How Delta Airlines' UX Design Leader Solves Sky-high Complex Business Problems | Pulse #27

Alex Grinyayev: The Evolution of UX Design & Business Alignment | Pulse by Intuji #27

In this engaging episode of Pulse by Intuji, Julian Wallis speaks with Alex Grinyayev, a seasoned UX design expert with over 20-25 years of experience working with large corporations like GE, Best Buy, and Delta Airlines.

Whether you're a UX designer, product manager, or business leader, this episode offers practical wisdom on stakeholder alignment and creating meaningful user experiences.

Topics Covered:
00:00:00 - Podcast Intro
Episode Highlights & Guest Background
00:01:31 - Introduction
Alex introduces his 20-25 year journey in UX
00:03:49 - Evolution of UX Design
The transformation from web design to product design and changing landscape
00:08:32 - Design Thinking vs Business Thinking
Discussion on the gap between design thinking for business and business thinking for designers
00:14:05 - Managing Stakeholder Relationships
Strategies for identifying stakeholders and using the RACI matrix effectively
00:17:25 - Problems with Stakeholder Assumptions
The challenge of stakeholders thinking they're end users
00:25:56 - The Big ‘End User’ Problem
Why digital products fail when end users aren’t consulted
00:31:01 - The Rule of Five Method
How to get to the root of problems by asking "why" five times
00:34:40 - Creating Business Cases for Design
How to tie design work to business outcomes and prove value
00:37:48 - Early User Engagement
The importance of involving users from the beginning
00:40:46 - Future of Business and Design
Discussion on including end users in B2B products
00:42:36 - Career Reflections and Legacy
Personal insights on making an impact and lessons learned
00:45:28 - Closing Thoughts
Final advice on business thinking for designers

Key Takeaways from this Episode:

• The evolution of UX from web design to product design
• Strategies for effective stakeholder alignment
• The importance of user research and validation
• Balancing business objectives with user needs
• The value of questioning "why"

Learn More About Intuji:
Visit our Learning Centre at (https://intuji.com/learning-centre/) for more resources on digital transformation, AI, and business innovation.

Connect with Us:
Pulse LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pulse-by-intuji/)
Intuji LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuji/)
Intuji Website: (https://intuji.com/)

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode if you found it insightful!