@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ This principle is important because unowned product features are unsupervised, a
### User Experience
A highly usable interface with cohesive workflows and comprehensive documentation is a must to stay ahead of our best-in-class competitors. Work closely with the individuals in [UX](/handbook/product/ux/) to achieve our user experience goals. The UX team has a high level of expertise in Product Design, Technical Writing, and UX Research. They can help decipher or decide how to simplify or avoid complexity. While our Product Designers [review user interface changes in merge requests](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/contributing/design/), they are not limited to just the UI. Anything that impacts the user journey is relevant to them.
A highly usable interface with cohesive workflows and comprehensive documentation is a must to stay ahead of our best-in-class competitors. Work closely with the individuals in [Upstream Studios](/handbook/upstream-studios/) to achieve our user experience goals. The UX team has a high level of expertise in Product Design, Technical Writing, and UX Research. They can help decipher or decide how to simplify or avoid complexity. While our Product Designers [review user interface changes in merge requests](https://docs.gitlab.com/development/contributing/design/), they are not limited to just the UI. Anything that impacts the user journey is relevant to them.
Keep in mind these general user experience principles.
Product Design, Experience Research, Technical Writing, and Design System collaborate to create the GitLab product experience as part of Upstream Studios.
title:UX at GitLab
description:This page has moved to the Upstream Studios handbook.
redirect_to:/handbook/upstream-studios/
---
**UX at GitLab encompasses Product Design, Experience Research, Technical Writing, and Design System**—four disciplines working in close collaboration to shape the GitLab product experience. Together with Brand, we form [Upstream Studios](/handbook/upstream-studios/), GitLab's full-stack experience organization.
UX focuses specifically on the product—designing interfaces, conducting research, writing documentation, and building the design system that powers the GitLab application. While Brand shapes how the world experiences GitLab externally, UX ensures the product itself is productive, minimal, and human.
## Our disciplines
### Product Design
Product Designers are strategic partners in the product development process, working in trios with Product Management and Engineering to shape user experiences from concept to delivery. Positioned upstream—involved in Interlock planning from the start—Product Designers drive product decisions with user-centered thinking.
[Learn more about Product Design →](/handbook/product/ux/product-design/)
### Experience Research
UX Researchers validate hypotheses before teams commit to direction, not after building has started. Through continuous discovery and strategic insight, research drives what we build and shapes how the entire company approaches decision-making.
[Learn more about Experience Research →](/handbook/product/ux/experience-research/)
### Technical Writing
Technical Writers focus their words where they create direct product impact—guiding users exactly where and when they need it most. Involved in product design early enough to influence where guidance lives and how it's delivered, Technical Writing shapes the product experience, not just documents it.
[Learn more about Technical Writing →](/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/)
### Design System
The Design System team delivers platform-wide patterns and production code that sets the foundation everyone builds on. With expanding capability to ship cross-cutting experiences, the Design System ensures consistency, quality, and velocity across the entire GitLab application through Pajamas, our product design system.
[Learn more about Design System →](https://design.gitlab.com/)
### Accessibility
The Accessibility team makes the GitLab product and Pajamas Design System more accessible for our users. Our mission is to do our part to ensure the GitLab product lives up to its mission of enabling everyone to contribute to and co-create the software that powers our world.
[Learn more about Accessibility →](/handbook/product/ux/accessibility/)
## How UX works together
These four disciplines don't work in silos—they collaborate throughout the product development process:
-**Research informs design** through continuous discovery and validation
-**Design systems enable designers and engineers** with reusable patterns and production code
-**Technical writing shapes the experience** by influencing how and where guidance appears
-**Product design orchestrates** the end-to-end user experience
Together, we ensure the GitLab product is not just functional, but intuitive and delightful.
## Working in UX
-[How we work](/handbook/product/ux/how-we-work/) - Our principles, workflows, and collaboration practices
-[UX operations](/handbook/product/ux/operations/) - Headcount planning, procurement, labels, and team processes
-[UX resources](/handbook/product/ux/ux-resources/) - Tools and resources for UX team members
-[Learning and development](/handbook/product/ux/learning-and-development/) - Skills building resources
-[UX Forum](/handbook/product/ux/ux-forum/) - Our recurring meeting for sharing and discussing work
## Part of Upstream Studios
UX is one of two core groups within Upstream Studios, alongside Brand. While we focus on the product experience, we share Upstream Studios' commitment to strategic partnership, complete stack ownership, and shipping experiences that matter.
Learn more about [Upstream Studios and our vision](/handbook/upstream-studios/).
## Meet some of our team members
-[Taurie Davis](https://gitlab.com/tauriedavis/readme/blob/master/README.md) - Principal DesignOps Lead
