Why are UX Designers at IBM working in Technology Pre-Sales?

In early 2021 I received a strange call from a muffled and distorted voice mentioning something about a job at IBM and if I'd be interested.        

I had a hard time believing if it was legitimate because I didn't apply for a job there (so that means the recruiter did a little extra work to find my number) and it was rare that I'd get a cold call about a job rather than a DM on Linkedin.  

He was kind and patient as we tried to come to a consensus on whether or not I was interested enough to continue the conversation, so I took a chance and agreed to continue the screening process.  

Long story short, I joined what was then the IBM Technology Garage. Today it's called IBM Client Engineering. It has the energy of a startup, but the resources and maturity of a 100 year old global technology business.  

IBM Client Engineering is essentially IBM's new way of doing business. Starting with their biggest clients. As a designer and from a big picture, it makes sense to me that designers would be involved in establishing a new way of doing anything.  

As UX designers in IBM Client Engineering we work on multi-disciplinary teams of engineers, solution architects, data scientists, and business technology leaders to help clients frame business opportunities that allow them to narrow in on a few ideas. We then, together with the client, build and prove the value of a hybrid-cloud / A.I. technology solution for their unique use case. Designers are masters of co-creation and orchestrating creative ways to explore problem solving within a diverse empowered team. Our empathy empowers us to read a room and pivot in the moment when we are doing discovery or prioritizing initiatives for a clear scope of work.  

UX designers come with a POV that is focused on the humans affected by any initiative or solution. Whether they are internal stakeholders or end users. But we do much more than advocate.    

We are thought leaders and expert practitioners of design thinking, although all disciplines in our organization practice it. We excel at leading others through it, whether it be our colleagues or clients. At IBM we have our own approach to design thinking for the enterprise and apply it internally and externally. It's the key to ideating quickly and scaling successfully.  

Sometimes the reason behind our presence in technology pre-sales is ambiguous. I believe that if it ever isn't, we aren't in the right place and we aren't adding to growth.  

We ask the right questions to solve the right problems for the right people and through our inquiries on any level of engagement we stretch our teams to grow and think differently.  

One thing we as designers are being stretched on by our teammates in sales, and by our clients, is the need for our POV based on years of experience. Aren't there common pain points in a particular industry? Aren't there common use cases that we've already solved for? Sometimes it can feel like we're spending too much time asking questions when a client just wants our opinion and insight. This can go against our instincts at times, but as a designer in pre-sales this is where we must learn to pivot as well.  

I think there's tension in finding the balance between bringing our existing insight and exploring new information and ideas -- part of this comes from designers now having a seat at the c-suite and at the opportunity level. UX design as an industry is maturing in the business world. Thankfully, IBM has recognized and cultivated this. But we're finding our voice in different aspects of business. Including pre-sales.  

We are caught up in our own framework cycle (or Loop) as designers and in our career path we will find ourselves observing, reflecting, or making any given moment or season. That's why we are in pre-sales.  

Because designers, technology engineers, business technology leaders, data scientists, and sales leaders all need each other as a team to progress successfully in serving the enterprise with hybrid-cloud and A.I.  

We can't observe, reflect, and make in silos.