how usable are you? heather o'neill, blend conference 2014
DESCRIPTION
As UX professionals, we spend a lot of our time thinking about the usability of software. But how often do you stop to think about how usable you are – to your colleagues, stakeholders and peers? Many of the same considerations apply to people as to applications. So if you find that you’re not getting your points across, getting materials thrown “over the wall” to you, or not being invited to the conversations you know you should be part of… maybe it’s time for a usability review. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help your “users” gain more understanding and to produce better outcomes for everyone. We’ll cover how to more effectively interact with a team in order to get benefits for yourself and for the whole team, preventing problems down the line while making your working life much happier.TRANSCRIPT
Heather O’Neill
Blend Conference
September 13, 2014
UX
UX Designer
UX Strategist
UX Researcher
UX Analyst
UX Architect
UX ???
UX “Person”
The user
More than the user???
This is Feather, a user experience professional.
Feather works at
“Just use your design magic to make it good.”
“We sent it straight to development so we could get it out the door quick.”
“There’s no time for all that research or testing.”
“Can’t you just tell us what the user wants?”
“Personas are great and all, but I think it should be done this way.”
“Can you make it more like Apple?”
“The higher-ups don’t think that’s important, so we won’t have the budget.”
How can I do my job?
Everyone wants a UX
professional
Solved It!
More than the user???
More than the user!
• Empathize • Speak the Language • Be Flexible • Surprise & Delight
Empathize
Use your user research toolkit.
Put yourself in their shoes.
Speak the Language
www.nigdaw.co.uk
Get involved in the current processes of your team.
Find out how each person best communicates.
Don’t hesitate to write down actual words, for later use.
Be Flexible
The customer is always right
The UX professional
is always right
Plan in advance where you can compromise.
Match your process to the desired outcomes.
Use persuasion to stand your ground.
Be a little sneaky.
Surprise & Delight
Project Manager
UX Strategist
Keep your eye out for those little moments.
Find ways to make their job easier by doing your job better.
Wrap-up
You get to do better work.
Results
You get to be more focused.
You can be an agent of change.
The world (or at least your organization) becomes a better place.
Questions?
Thanks for attending! Have more questions? Reach out: [email protected] @HLRJO