An Nguyen - UX/Product Research & Training Manager
2025 © NGTHUYAN.COM
Thank you for exploring my graceful beauty ; )

Over 6 years in Management

DIGITAL PRODUCT,

UX RESEARCH,

UI DESIGN


My approach: framework & methods

Posted on Jan 27, 2025. Updated: Feb 4, 2025

1.

CONTEXT

1A – My first official business:

—

In January 2019, after years of UX/UI experiences, I’ve leaped to establish my own micro-scale company – Staylab.

1B – Outsourcing projects:

—

Staylab UX/UI & Digital Product services:


(1) Developing new features for enterprise clients;

(2) Creating MVPs and branding packages for investor-ready startups.

↓

2.

PRIORITIES

2A – Satisfying Business owners:

—

We treat the Business Owner's decisions as our North Star, because:


(1) They're the captains steering the ship, and they know their game rule;

(2) Product value directly impacts their company strategy.

2B – Crafting products we could proudly put our name on:

—

It’s about hitting that perfect balance between:


(1) outcome-driven product decisions;

(2) behavior-focused UX patterns;

(3) scalable UI design systems;

(4) seamless my team with clients' team collaboration.

2C – Steady cash flow for my business

—

Maintaining financial stability through both company growth and side projects. (Sometimes using my savings :/ )

↓

3.

RESOURCES

Team: 2-10 members for each project, including

  • • Product Owner
  • • UX/UI Designers
  • • Graphic Designers
  • • Artists

Time: 1-3 months/phase


Budget: US$ 5,000 – 20,000/phase


Work Mode: Hybrid workplace

↓

4.

PROCESS

4A – Product Discovery: Research

—

(1) Market Research:

Client-provided data and Desk research.


(2) Primary Research:

Qualitative user research and Guerrilla testing.

↳ Goal: Generate insights from users, then provide evidences for Business Owner.

↳ Output: Prioritized feature list.


(3) Branding:

Graphic designers develop design tokens for UX/UI team.

↳ Deliverables: Logo & brand guidelines.

4B – Product Design: Prototype

—

(1) POs' Responsibility:

Our PO team having basic UX/UI knowledge.

↳ Deliverables: User flows & Wireframes.


(2) Collaborate with Client's team:

1 or 2-week sprint cycles.

↳ Deliverables: Lo-fi Wireflows.


(3) UX/UI Designers' Responsibility:

Mid-level designers working directly with POs.

↳ Deliverables: High-fidelity designs & Interactive prototypes.

4C – Product Development: Designer <> Developer handoff

—

(1) Workflow:

• Kanban for task tracking;

• Figma (our holy grail of handoff 🙏).


(2) Design System:

• Live documentation in Figma;

• Component specs;

• Style guidelines.

↓

5.

OUTCOME

5A – Handover success:

—

Delivering products that exceed client expectations and secure follow-up projects, while ensuring smooth maintenance by in-house teams.

5B – Financial resilience:

—

Maintaining steady revenue throughout COVID-19, enabling us to keep our central Saigon office and continue operations.

5C – Word-of-mouth Marketing:

—

Our clients actively refer within their network, minimizing my time spent on networking and sales.

↓

6.

SUFFERING

FAILED several times,

here’s what stuck…

Mistake 1: Hiring inexperienced talents to save costs

—

A common startup mistake: hiring inexperienced talents to reduce costs.


↳ Lesson learned:

(1) Always hire experienced professionals at market rates.

(2) For entry-level roles: enforce unpaid/low-paid internships to cultivate humility. Controversial, but proven effective through experience.

Mistake 2: Over-accommodating clients' feedbacks

—

I once prioritized pleasing clients over maintaining professional standards.


↳ Lesson learned:

Strong expertise and clear professional opinions actually build client trust. This is why I've grown more direct and confident in expressing my professional viewpoint.

Mistake 3: Profit model & accounting

—

Cash flow has been my steepest learning curve, constantly emerging new lessons.


↳ Lesson learned:

From financial naivety to better understanding, though still learning daily.

↓

7.

PAINS TO BIG GAINS

Design leadership backed by BUSINESS EXPERIENCES

7A – I’ve gained business insights from getting my hands dirty

—

(1) Client partnership:

Building authentic relationships through networking and strong emotional intelligence.


(2) Finance 101:

Overseeing cash flow, taxes, accounting, and profit tracking.

7B – I’ve shaped my Product Management expertise with grounded strategies

—

(1) Strategic direction:

Executing high-level concepts alongside business stakeholders.


(2) Operations:

Structuring work in micro, meso, macro levels for effective delivery.

7C – I’ve cultivated teams that achieve long-term goals

—

(1) Talent Acquisition:

Implementing clear roles and growth trajectories in UX, UI, Product.


(2) Professional Growth:

Providing structured mentorship and in-house training programs.

🦁

AN, NGUYEN THUY

— Relocating to Kuala Lumpur —

ngthuyan14@gmail.com