Teamwork makes the dream work. UX is a team sport.
I laughed. I cried. It was better than Cats! The Netflix documentary about creating the song “We Are the World,” called “The Greatest Night in Pop,” is fantastic. It depicts product development at its core and its very best. It’s powerful, eye-opening, interesting, and inspirational! Complex, twists and turns, and the outcome is “a celebration of the power of creativity and the power of collective humanity…”
Harry Belafonte had an idea.
Quincy Jones produced it.
They needed many things and people to make it happen.
[Sound familiar?]
Getting agreement from singers to participate was difficult.
When singers agreed to join Quincy or were rejected, there were major challenges:
Initial Coordination:
Scheduling conflicts
Location issues
Communication barriers
Travel logistics
Hurt Feelings
[Sound familiar?]
Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie completed the writing THE NIGHT BEFORE the recording session.
[Sound familiar?]
Before and During the Recording:
Travel and weather issues
Interpersonal conflicts
Artistic differences
Physical constraints
Technical difficulties
Cognitive demands
Performance hurdles
[Sound familiar?]
You watch these fantastically famous and talented people struggle together throughout the night with actual footage from the experience.
They figure it out piece by piece.
[Sound familiar?]
Then three months to prepare the song for release.
[Sound familiar?]
The result?
It changed the world. It was the first single album by Columbia Records, topped music charts globally, became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history, and was certified quadruple platinum, becoming the first single to be certified multi-platinum. It won four Grammys, one AMA, and a People's Choice Award.
The promotion and merchandise helped raise more than $80 million ($222 million today) for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States.
*** This is what it feels like when you are on a willing, winning, dedicated, creative, collaborative product team.
*** This is what it feels like when you launch something people cannot conceive of, something life-changing.
*** This is why UX and research require stakeholder collaboration.
*** This is why product development UX requires teamwork.
*** This is what UX, product development, and bringing a new product to life is about.
Teamwork makes the dream work. UX is a team sport.
If you're down about your current situation, I encourage you to remember your WHY. This documentary helped me re-remember my WHY and I wasn't even down!
I’m Michele Ronsen, founder of Curiosity Tank. Contact me to learn about user research services, consumer and team training, consulting, and mentoring.
