Another suggestion is to hire an Interaction Designer. This person will work with marketing team to obtain customer characteristics. This person will work with visual designers to translate interaction sketch into a prototype. This person will work with developers to make sure the interaction is as designed. This person will do iterative user tests, or work with marketing team to measure customer behaviour while using the prototype.
Only then, if you have extra budget, you can hire a UX Leader/Director. This person will communicate with everyone involved in designing the UX of your products or services. This person will make sure that all communications stay smooth and effective. An important requirement is great communication skill, as this person should be able to communicate both with marketing team and developer team. They’re different!
To designers and developers, keep doing what you do as you like. You are still part of the UX stakeholders. Your affinity towards a good UX is more than enough to make a smooth collaboration among the UX stakeholders. Visual Designers can learn colours and shapes perception. Web Designers can learn heuristic usability evaluation. Developers can learn interaction techniques that are intuitive for users. Everyone can contribute to UX without adding “UX” to their job title.
The series of User Experience (UX) posts is brought to you by Qonita Shahab, a researcher in UX who used to work in IT. Her interest in music and photography helps her in designing interactive system prototypes. Since she started research in the field of persuasive technology, Qonita studied more about social psychology and the communal use of technology. Follow her on Twitter @uxqonita.