Laurie Pattison, Senior Director, User Experience, Oracle

In my travels and conversations with other UX professionals, it seems that no matter what interesting design or research topic we’re discussing, there’s always a point in the conversation when the subject moves from the actual topic to how to deliver it given organizational structure or dynamics. There are a lot of talented and visionary designers and researchers out there, but not all of them have been able to achieve a seat at the strategy table of their organizations, or those for whom they contract.

It’s definitely not a new problem, nor one that hasn’t been discussed. Jim Nieters from Yahoo and I shared some of our ideas in UX Matters last year. Richard Anderson hosted a panel in 2007 with various executives asking the same question.

Is there a magic bullet to gain strategic relevance as a User Experience organization? A common question asked of successful UX leaders is what “one thing” they did to move their organizations into a position of strategic relevance. However, there are often as many answers as questions, which certainly can pose a challenge to those struggling to figure out how to achieve the same goal where they work.

At CHI 2009 in Boston, I’m joining some learned colleagues on a panel to make our case for the "one thing" we believe can make all the difference. We will also analyze a variety of scenarios from different companies in an attempt to predict the "one thing" needed in each case. We will attempt to elucidate key aspects of the scenarios and the process of analysis to help audience members “figure out how to figure out” the "one thing" that is likely to work in their own situations.

Are you trying to figure out what one thing you need to attend to in order for UX to gain a seat at the strategy table with business and engineering? If so, let us know -- tell us about your work situation, and we'll look into including it among the scenarios to be analyzed by the panelists. Alternatively, if you feel that you’ve discovered the one thing that makes all the difference, let us know by commenting on this blog. Alternatively, if you’re on Facebook, take our short survey.

Note that we'll also be addressing a mix of related questions, such as what makes a good "one thing". Can there really be only "one thing”, and just how useful can the analysis attempted during the session be. It promises to be an interesting session. We hope to see you there.