Re: [ia-55] Should UX Fall Under Design?
| From: | Fatim H. |
| Sent on: | Saturday, August 27, 2011, 4:13 PM |
Thank you, Carolyn, and everyone else for your great insights in the industry.
This is a great question. One that I will challenge my professors and students in UCLA.
I am a Graphic/ Web Design student. Carolyn, I agree, UX needs to flourish on its own and that it is fairly new in LA.
It is evident here in UCLA, where educators are scrambling to fill the void and on how to structure UX in the graphic design/web design curriculum.
So many switch-ups and change-ups each quarter and also very minimal UX resources which leaves a lot of students
frustrated on the direction. (Leading me to seek out other ways to get information and my own independent study - found this UX meetup and other online
resources).
So if anyone here passionate about UX and about teaching, please find a way to do so in a classroom or online environment
because there are students looking for real-world answers and not based on theory presented in class.
- Are there any UX courses/schools out there anyone can recommend?
Thank you again for organizing this meet-up group. I'm lucky to have found it.
( I am also up for Volunteering for any of your projects or pet projects.)
Fatim Hana
Design Communication UCLA
From: Carolyn Farino <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Sent: Saturday, August 27,[masked]:49 PM
Subject: Re: [ia-55] Should UX Fall Under Design?
HI Kate.
You just touched on a topic that is pretty near and dear to my heart, because it truly affects how UX performs within an agency environment. You're right
that several factors are involved. I have a couple of stories for you, to illustrate... you may laugh, you may cry, but you'll most likely roll your eyes.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY (and the general pains in the ass, professionally-speaking)
I've had the opportunity to create UX in several different scenarios:
1) In-house global software company, dedicated silo
(Redmond, WA) Thorough UX was a major component of every project, beginning to end.
2) In-house interactive agency, dedicated silo
(LA) The agency had the vision to establish UX as its own silo. UX was strategic. UX was embraced. UX flourished.
BTW, when I was hired, I was hugged by several of the creatives who said, "So glad you're here!! Now we don't have to do the UX!"
3) Consultant, Agency Creative controlling the UX, multiple agencies
(LA ) Creative "managing" UX has ranged from inadequate to ridiculous.
Aside from the tail wagging the dog throughout UX, in this case the agency marketing executive presented my UX
documentation to the client. She actually kicked off the meeting by apologizing to the client "I'm sorry we have to go through UX. I wish we had something more flashy [i.e. creative] to show you." This story is fresh - happened two weeks ago. Major global ad agency (historically print, trying go interactive). In other instances, agencies bring in UX after the creative is sold to the client, which means we have to fit a big foot into a tiny shoe. More tail-wagging-dog. This causes additional time and cost for which they never budget. Creative waffling over what they want for UX (not based in strategy) – more time and cost. Add in management by PM's who know virtually nothing about UX – hold on for a bumpy ride. In another case, I was told by the Creative Director, "Don't annotate the wireframes, I don't want to be limited." (He sees wireframes as something that gets in the way of what he does. I've completed five projects with this agency; each
time he goes out of his way not to acknowledge UX.)
4) Consultant, Dev agency running the UX
(LA) Dev-solutions agency.
Situation was that we had five weeks of UX documentation to create within a contractual time limit of one week (due to poor scoping, poor discovery), + one Sr. UX resource (me). The PM doubled also the lead developer. As we were approaching kickoff, and I
asked that we formulate a realistic strategy and roadmap for what we will be delivering. The Dev/PM says to me, "UX is none of your business." (He's been a dev for 40 years, always has done his own UX. "You know, I used to create databases for NASA...") Control. Territory. Ownership. Ego. The struggle thereof. All getting in the way of quality UX.
So, yes, Kate. There are always other factors. Good times.
- - - - - - - - - - -
YOU OWN YOU (aka: UX is the hub of the wheel; aka: ammo for Kate)
These are my personal anecdotal experiences, but I'll quickly sum up by enthusiastically saying UX should be its own silo. It doesn't belong to design or marketing or dev. It is its own discipline, incorporating the other
disciplines by its very nature – it coordinates, cooperates with, informs and facilitates the other disciplines. By existing as its own silo, it resists becoming a [political] tool of the others. Ultimately it is UX's responsibility to deliver a strategic architecture that answers business needs, incorporates the tech infrastructure, speaks to the creative vision (if it exists at the discovery stage) all through the lens of providing the best possible end result for the user, within constraints and requirements of the project.
BRASS TACKS AND THE FACTS
• UX is more respected as its own silo; caveat: when led by a strategically-oriented DUX who's up for the job of leading, educating, championing UX. Even better when UX is enthusiastically blessed by the agency leadership. Then you're really off to the races. This is when UX flourishes.
• When UX reports to Creative or Marketing or even Dev (or heaven help you, all three), the whole flavor of the approach changes. UX has a harder time agnostically leading discovery and creating the bedrock of a project when it is a child of these other disciplines.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Lastly, I've noted the geographical locations of my stories above for a specific reason.
• Los Angeles is pretty young, comparatively, in embracing the discipline of User Experience. The Pacific Northwest and the SF Bay Area are heavily populated with software companies (and savvy agencies) where UX is deeply respected and has a more mature presence. In these locations, it is more an integrated part of the digital everything. Its in the water. Even the recruiters in these areas are more
savvy.
• In LA /San Diego, I see many agencies struggling with UX. They don't know to hire for it, don't know how to bill for it, integrate it, structure it, mentor it, manage it. LA agencies specifically are militantly defensive of their creative control. It takes experience, vision to change an agency culture and embrace a new discipline – to give UX the leadership role it needs to have. When UX is org'ed under another discipline, the cause is either lack of trust, lack of vision, lack of familiarity with UX, another discipline wants to control and own it, or even having a poor past experience with inadequate UX (which does leave a bad taste...).
As you can see, this topic is pretty important. It affects us as UX professionals in how we work, what we deliver.
Glad you brought it up, Kate. I don't like to see these agencies needlessly struggling with UX, but the key is that they have to be exposed to the benefits of different way, a better way; and then be willing to risk going there.
I hope you're successful in fostering the re-org!
Carolyn Farino
Director of User Experience
Digerati Design
On Aug 27, 2011, at 9:22 AM, Kate Pendley wrote:
Hi all!Just wanted to get your opinion about something: If your company was re-organizing it's digital department, would you put UX/IA under the design department?Personally, I firmly believe UX is it's own vertical, but apparently others in digital don't feel the same way. Is this just another case of people not changing with the times, or are there more specific issues at play here?Would love to hear your thoughts, as well as any possible ways you think I should approach making an argument to keep UX "free".Thanks!Kate
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