the device itself. I enjoyed working with new or emerging technologies because they provide such great learning opportunities, and Glass was no exception. Projects where I’ve developed a strategy that leads to the creation of value for both the client’s business and its customers are really rewarding. Or projects I’ve