[Sigia-l] User Experience to engineering personnel ratios

[David Heller]

So about 2 weeks ago I asked people to let me know what their
user-experience to engineering personnel ratios were. I was away on
business last week and this week have been processing what I was away
for. Would ya believe I was actually at a customer site?

First, let me share my situation: We are 3 designers to 240 engineers. 

The numbers I received ran the gambit but there seemed to be a focus
between
1 to 10-20

I did have another grouping that was closer to 1 to 1000, but this
grouping was a lot smaller.

What was equally interesting were the responses from people who felt
that the question posed was not useful. To be honest we needed the
numbers not because we believed they were relevant, but rather that
management required them.

The reality is that the issue is very subjective based on the quality of
the projects you are working on, how many projects per designer. For
example here at documentum we have 3 fulltime designers for 15 products
of various sizes and scale. What's worse is that some of these projects
are produced in other locations (other countries actually). These same
designers do research, do graphic design (when we can't outsource which
is most of the time), and of course interaction design.

It is interesting to note that some companies w/ HUGE research
facitilities didn't include those whole departments in their #'s. To me
they help you huge ways. 

Anyway, that is what I have ... :)

-- dave