Nick Fine talks about how the role of the UXer has evolved over time, how to defend the industry from bandwagon jumpers and spot a UX cowboy

1. The State of UX in the UK
Nick Fine
UX Bournemouth 2016
@doctorfine

2. My UX Journey
1996 BSc (Hons) Psychology
2004 MSc Human Computer Interaction with Ergonomics
2009 PhD Human Computer Interaction, Personalisation
2010 User Experience Executive, LV=
2011 User Experience Consultant, Redweb
2013 Head of User Experience, SAS/MSLGROUP
2014 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Virgin Media
2016 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), Camelot
2016 Lead User Experience Architect (contract), VML London

3. 1 POINT SAMPLE

4. ENGLAND
2016

5. ENGLAND
2016(ABOUT TEATIME)

6. A CIVIL
WAR IS
RAGING

8. art director
developer
creative director
visual designer
UX architect
UX consultant
UX researcher

9. UX UI

10. UX UI

11. UX
ARCHITECT
UX
DESIGNER
UX

12. How did it come to this?

13. SKILLS SHORTAGE
1

14. DEMAND > SUPPLY
• “We need UX now” • Limited UX education
• Seniority takes time
• Limited mentorships
• Rare research skills
• “Putting the customer at the heart…”
• Trendy/buzzword

15. SKILLS GAP

16. COOL PROJECTS

17. FREELANCE
DAYRATES
INCREASE

18. UX IS
COOL

19. UX IS
CASH

20. + =

22. EVERYONE
WANTS TO BE
UX

23. EVERYONE
WANTS TO BE
UX
visual designers
developers
art directors
creative directors
project managers
account managers
recruiters
social media managers
marketeers
technical directors

24. How did it come to this?

25. 2
SUBJECTIVE
DEFINITION
OF UX

26. “the feeling I get when I use
something”

27. “the way the
screen is designed”

28. “making
sure
computers
are easy to
use”

29. “the experience you have when
interacting with technology”

30. “everything related to the experience
from first contact to ongoing
support”

31. The problem is:
What is UX?

32. Name another career or
industry where the area
has no clear definition ?
The problem is:
What is UX?

33. Why is a commonly accepted
definition of UX so important?
• Talent management
Team building nightmares
• Role definition
Specialisation v generalisation
• Project practicalities
Matching skills to projects
• Ensure user centricity
It’s all about the user

34. User Experience
user experience

35. User Experience
user experience
The profession
The sensation/feeling

36. Psychology
psychology
The profession
The sensation/feeling

40. I have experiences, I can do UX
I have a mind, I can do psychology
I have a hammer, I can do carpentry
I have a brain, I can do neurosurgery
I have a photoshop, I can do design
I have Axure, I can do UX

41. How did it come to this?

42. SUBJECTIVE
DEFINITION
OF UX
SKILLS
SHORTAGE
+1 2

43. = new people are redefining UX
according to their own needs

44. = hybridisation
of roles

45. DESIGNER + UX = UX DESIGNER

46. DEVELOPER + UX = UX DEVELOPER

47. PROJECT MANAGER + UX =
UX PROJECT MANAGER

48. SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER + UX =
UX SOCIAL STRATEGIST

49. The Recent History of UX
HUMAN
FACTORS
ENGINEERS
INFORMATION
ARCHITECTS
USER
EXPERIENCE
CONSULTANTS
USER
EXPERIENCE
DESIGNERS
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010 2016
USER
RESEARCHERS
UX
DEVELOPERS
UX
STRATEGISTS
UX PROJECT
MANAGERS
DEMANDEXCEEDSSUPPLY
UX/UI
USER
EXPERIENCE
RESEARCHERS

50. The Evolution of the
Wireframe Monkey

51. “UX” “DESIGN”

52. “UX” “DESIGN”

53. “UX” “DESIGN”

54. “UX” “DESIGN”

55. “UX” “DESIGN”

56. DESIGNERS GET
SICK AND TIRED
OF COLOURING IN
UX WIREFRAMES

57. UX
DESIGN

58. UX / UI
IS BORN

60. DURING THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH
THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE MOST
MONEY WEREN’T THOSE DIGGING
FOR GOLD BUT THOSE SELLING PICKAXES
AND SHOVELS
1848–1855
Completely anecdotal, 2016

61. UX UX/UI
• User centric • Practitioner centric
• Facilitator and investigator • Expert
V
• Obsessed by tools• Obsessed by behaviour
• Insight driven solution • Best practice driven solution
• Involves users throughout • No user involvement

62. The UX Recession: UCD to DCD
HUMAN
FACTORS
ENGINEERS
INFORMATION
ARCHITECTS
USER
EXPERIENCE
CONSULTANTS
USER
EXPERIENCE
DESIGNERS
1980s 1990s 2000s 2010 2016
USER
RESEARCHERS
UX/UI
DESIGNERS
UX
DEVELOPERS
UX
STRATEGISTS
UX PROJECT
MANAGERS
UX PRODUCT
MANAGERS
DEMANDEXCEEDSSUPPLY
USER
CENTRIC
DESIGN
DESIGNER
CENTRIC
DESIGN

63. PROTECTING
USER CENTRICITY

66. UX Wireframing

67. UX UI

68. Information Architecture
Accessibility
Usability
Interaction Design
UX =

69. the process
of creating
optimal
interaction
UX =

70. UX =
Requirement Gathering
Competitor & Market Analysis
Persona Development
Service Evaluation
Scamping
Wireframing
Prototyping
User testing
• Local (lab based)
• Remote (web based)
RESEARCH
INTERACTION DESIGN
VALIDATION

71. Requirement Gathering
Competitor & Market Analysis
Persona Development
Service Evaluation
Scamping
Wireframing
Prototyping
User testing
• Local (lab based)
• Remote (web based)
RESEARCH
INTERACTION DESIGN
VALIDATION
UX =

78. ?

79. 2016

80. THE USER HAS BEEN
REMOVED FROM
THE UX PROCESS
2016

81. THE USER HAS BEEN
REMOVED FROM
THE UX PROCESS

82. THE USER HAS BEEN
REMOVED FROM
THE UX PROCESS

83. What does this mean?
• Designer centricity
• UX by proxy
• Unused and unloved
• No local insight
• Poor performance
• Bye bye ROI
= Good looking, awful UX

84. How can you
put the customer
at the heart of
everything you do
if you don’t talk
to them?

85. WE NEED TO GET
BACK TO USER
CENTRIC UX

86. THE FUTURE

87. UX ARCHITECT
RESEARCH
DESIGN
SOLUTIONINSIGHT
‘FULL SERVICE’ USER EXPERIENCE PRACTITIONER

88. UX RESEARCHER UX DESIGNER
SPLIT ROLES: RESEARCH INFORMS DESIGN
RESEARCH DESIGN
SOLUTIONINSIGHT

89. USER CENTRIC, FULL SERVICE
PRACTITIONERS
BECOME RARE AND FOUND ONLY
AT USER CENTRIC AGENCIES ONLY
DEMAND

90. UX/UI
BECOMES
UX DESIGN

91. FULL SERVICE PRACTITIONERS
FIND THEIR RESEARCH SKILLS
ARE VALUABLE AND IN HIGH
DEMAND

92. UX ARCHITECT
UX CONSULTANT
UX RESEARCHER
UX DESIGNER
UX/UI
UX DESIGNER
UX
PSYCHOLOGIST
SERVICE
DESIGNER
?
ROLE EVOLUTION?
DESIGNER
?

93. TAKE AWAYS

94. FIGHT FOR USER CENTRICITY
Challenge
designer centric
approaches

95. How do you
know that?

96. How did it
test?

97. FIGHT FOR USER CENTRICITY
Educate and demonstrate
Lab sessions for
TRANSFORMATION

98. https://vimeo.com/134560844
FIGHT FOR USER CENTRICITY
Educate and demonstrate

99. • research strategy
• test scripting
• information architecture
• workshop facilitation
• persona development
• remote user testing
• lab based user testing
• ethnography
• insight report writing
GAIN AND EXTEND
RESEARCH SKILLS

100. GAIN AND EXTEND
RESEARCH SKILLS
• Participate in user testing sessions
• Seek out research-specific mentorship
• Learn from Psychology graduates (BSc not BA)
• Get into Psychology and HCI literature searches

101. GAIN AND EXTEND
RESEARCH SKILLS
Overlooked Goldmines:

102. DESIGN v SCIENCE
THIS ISN’T ABOUT
SCIENCE
DESIGN

103. DESIGN v SCIENCE
THIS ISN’T ABOUT

104. DESIGN + SCIENCE
THIS IS ABOUT
SCIENCE DESIGN

105. DESIGN + SCIENCE
THIS IS ABOUT

106. DESIGN + SCIENCE =
KILLER UX

107. Nick Fine
@doctorfine
nick@nickster.com
Thanks!