When I started at LN close to 4 years ago, we were the “Design and Usability” group. A few years back we adopted the more buzzworthy “User eXperience” moniker. I think the rebrand has worked for us — not many people really knew what the Design and Usability group. I think a fair amount of people still don’t know what the UX group does, but at least they can google it and get a good answer:
User experience, often abbreviated UX, is a term used to describe the overall experience and satisfaction a user has when using a product or system. It most commonly refers to a combination of software and business topics, such as selling over the web, but it applies to any result of interaction design. – wikipedia
I love the field of UX. I don’t know if that stemmed from the fact that I have always held an interest in communications and technology, as well as service. (I have a degree in humanities, started an online magazine when I was 22, and have spent much of my teen and adult life volunteering). A field that looks at how to use technology to communicate effectively and provide the best possible (perceived) experience for people: wow, it’s right up my alley.
I have worked in the IT field for close to ten years now, as a web developer for 7 of those. Interestingly enough, if you refer to something like Jesse James Garret’s “Elements of User Experience” diagram (http://jjg.net/elements/pdf/elements.pdf), there is no mention of the actual implementation details. There is a progression from abstract to concrete that starts at User Needs and moves up to Visual Design on the highest plane. I do find it interesting, however, that next to the hierarchy there is mention of the web platform on either side. “web as software interface” and “web as hypertext system”. It is obvious that the medium of the message is significant, yet it is not directly incorporated into his diagram. Is that because it is indeed separate, or because it impacts all levels?
Regardless of Garrett’s intent, as I continue to work in the field, I feel a sense of alienation. Too often a user experience team seems UX or UI designers, those who fit neatly into this diagram. I feel strongly about user needs and satisfaction, I have a keen sense of how technology and hinder or contribute to the overall experience. Yet web designers are coders, not “designers of the user interface”.
How does one make that step? I have worked in this realm for years, and even before moving to LN, I was a “one-stop shop” for small businesses who wanted websites. I performed the needs analysis, made the recommendations on information architecture, decided on the design and then performed the implementation. Heck, I even followed up directly with the clients to ascertain their needs were met. Yet for some reason, knowing multiple programming languages seems to brand you as a techie, someone worried about code (machines) rather than clients (people).
I know I don’t want to be a code monkey forever. I am working on my Masters degree (in Computer Science.. hmmm, perhaps that won’t help me break out of the tech world) and feel a strong desire to move up to a more advisory/visionary/planning/managerial role. While I recognize that each individual is integral to a project, I feel I want to move past the role I’ve been in for so long. I’m simply not sure exactly which direction to take it in. I do not want to abandon my foundation in the actual implementation, I think it is important the limitations and advantages to the particular platform be taken into account through the design process. But I don’t know how best to expand my skillset.
In my systems architecture class last year, I start doing some reading on “usability-supporting architectural patterns”, which peaked my interest. I have since been selected to serve as the UX representative to sit on the Design Council at LN, which basically means reviewing proposals for new projects that may or many not have an impact on the existing architecture. As the UX representative, I can raise any issues the designs may have on our UI, and it also gives me a heads up on the different projects we’re working on (the other week, my manager informed me that we have 126 active projects on the books). Overall, I haven’t found I have a lot to contribute to these discussions, but it has helped me to gain some better insights into the sort of decisions that are being made.
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