Kyle Bollinger (@WhoaKB) and Kristin Burkhart are the in-house design team for PureChat, an software tool enabling websites to offer chat-based support. Dividing their duties between product and marketing, Kyle and Kristin have developed a workflow that allows them to work swiftly and efficiently, while still experimenting with new industry practices.

In this conversation, we discuss company culture for a small SAAS startup, how designers collaborate with internal stakeholders, and unravel technical challenges around versioning and fast iteration.

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Show Notes & Links

  • Kyle is a product-focused UI/UX designer
  • Kristin is a marketing and web focused-design
  • PureChat is chat software for websites
  • SAAS
  • Both Kyle and Kristin started at agencies, working for multiple clients, before going in-house with PureChat

“Creating something from scratch is very different than iterating on something.”

—Kyle Bollinger

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“We're creating a living document through each other's work.”

—Kyle Bollinger

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“The speed at which a company can operate is inversely proportional to how much time it takes to find the answer to a question.”

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Tools

Techniques

  • Continuous gather user insight, even if it’s only images or screenshot review
  • Find a “theme” with each release or feature-set
  • Get quick feedback from your teammates; no need for formal gatherings
  • Work off the same agile board as your dev team
  • Screenshare with your remote teammates
  • Use InVision to create Brand Guidelines
  • Try to answer the questions “Who do I talk to …” before they arise
  • Keep your micro-iterations in a document; use a version-style naming system, eg. screen1a-kyle-001

Habits

  • Prank your officemates
  • Continually monitor the site (heatmaps, split testing)
  • Wake up early, get into the office and be creative
  • Join office workouts and activities
  • Share resources and findings with teammates

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About the author: Prescott Perez-Fox

Prescott Perez-Fox is a graphic designer, brand developer, and educator with 18+ years experience in branding, packaging, graphic design, and web design. He runs The Busy Creator.

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