Escaping the Stagnation Sandpit - A culture of Continuous Learning [UX Immersion, May 2017]

Our ﬁeld is
growing.

Disruption &
innovation
continue.

It’s hard to
keep skills 
up-to-date.

Seasoned
people risk 
getting stale.

New people
bring new ideas
and experiences.

But it’s hard to
hire and  
onboard people.

…if your organization
has trouble ﬁnding
and hiring great UX
people.

…if you have the
resources and time
at work to learn and
practice new skills.

…if you believe that
the job you are doing
today will be the
same in 3-5 years.

Houston, 
we have a problem

**
** **

Jeff Atwood, Stack Overﬂow & Stack Exchange: https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-years-of-experience-myth/
v
v

v
v
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/min-3-5-years-experience-re-evaluation-modern-helen-wurthmann/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/min-3-5-years-experience-re-evaluation-modern-helen-wurthmann/

• UX Designer at Mercedes-Benz
Research & Development North
America, Inc.
• Product Designer at Lyft
• Player Lab Manager at Riot Games
• UX Design and Product Management at  
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Service Designer at Designit
• Co-Founder & CEO at Together10
• Product Designer, Asana
• Senior Product Designer at Grovo
• UX Designer at HotSchedules
• Product Designer at Teachable
• Experience Designer at Havas
• Senior Product Strategist at Invoke Co.
• Head of Product at Traﬁ
3 years later…
Jan 2014 - April 2015
• 12 cohorts
• 57 designers

We have an
opportunity

A way to learn 
that actually 
works for work.

A culture of
continuous
learning

3 things
✓A shift in thinking
✓A map to guide us
✓Simple steps for 
immediate use
Mindset
Framework
Practices

Mindset
3 types of thinking
that support a culture
of continuous learning

“
~ Carol Dweck
When people...change to a
growth mindset, they change
from a judge-and-be-judged
framework to a learn-and-
help-learn framework.
Author of Mindset

Own a growth mindset
Mindset
“I’m not
good at
that.”
“I’m not
good at
that…yet”
M O R E
L E S S

Mindset
Banish expert as an identity
“I am an
expert.”
“I have
expertise”
M O R E
L E S S

Mindset
Adopt 2-way learning
“I’m your
mentor” 
“You’re my
teacher”
“We are
learning
partners”
M O R E
L E S S

Mindset
3 types of thinking
that support a culture
of continuous learning
Vet applicants for 
these mindsets
TIP

a map of how
learning
actually works
Framework

Four Stages 
of Competence
image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence
Noel Burch, 1970s
image: https://www.slideshare.net/KarenMartinGroup/the-improvement-professionals-evolving-
role-from-practitioner-to-facilitator-oto-coac/13-Dreyfus_Model_ofSkill_AcquisitionStuart_Hubert
Dreyfus Model of
Skills Acquisition
Stuart & Hubert Dreyfus, 1980s

~ Every designer everywhere
“It depends.”

Partner’sRole
via Perry, Belenky, Baxter-Magolda
with some Rutter interpretation
guide
• Quest for evidence
• Gain personal experience
• Respectful debate
Knowledge can & must be
evaluated with evidence
elicit
Knowledge = personal  
perspective on facts
• Opinionated discussion
• Search for “best” answer
• Acceptance of complexity
Multiplicity
BeliefsBehaviors
teach
Knowledge = amassing  
piles of “right” facts
• Avoid ambiguity
• Focus on “right” answer
Duality Relativism Commitment
Learning Stages
Du-Mu-Rel-Com
simplistic sophisticated
Multiplicity Commitment
collaborate
Knowledge is
contextual & ethical
• Ability to reference evidence
• Evaluate new info in a  
nuanced way
• Apply, adapt & create new  
models of thinking

via Perry, Belenky, Baxter-Magolda
Du-Mu-Rel-Com
guide collaborate
Knowledge is
nuanced way
models of thinking
BeliefsBehaviors
teach elicit
• Avoid ambiguity
Multiplicity
Onramping
Contributing
Learning StagesPartner’sRole

Partner’sRole
guide collaborate
Knowledge is
nuanced way
models of thinking
BeliefsBehaviors
teach elicit
• Avoid ambiguity
Learning Stages via Perry, Belenky, Baxter-Magolda
Du-Mu-Rel-Com
Multiplicity
we are all of us 
in all of these,
…all the time

guide collaborate
Knowledge is
nuanced way
models of thinking
BeliefsBehaviors
teach elicit
• Avoid ambiguity
Multiplicity
How fast can we get here?Partner’sRole

Partner’sRole
guide collaborate
Knowledge is
nuanced way
models of thinking
BeliefsBehaviors
teach elicit
• Avoid ambiguity
Multiplicity
LISTEN &
EXPLORE
PERSPECTIVES
ASK “WHY”
& MAKE THINGS
TURN EVIDENCE
INTO
EXPERIENCE
REFLECT,
EVALUATE
& SHARE

simple actions 
we can start
today
Practices

Practices Learn List
Knowledge Map
OKRs
Deliberate PracticeGatherings
Publishing

Learn List
3-5 things you want to
learn in the next 6 months
or year. The more specific
the better.
✓ 3-5 concrete, specific
things you want to learn…
✓ …that will benefit you  
and your organization
✓ Generate solo;  
Share communally
✓ It’s so simple 
it’s stupid
Practices

Learn List
3-5 things you want to
learn in the next 6 months
or year. The more specific
the better.
✓ 3-5 concrete, specific
things you want to learn…
✓ …that will benefit you  
and your organization
✓ Generate solo;  
Share communally
✓ It’s so simple 
it’s stupid
Practices
wsd

✓ Visualize the concepts
& connections
✓ Generate solo; 
Use communally
✓ Iterate & enhance
✓ Challenging! 
but oh so interesting
Knowledge Map
A hand-drawn map or
concept diagram of your
current knowledge in a
focused area.
Practices

Knowledge Map
Practices
Teresa Brazen
@teresabrazen

Deliberate Practice
Dedicated time…1 hour a
day…or as close as you
can get, for focused,
goal-oriented practice.
✓ Focus on speciﬁc
techniques or topics
✓ Stay goal-oriented
✓ Get continuous
feedback
✓ ~1 hour a day
Practices

“
It’s not just a matter of
accumulating hours. If you’re
doing your job, and you’re
just doing more and more of
the same, you’re not actually
going to get better.
~ Anders Ericsson
Author of Peak

OKRs
(Objectives & Key Results) 
written to provide measurable
progress from deliberate
practice.
✓ Periodic, quantitative
measures of progress
✓ Personal vs Individual
vs team
✓ Set stretch goals
✓ Routinize achieving
objectives
Practices

“
I think of my personal OKR set
as a lucky rock in my pocket.  
I touch it over and over again,
to remind myself of my
dreams. But instead of
wishing, I plan. And I act.
~ Christina Wodtke
Author of Radical Focus

Gatherings
Team time to learn, present
explorations & experiments
and share knowledge.
Practices ✓ Time together
dedicated to learning
✓ Held consistently over
time and over the 
long term
✓ Focused on future
growth and directed
learning

✓ 1 hour over lunch
✓ Exposure to new ideas
✓ Share what we’ve learned
✓ Hear from others outside
the company
Brown Bags

✓ 1 hour, open to all
✓ Participation from people
outside the project
✓ Brings in new ideas & fresh
perspectives
✓ Socializes the work
Open Design Sessions
Collaborative working
session for project
work. Use outside
thinking to unlock
project challenges.

Teach
✓ 5-7 minute presentations,
held frequently
✓ New contributors share
expertise
✓ Whole team learns
something together
✓ Celebrate progress
Short presentations
about an idea, insight
or body of evidence.
Routinizes packaging
and sharing of ideas.

Teach
✓ 5-7 minute presentations,
held frequently
✓ New contributors share
expertise
✓ Whole team learns
something together
✓ Celebrate progress

Publish
Articles, posts & talks on
what was learned and the
path to get there.
Practices ✓ Summarize learning in
a reﬂective way
✓ Publish early, 
publish often
✓ , baby.
✓ Present at meet ups,
internal sessions or
share online

v
v

simple actions 
we can start
today
PracticesHave applicants make
a learn list & 
a knowledge map.
Ask how they share
what they learn.
TIP

Partner’sRole
guide collaborate
Knowledge is
nuanced way
models of thinking
BeliefsBehaviors
teach elicit
• Avoid ambiguity
Du-Mu-Rel-Com
Multiplicity
from
chance...
to 
choice

What you have now
✓3 shifts in
thinking
Mindset Framework
✓Du-Mu-Rel-Com 
to guide us
Practices
✓Simple,
immediate
actions

How can you
use these
tools for
continuous
learning?

The culture of continuous
learning is here.
Let’s
embrace
it!

Kate Rutter
@katerutter
http://intelleto.com
Thanks!
Swearing, drinking & UX…give it a listen!
http://bit.ly/whatiswrongwithux

Questions
Rants
Discussion
Debate

References
Sand Image: https://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/azarius/237129691/ (creative commons license)
Oprah: http://www.oprah.com
Reddit Offmychest: https://www.reddit.com/r/offmychest/comments/24kl0d/fuck_you_and_your_minimum_35_years_related/#bottom-comments
Coding Horror blog: https://blog.codinghorror.com/the-years-of-experience-myth/
Helen Wurthmann: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/min-3-5-years-experience-re-evaluation-modern-helen-wurthmann/
Tradecraft: http://tradecraft.com/
Zig Ziglar: https://www.ziglar.com/
Mindset - The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck : https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322
Four Stages of Competence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence
Dreyfus Model of Skills Acquisition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition
How Learning Works: https://www.amazon.com/How-Learning-Works-Research-Based-Principles/dp/0470484101
Tools and Methods to Learn, Navigate, & Make a Name for Yourself in the User Experience Design Landscape: https://www.slideshare.net/
teresabrazen/tools-methods-to-learn-the-ux-landscape
Peak - Secrets from the New Science of Expertise: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Secrets-New-Science-Expertise/dp/1531864880
Deliberate Practice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Practice_(learning_method)#Deliberate_practice
Radical Focus by Christina Wodtke: http://eleganthack.com/radical-focus-is-here/
OKRs: http://felipecastro.com/en/okr/what-is-okr/ 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OKR 
https://www.atiim.com/google-okr-objectives-key-results-video-transcript/
The Texting Tea Pot by Dan Saffer: https://medium.com/@odannyboy/the-texting-tea-pot-5b33d2c9f726

Resources
Continuous Learning
https://www.getadministrate.com/blog/how-to-help-employees-embrace-continuous-learning/
Learning Models & Theory
How Learning Works - 7 Research-based Principles for Smart Teaching  
by Susan A. Ambrose, Michael W. Bridges, Michele DiPietro, Marsha C. Lovett, Marie K. Norman
Pragmatic Thinking and Learning - Refactor Your Wetware by Andy Hunt
OKRs
Radical Focus by Christana Wodke: http://eleganthack.com/the-art-of-the-okr/
https://medium.com/@cwodtke/personal-okrs-three-years-later-7616e60574a4
Deliberate Practice
Peak by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
https://medium.com/the-crossover-cast/deliberate-practice-learn-like-an-expert-cc3114b8a10e
Other interesting things
The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnova

Escaping the Stagnation Sandpit - A culture of Continuous Learning [UX Immersion, May 2017]

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