If someone asked me what UX design is all about, I’d usually say something like: making things easier, clearer, and more enjoyable to use. But if you asked what process improvement is about, I’d probably give you the same answer.
The more I work in digital products—and the deeper I go into systems thinking—the more I realize: UX design is a lot like process improvement.
They may use different terms and tools, but they both aim to reduce friction, streamline steps, and solve the right problems. They’re not just compatible. They’re reflections of the same mindset—just applied in different ways.
Designing for Flow, Not Just Screens
Good UX isn’t just about pretty interfaces. It’s about helping people accomplish tasks without unnecessary effort. That sounds a lot like what Lean Six Sigma tries to do with processes: identify value, eliminate waste, and create smooth flow.
For example:
- A user struggles with a multi-step sign-up process → that’s a process bottleneck.
- A dropdown menu with 30 items overwhelms the user → that’s decision paralysis, a known process issue.
- A customer keeps contacting support for the same issue → that’s a symptom of root causes hidden in the system.
Once I got certified in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB), I started seeing these patterns more clearly. UX challenges often are process challenges—just framed from the user’s point of view.
The Tools Are Different. The Mindset Is the Same.
Sure, UX designers sketch wireframes and test prototypes, while process improvers map out workflows and analyze defects. But at the heart of it, we’re both:
- Listening to users/customers (UX research = Voice of the Customer)
- Finding friction points (Usability testing = Root cause analysis)
- Visualizing journeys (Customer journey map = Value Stream Map)
- Iterating toward improvement (Design sprints = DMAIC)
Both disciplines are built on empathy, systems thinking, and continuous iteration. If you strip away the jargon, the methods serve the same purpose.
Why UX Designers Should Think Like Process Improvers
When you approach UX with a process mindset, something shifts. You stop seeing friction as just a design flaw. You start seeing it as a systemic issue.
Maybe a checkout flow isn’t just bad UI—it’s slow because of internal review processes. Or a user gets frustrated not because the button is wrong, but because they were never meant to go through that flow in the first place.
When I started applying what I learned from LSSBB, I realized how much UX design benefits from thinking upstream. It’s not just about where the user ends up—it’s about how the system supports (or fails) that journey.
Designing Beyond the Screen
In many organizations—especially here in the Philippines—UX is seen as something visual, often limited to Figma files or screen flows. But the truth is, UX should operate at the level of systems.
If a designer can understand how internal processes affect external experience, they can champion better solutions—not just in the product, but in how the product is built, managed, and supported.
That’s where UX design and process improvement meet. And that’s where real change happens.
Final Thought: It’s the Same Discipline, Told Two Ways
At the end of the day, UX design and process improvement are two perspectives on the same goal: help people get where they need to go, with as little friction as possible.
One begins with the interface. The other begins with the system. But both require the same approach:
- Understand the problem.
- Identify what adds value.
- Remove what doesn’t.
- Iterate and improve.
That’s why I say: UX design is a lot like process improvement. And the more we treat them as partners—not silos—the better our outcomes will be.
About Me
I’m JP B. Bantigue—a multidisciplinary digital professional based in the Philippines, with a background in UI/UX design, front-end development, and project strategy. As a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I’ve found that the principles of UX and process improvement aren’t just complementary—they’re reflections of the same goal: to make things work better, for everyone.
