Lean UX, 2nd Edition

Chapter 9. Case Studies

If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.

—Woody Allen

In the previous chapter, you looked at some of the shifts that organizations must make in order to begin working in a Lean UX style. In this chapter, we share with you some case studies that illustrate how companies across industries are making these shifts. As you read, you’ll see themes from Chapter 8 coming up. You’ll also see organizations making compromises, balancing old and new imperatives, and working to continuously adapt their processes, all the while using Lean UX principles and methods as their guides.

Regulations and Financial Services: Lean UX at PayPal

Industry regulation presents a challenge for Lean UX. Lean UX teams like to move quickly, to experiment with both process and product, to try new things, and learn from failure. In regulated industries, however, failure isn’t regarded casually. Regulation usually exists to prevent failures and/or limit the damage that failure can cause. Still, Lean approaches can work in regulated environments—it’s all about figuring out how to experiment safely. This case study shows how one team at PayPal began their Lean UX journey.

As one of the main forms of digital payment in the world, PayPal is ubiquitous on the Internet. But unlike many Internet companies, PayPal works with money. This means that all their work must run through a thorough legal, risk, and regulatory compliance ...