Describing the elephantMoving beyond professional silos

Eric Reiss@elreiss

UX CambridgeSeptember 10, 2014

Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

Caveat

I am not out to convince you to agree with me.

I want you to reevaluate what you do.If you believe something,know why you believe it.

I hope to dispell some myths:� UX is only something that happens on a screen� UX was invented in the ‘80s� UX can be accomplished by a team of one

I also want to:� Give you an actionable definition of UX� Provide tips that can help promote our

talents to the business community

My goals, your take -aways

Science Humanities

Business

Weare

here

The Promise

“User experience will make you rich.”

My question to you

“Have we delivered on our promise?”

Excuses on both sides....

The current business mentality

Survival is more important than success

“This is not the time to take risks”

“There is safety in charismatic leaders”

“There is safety in charismatic leaders”

The current UX environment

Which tool would you NOT want to have if you were b uilding a house?

Pick me! Pick me!

Clients know what they want

But we know what they need

Clients know what they want

But we know what they need

This is the fatal disconnect

Content management

Knowledge management Personas

Scenaria

Content strategy

Sensemaking

Accessibility

Storytelling

Usability

Findability

SearchabilitySearchabilitySearchabilitySearchability

Information architecture

U serU serU serU ser----centered designcentered designcentered designcentered design

Mental models

Experience design

“Creativity varies inversely withthe number of cooks involved

in the broth.”

Bernice Fitz-Gibbon1967

Webmaster WebmasterVisual designerCopywriter

DeveloperVisual designerInformation architectCopywriter

Front-end engineerFull-stack developerVisual designerUI designerInteraction designerContent strategistInformation architectContent providersSEO consultantSocial media guruProduct managerProject managerToken baby boomer

1995 1998 2000 2014

It’s all Greek to me... .

„Es hört jeder doch nur,was er versteht.“

Goethe

“He hears only thatwhich he understands”

Goethe

“He hears only thatwhich he understands”XML

Goethe

CMS UX

UCDCMUxDCS

User Experience

IA SD CS IxD GD PM DEV KM SEO SM MKT IT

What does this mean for us asUX professionals ?

No single person can truly be a“UX Designer”

No single discipline can trulytake ownership of UX

Can we define UX in simple,understandable terms?

Can we embrace allthese disciplines without

taking ownership ?

Eric’s 1st Law of UX:

If a solution does not solve youruser’s problems, it will notsolve your company’s either.

So, let’s start by looking at a “ user ”

us·ernoun

1: a person who makes use of a thing;someone who uses or employs something

2: a person who uses something or someone selfishly or unethically

3: a person who takes drugs

When would you use (simultaneously):� An ergonomic seat designed for one person� Optical lenses invented by Benjamin Franklin� Alcoholic mixture invented by Dr. Iain Marshall � Incandescent device invented by Thomas Edison� Fabric made on a loom invented by JM Jacquard� Rouge Royale (marble)� Baskerville Light (typography)� Domesticated mammal

(This is often how our clients look at their content)

When would you use (in simpler terms):� Armchair� Bifocal eyeglasses� Manhattan Cocktail� Lightbulb� Wool jumper� Tabletop� Book� Cat

(This is an easier way to look at content)

Eyeglasses

Wool pullover

Lightbulb

Marble tabletop

Armchair

Book

Gus the Cat

Manhattan Cocktail

Sensory assistance

Warmth/comfort

Sensory assistance

Convenience/aethetics

Convenience/comfort

Education/information

Companionship

Chemical stimuli

The experience of a touchpointis always situational

What do your users need?

What are the scenarios ?

How many touchpoints are touched ?

UX design certainly exists...

...but are there truly UX designers ?

How can anyone truly be a “ UX Designer ”without controlling all the touchpoints?

Perhaps we needa more useful definition of UX!

ex·per·i·ence noun

1: having been affected by or learnedthrough observation or participation

2: the length of such participation

Eric’s 2nd Law of UX:

User experience is the sum ofa series of interactions betweenpeople, devices, and events.

Eric’s 3rd Law of UX:

UX design represents the consciousact of :• coordinating interactions

we can control• acknowledging interactions

we cannot control• reducing negative interactions

Three types of interaction:� Active (things we control)� Passive (things we don’t control)� Secondary (things that have indirect influence)

Active interaction

Active interaction

Active interaction

Passive interaction (partly)

Passive interaction

Secondary interaction

Secondary interaction

� Coordinating interactions that we can control� Acknowledging interactions beyond our control� Reducing negative interactions

UX involves all three interaction types

Coordinating interactions

Coordinating interactions

Coordinating interactions

Reducing negative interactions

Reducing negative interactions

Reducing negative interactions

Reducing negative interactions

Can influence

Cannot influence

Businesscritical

Screwit

So, where does that leave us?How do we get business to

understand the value we can provide?

Five things to consider if youwant to succeed in UX

Don’t speak geek

Don’t speak geek!

Don’t attack other disciplinesDon’t attack other disciplines!

Solve problems, don’t create them

Solve problems. Don’t create them.

Think beyond your own self-interest

Think beyond your own self-interest.

And finally, my personal mantra ...

Sell crackers, not crumbs!

Thank you!

Eric Reiss can (usually) be found at:

The FatDUX Group ApSStrandøre 152100 CopenhagenDenmark

Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44Twitter: @elreissinfo@fatdux.comwww.fatdux.com