Let’s get this straight: if you think user experience (UX) starts and stops with design, then you are not getting the most out of UX. In fact, you might be setting your user experience endeavor up for failure.

User experience should start with the very first strategy meeting. This means you have to include your UX professional at that meeting and all strategy planning after.

If you want a product/service that will truly provide great user experience, then your UX professional need to work on the strategy, vision, and planning. Currently most companies contract UX professional just for design and execution and leave them out of the strategy because they think they’re only designers. However, that’s like trying to build a puzzle using inside pieces and the edge pieces from two different puzzles. They just doesn’t fit together. And you end up with a disorganized mess.

Integrate your UX professional into customer strategy. You’ll have a company who better understands users and their behaviors and is more effectively oriented towards them. And that can only do good things for your organization.