ComparisonScaling Software Development - ZeroBlockers vs Lean UX: Which problem-solving framework is better for you?
There is no one-size-fits-all framework for software development. Each framework covers different parts of the process in different ways. We have compiled an overview of the key features and approaches of the Lean UX framework and ZeroBlockers to help you select the best framework for you.
ZeroBlockers vs Lean UX: Overview
| Scroll | Idea Generation | Idea Evaluation | Business Case Creation | Business Case Approval | Plan | Analyse | Design | Develop | Test | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lean UX | Step Removed | Step Removed | ||||||||
| ZeroBlockers | Step Removed | Step Removed |
Feature comparison
ZeroBlockers
Effective products with empowered autonomous teams
Framework
- Process
The core way of working.
- Discover opportunities, design and evaluate solutions, then deliver in very small iterations.
- Deliverables
The outputs of the process.
- User personas
User journey maps
Problem statements
Ideation boards
Prototypes
Working Software - Alignment
How solutions are handed over to the development team.
- No handover as designers and developers work together at all stages.
- Success Metrics
How success is measured.
- Customer satisfaction and impact on metrics.
Lean UX
Iterative design approach that focuses on quickly delivering value to users.
Framework
- Process
The core way of working.
- Identify user problems, prototype solutions, build MVPs, measure and learn.
- Deliverables
The outputs of the process.
- Lean UX canvas
Hypothesis statements
Prototypes
Test results
MVPs - Alignment
How solutions are handed over to the development team.
- No handover as designers and developers work together at all stages.
- Success Metrics
How success is measured.
- Customer satisfaction and impact on metrics.
Core Differences
Framework
- Process
The core way of working.
- Focus on generative research to identify problems
versus
starts with a defined problem. - Deliverables
The outputs of the process.
- Generative research and evaluation and delivery deliverables until just the evaluation and delivery deliverables.
- Alignment
How solutions are handed over to the development team.
- Same between frameworks.
- Success Metrics
How success is measured.
- Same between frameworks.
Lean UX starts with a problem definition and then defines how to best solve that problem. ZeroBlockers starts with a blank page - you need to talk to customers doing generative research to uncover the best problems to solve.
In addition, ZeroBlockers goes into a lot more detail on how teams can actually deliver software iteratively given the many dependencies that exist in large organisations.
ZeroBlockers vs Lean UX: Approach
Feature comparison
ZeroBlockers
Effective products with empowered autonomous teams
Efficiency
- Time to Market
The time from when you identify an opportunity until the software is in place.
- Short lead time is a key metric for teams.
- Cost
The resources involved in defining solutions.
- Focus on minimising time (and cost) to market.
Lean UX
Iterative design approach that focuses on quickly delivering value to users.
Efficiency
- Time to Market
The time from when you identify an opportunity until the software is in place.
- Short lead time is a key metric for teams.
- Cost
The resources involved in defining solutions.
- Focus on minimising time (and cost) to market.
Core Differences
Efficiency
- Time to Market
The time from when you identify an opportunity until the software is in place.
- Same between frameworks.
- Cost
The resources involved in defining solutions.
- Same between frameworks.
Both frameworks are inspired by Lean principles and therefore both focus on low cost and quick time to market.
Feature comparison
ZeroBlockers
Effective products with empowered autonomous teams
Effectiveness
- Customer Satisfaction
How well the solutions meet the needs of the customers
- Involve users continuously to iterate and refine the software based on their feedback.
- Innovation
The level of ingenuity in the solutions that are delivered.
- Cross-functional teams, with development involvement, and a customer focus deliver better solutions.
- Business Alignment
How well the solutions align with the business goals.
- Ensures solutions are aligned with business strategic objectives.
Lean UX
Iterative design approach that focuses on quickly delivering value to users.
Effectiveness
- Customer Satisfaction
How well the solutions meet the needs of the customers
- Involve users continuously to iterate and refine the software based on their feedback.
- Innovation
The level of ingenuity in the solutions that are delivered.
- Cross-functional teams, with development involvement, and a customer focus deliver better solutions.
- Business Alignment
How well the solutions align with the business goals.
- No explicit advice on how to identify and validate business metrics.
Core Differences
Effectiveness
- Customer Satisfaction
How well the solutions meet the needs of the customers
- Focus on identifying the right problem as well as the right solution
versus
just focusing on identifying the right solution. - Innovation
The level of ingenuity in the solutions that are delivered.
- Same between frameworks.
- Business Alignment
How well the solutions align with the business goals.
- Explicit business goals
versus
greater focus on customer satisfaction than business metrics.
Both frameworks identify that evaluating solution ideas increases the effectiveness of the solutions we build. But ZeroBlockers goes one step further to validate that we have chosen the right problems to tackle. We could build an amazing solution but if the problem is not that important to customers we will still not achieve our goals.
ZeroBlockers vs Lean UX: Team & Events
Feature comparison
ZeroBlockers
Effective products with empowered autonomous teams
Team Level
- Roles
The roles involved in creating the products.
- UX Researcher
Designer
Developers
Business SMEs as needed - Events
The key activities that teams perform while building the product.
- Ad-hoc
Customer Interviews
Ideation
Solution Evaluation
User Story Mapping
Daily
Retrospective
Weekly
Weekly Business Review
1-on1's
Lean UX
Iterative design approach that focuses on quickly delivering value to users.
Team Level
- Roles
The roles involved in creating the products.
- PO
Designer
Developer
Researcher
Stakeholders - Events
The key activities that teams perform while building the product.
- Ad-hoc
Design Studio
Solution Evaluation
Daily
Stand-up
Core Differences
Team Level
- Roles
The roles involved in creating the products.
- Skills to identify, evaluate and build solutions
versus
just skills to evaluate and build solutions. - Events
The key activities that teams perform while building the product.
- Researching, validating and building solutions
versus
just validating and building solutions.
While the roles are very similar between the frameworks, the Researcher in a Lean UX team is responsible for conducting usability tests and evaluating solution prototypes whereas the UX Researcher in a ZeroBlockers team is responsible for conducting generative research to identify customer pain points and unmet needs. The Designer in a ZeroBlockers team is responsible for evaluating solution ideas.
ZeroBlockers vs Lean UX: Implementation
Feature comparison
ZeroBlockers
Effective products with empowered autonomous teams
Implementation
- Buy In
The people you need committed to ensure a successful roll-out.
- Considerable changes are required across the business so buy-in is required at a senior level in IT, marketing, customer service and more.
- Training
The training and certification required for a successful implementation.
- ZeroBlockers provides a range of training and certifications for each role.
- Community & Support
The support available for implementing the framework.
- Large and growing community with documentation and resources.
Lean UX
Iterative design approach that focuses on quickly delivering value to users.
Implementation
- Buy In
The people you need committed to ensure a successful roll-out.
- Buy in required from business and technology leadership to provide funding and cross-functional teams.
- Training
The training and certification required for a successful implementation.
- A number of training courses are available for each role.
- Community & Support
The support available for implementing the framework.
- There is a large and active Lean UX community.
Core Differences
Implementation
- Buy In
The people you need committed to ensure a successful roll-out.
- Similar between frameworks
- Training
The training and certification required for a successful implementation.
- Similar between frameworks
- Community & Support
The support available for implementing the framework.
- Similar between frameworks
Both frameworks require a large change to how companies identify the product features that they should build.
While ZeroBlockers is challenging to implement you can start small - one product, one value stream. With over 10 years of UXDX content and case studies, there is also a large body of resources to assist in the rollout of the framework. The pain is worth the gain.
