Episode #54: Mary Blabaum, Senior UX Manager at Acquia

Mary is the Senior UX Manager at Acquia. At Acquia, their mission is to deliver the universal platform of the world’s greatest digital experiences. Her leadership within the UX space focuses on providing experiences that are accessible and usable and seek to exceed user expectations. Nine years of working in the technology space have taught me that collecting user data is the most vital element and necessary responsibility of being a UX professional. Mary coaches her team and organization on the value of human-centered design by asking hard questions and connecting people - building connections not just within the product & engineering space but across their organization to drive closer to a truly delightful experience for customers across every touchpoint of their journey. Outside of work at Acquia, she loves experimenting with cooking, traveling to nice places, and hiking around the Midwest.
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A Deep Dive into Mary's Journey

As the Senior UX Manager at Acquia, Mary delivers exceptional digital experiences to users. Her approach to UX design is centered around a philosophy of human-centered design. She emphasizes the importance of product experimentation as a critical element in creating truly great user experiences.

The Importance of Product Experimentation in UX Design

One of the most significant challenges facing UX designers today is improving the user experience continuously. This means staying on top of emerging trends, user behavior, and evolving technologies to ensure that the products and services we create remain relevant and useful.

For Mary, product experimentation is the key to staying ahead of the curve. By experimenting with new ideas, technologies, and design approaches, her team is better equipped to identify opportunities for improvement and deliver more engaging, effective user experiences. Of course, product experimentation isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. There are countless approaches to experimentation, and Mary's approach is unique to her team's needs and the challenges they face.

Designing for Accessibility and Usability

At Acquia, Mary's focus is on delivering accessible and usable digital experiences that exceed user expectations. To achieve this, her team relies heavily on user data to inform their design decisions. By collecting and analyzing user data, Mary's team can gain valuable insights into how users interact with their products and services. They can identify pain points, areas of confusion, and opportunities to improve the user experience. These insights are then used to inform product experimentation and drive the design process forward.

Designing for accessibility and usability is an ongoing process, and Mary's team is continually testing and iterating to ensure that their products and services are meeting user needs.

Connecting People Across the Organization

One of Mary's greatest strengths as a UX manager is her ability to connect people across the organization. By building bridges between product and engineering teams, Mary is able to create a more collaborative, cross-functional approach to UX design. This approach is critical in the fast-paced world of digital experiences. By breaking down silos and fostering collaboration, Mary's team is better able to adapt to changing user needs and market trends. Mary's leadership in this area has been instrumental in driving Acquia's success in delivering exceptional digital experiences to users.

The Future of UX Design

As the world becomes increasingly digital, the role of UX designers will only become more critical. By focusing on human-centered design, product experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration, UX managers like Mary are well-positioned to meet future challenges.

Conclusion

At Acquia, Mary's leadership has helped to create a culture of experimentation and innovation, where the focus is on delivering the universal platform of the world's greatest digital experiences.

We can all learn from Mary's product experimentation approach and dedication to delivering exceptional user experiences. By embracing experimentation and human-centered design philosophy, we can create products and services that truly delight users and drive business success.

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