architecting your ux career: interview and presentation techniques to land your dream job (amanda...

Architecting your UX Career

Amanda Stockwell, UX Consultant @MandaLaceyS Heather Young, UX Community Manager @Heathery321

July 24, 2014

#UXCareer

Presentation tips to land your next UX gig

About Us

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

7 years in UX User research Usability analysis Competitive research UX Consultant

12 years in interactive User-centered design Marketing communications UX community manager UX talent agent

AMANDA STOCKWELL HEATHER YOUNG

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

3500 Candidates reviewed

20% Skills are adequately represented

Job Search Challenges

Fuzzy definitions

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

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Job Search Challenges

Ideal experience set

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Strategy Requirements Personas Site maps

Work flows Wireframes Prototypes Visual design

Research Testing Task Analysis Analytics

Artifacts don’t always demonstrate expertise

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

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How do you know which deliverables to share?

Job Search Challenges

•  Fuzzy UX definitions •  No ideal experience set •  Artifacts don’t always

demonstrate expertise

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Job Search Challenges

User Experience Tenets

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

User Research Content Strategy

UI Design Usability Testing

Interaction Design

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User Experience Process

Research Concept Design Evaluation Implement

Interview Ethnography Competitor Analysis Persona Task Analysis

Storyboarding Journey Maps

Sketches Wireframes Visual Design Prototyping

Testing Expert Review Performance Measurement

Know the interviewer

Research

They may not have a solid understanding of your niche

They are busy

Know your audience

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Big Idea Know your audience and position

yourself in a relatable way.

Which artifacts to share?

Content Strategy

Show your design process – not just the outcome

Demonstrate how your work impacted the business

Quantify its value (when possible)

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

PAR Content Strategy

Problem > Action > Result

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Problem Action Result

Customer calls to call center up due to a site map that’s not intuitive

Reviewed user activity through site analytics. Re configured naming conventions for navigation, realigned content

Calls to the call center reduced

Sales are down. Customers are not completing the check out process.

Recommended shorter form requiring less time. Enhanced microinteractions for a better experience.

Customer conversion rate increased and sales are up

Keep track of your work

Content Strategy

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Talent seekers care more about your process than your final product

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

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Big Idea

Highlight the most important pieces

UI Design

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Quality over quantity

Find a way to make it presentable

It doesn’t have to be pretty, but it needs to be memorable

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Big Idea

Feedback is critical to anyone trying to improve

Usability Testing

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Rehearse walking through your portfolio pieces

Testing your delivery is just as important as testing a new feature or product

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Big Idea

Successful UX pros demonstrate more than their

artifacts and end results

(Personal) Interaction Design

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#UXCareer

They establish personal connections.

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UX super stars have the communication skills of a pro negotiator and the

patience of a kindergarten teacher

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Big Idea

Recap

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#UXCareer

User Research Content Strategy

UI Design Usability Testing

Interaction Design

Some examples ...

E X A M P L E: PAR (Problem Action Result)

E X A M P L E: Design process

E X A M P L E: Test Reports

E X A M P L E: Persona creation

E X A M P L E: Skills snapshot

E X A M P L E: Design process

E X A M P L E: Sketches

E X A M P L E: Competitive Analysis

E X A M P L E: Skill snapshot

E X A M P L E: Artifact explanation

E X A M P L E: Task Analysis

E X A M P L E: Concepting

Biggest Idea These techniques can open the door

to opportunities you didn’t know existed

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

@MandaLaceyS @Heathery321

#UXCareer

Questions