Deconstructing/Reconstructing User Experience

Deconstructing/Reconstructing User Experience

Demystifying UX in the working world

A bit of background(Hi! We’re Mike & Michael of mkeUX)

Deconstructing UX

What the hell is UX?

The Good:People know that UX is important

The Bad:People don’t know what UX is

So, where does that get us?

UX Job Titles

http://www.aaronweyenberg.com/uxgenerator/

Let’s look at some actual job descriptions

What You Will Be DoingWe're now looking for a talented UX Designer to join our team in Buffalo, NY and contribute with our next ground-up build for our new application.• Enjoy being a key contributor in a small team/startup environment • Have a flair for user experience design. You're probably pretty picky about things like fonts, and can explain your process to determine

whether an interface follows intuitive design guidelines.• Have oodles of experience with HTML and CSS• Have 3+ years of user interface design experience in applications (whether it be native computer programs, web-based apps, or mobile

apps)• Added bonus: You have graphic design skills and can draw widgets and icons• Either have a Bachelors degree or equivalent work experience

What You Need for this PositionAt Least 3 Years of experience and knowledge of:• User Experience• HTML• CSS• JavaScript• WireframesSo, if you are a UX Designer with experience, please apply today!

User Experience Designer

What You Will Be DoingWe're now looking for a talented UX Designer to join our team in Buffalo, NY and contribute with our next ground-up build for our new application.• Enjoy being a key contributor in a small team/startup environment • Have a flair for user experience design. You're probably pretty picky about things like fonts, and can explain your process to determine

whether an interface follows intuitive design guidelines.• Have oodles of experience with HTML and CSS• Have 3+ years of user interface design experience in applications (whether it be native computer programs, web-based apps, or mobile

apps)• Added bonus: You have graphic design skills and can draw widgets and icons• Either have a Bachelors degree or equivalent work experience

What You Need for this PositionAt Least 3 Years of experience and knowledge of:• User Experience• HTML• CSS• JavaScript• WireframesSo, if you are a UX Designer with experience, please apply today!


Enjoy being a key contributor in a small team/startup environment What they really want: A human with a job

Have a flair for user experience design. You're probably pretty picky about things like fonts, and can explain your process to determine whether an interface follows intuitive design guidelines. What they really want: No idea

Have oodles of experience with HTML and CSS.What they really want: A designer with dev skills

Have 3+ years of user interface design experience in applications (whether it be native computer programs, web-based apps, or mobile apps).What they really want: No idea (what do they mean by user interface design??)

Added bonus: You have graphic design skills and can draw widgets and icons.What they really want: A graphic designer

Scope of Responsibilities/Expectations This is a software engineering position, as a contributing member of a user interface (UI) / user experience (UX) development team, where responsibilities include:• Analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of applications that provide the primary user interface to many embedded

products developed within the department.• Interface directly with the customer to gather user interface requirements, present application prototypes, and provide product training.• Develop and maintain user interface application documentation including application help.• Contribute to the development of user interface standards and guidelines for the department.


Desired Skills• Good eye for aesthetics• Interest in solving usability problems• Experience developing user interface applications using Java, Android, and/or HTML5.• Strong understanding of Object Oriented Design principles.• Excellent communications, organization, and documentation skills.

Preferred Skills• Familiarity with both Java and JavaScript.• Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, or similar.• Experience developing Single Page Web Applications with AngularJS, jQuery, Ember.js, etc.• Experience using CSS3 and HTML 5 features such as Web Sockets or Canvas.• Experience with data visualization.• Mobile or tablet development and design experience.• Formal training in User Interface Design.• Experience writing unit tests.• Experience working with embedded/real-time systems or applications.• Knowledge of cellular systems (GSM, UMTS, CDMA, etc)

Candidate must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain the necessary security clearance as required by government contract.

Scope of Responsibilities/Expectations This is a software engineering position, as a contributing member of a user interface (UI) / user experience (UX) development team, where responsibilities include:• Analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of applications that provide the primary user interface to many embedded

products developed within the department.• Interface directly with the customer to gather user interface requirements, present application prototypes, and provide product training.• Develop and maintain user interface application documentation including application help.• Contribute to the development of user interface standards and guidelines for the department.


Desired Skills• Good eye for aesthetics• Interest in solving usability problems• Experience developing user interface applications using Java, Android, and/or HTML5.• Strong understanding of Object Oriented Design principles.• Excellent communications, organization, and documentation skills.

Preferred Skills• Familiarity with both Java and JavaScript.• Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, or similar.• Experience developing Single Page Web Applications with AngularJS, jQuery, Ember.js, etc.• Experience using CSS3 and HTML 5 features such as Web Sockets or Canvas.• Experience with data visualization.• Mobile or tablet development and design experience.• Formal training in User Interface Design.• Experience writing unit tests.• Experience working with embedded/real-time systems or applications.• Knowledge of cellular systems (GSM, UMTS, CDMA, etc)

Candidate must be a U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain the necessary security clearance as required by government contract.

Analysis, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance of applications that provide the primary user interface to many embedded products developed within the department.What they really want: A researcher, designer, engineer, tester

Interface directly with the customer to gather user interface requirements, present application prototypes, and provide product training.What they really want: A researcher, business analyst, trainer

“This is a software engineer position”

Develop and maintain user interface application documentation including application help.What they really want: A technical writer

Contribute to the development of user interface standards and guidelines for the department.What they really want: Developer?, Designer?, Maybe?

Master's Degree and classes, coursework or internship in Java.What they really want: A nerd

Good eye for aesthetics.What they really want: A visual designer (this is a meaningless statement)

Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain necessary security clearance as required by government contract.What they really want: An American

Required

1. High School Diploma/GED2. At least 2 years experience in user experience design

including wireframes, prototyping and user flows3. At least 2 years experience in applying user research

methodologies4. At least 2 years experience in software tools for creating

design deliverables: Adobe Creative Suite and Keynote5. At least 2 years experience in Photoshop/Illustrator6. At least 1 year experience in creating prototypes (ideally

using Keynote)7. At least 2 years experience in defining information

architecture and interaction design for iOS applications8. At least 1 year experience in Portfolio (examples of iOS

design deliverables and finished products)9. Basic knowledge in Agile development10. Readiness to travel Up to 3 days a week (home on

weekends-based on project requirements)11. English: Intermediate

What???!?!!?!!?!Preferred

1. Bachelor's Degree2. At least 4 years experience in user experience design

including wireframes, prototyping and user flows3. At least 4 years experience in applying user research

methodologies4. At least 4 years experience in software tools for creating

design deliverables: Adobe Creative Suite and Keynote5. At least 4 years experience in Photoshop/Illustrator6. At least 2 years experience in creating prototypes (ideally

using Keynote)7. At least 4 years experience in defining information

architecture and interaction design for iOS applications8. At least 3 years experience in Portfolio (examples of iOS

design deliverables and finished products)9. At least 2 years experience in Agile development10. English : Fluent

Questions

Break

Reconstructing UX

Mythical user experience designer with an

advanced and adaptive skill range.

Outstanding skills in graphic design, rapid

prototyping, front end development, user

testing, technical specifications, marketing

and branding. It does not have an opinion, it

has a process, and harmonies with any

environment.

UX Unicorn | u•ni•corn - yõonə,korn |noun

Source: http://uxunicorn.com/

But… Unicorns don’t exist.

User Research focuses on understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation techniques, task analysis, and other feedback methodologies.

– Wikipedia

Information architecture (IA) focuses on organizing, structuring, and labeling content in an effective and sustainable way.

- usability.gov

Content strategy plans for the creation, publication, and governance of useful, usable content.

– Kristina Halvorson

UX Architect (or Strategist) goes all the way from defining the strategic objectives—vision and strategy—to team objectives and tactical plans, as well as execution and monitoring.

- Sudip Ghosh

Graphic design, also known as communication design, is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content.

- Juliette Cezzar

UX developer to bridge the gap between design and technology. We need to be able to think and speak the language of designers. It’s our job to help translate their vision to the development team in a way that they can understand and accept.

– Tim R. Todish

A designer…with experience working across interaction, UI, visual, and motion design.

– Twitter

So, now what?

Should I apply for that UX job?

Yes? Great! How?

How do I find awesome UX people?

Experience: 5-10 years

Additional Responsibilities:Leads design work on major programs doing some of the design themselves and providing oversight/direction to other designers on the program.Additional Technical Skills:Design - Overviews work giving feedback and iterates their thinking with continual review.Planning and mentoring the work of other interaction designers - Finding ways to maximise the efficiency of workflow between development and design in an agile process.


Responsibilities:Executing design work consistent with design and brand standards, analytics insight, customer feedback.

Takes direction from a Senior UX team member and requires close guidance to deliver design work effectively.Technical Skills:Design - Sketching, concept creation and wire framing, producing sitemaps and user flows, creating clickable prototypes. Working with user research teams to plan usability testing sessions and delivers artifacts for testing. Using user insight, analytics, best practice, competitor analysis to inform design decisions.Design Specification - Delivers appropriate level of specification needed to ensure high quality development on time.Data interpretation - Required (with guidance) to document data from analytics sources.Best practice and design consistency - Researching and sharing industry trends, competitors, and comparable experiences. Driving and documenting design standards and patterns across channels and products.Technical Knowledge - Proficient in key software packages such as Axure and Photoshop. Sound knowledge of web and mobile technologies.

Interaction Designer/UX Designer/IAExperience: 2-5 years

Additional Responsibilities:Delivers design work on programs of any size with minimal oversight.

Effectively negotiates trade-offs with product management and engineering.Additional Technical Skills:Design - Shares work to get feedback and iterates their thinking with continual review.

Design Specification - Collaborates as appropriate on creating user stories to define development tasks.

Planning - Plans own work executing against deadlines. Finds ways to maximise the efficiency in an agile process.

Working in a team - Collaborating with visual designers, developers, product owners, marketing, and content managers to define product experience and champion the user.

Junior Senior

http://vitamintalent.com/vitabites/the-great-expectations-of-a-ux-hire










Additional Responsibilities:Leads design work on major programs doing some of the design work themselves and providing oversight/direction to other designers on the program.Additional Technical Skills:Wider knowledge of new interactive technologies and techniques across platforms and industries to draw from to influence approach.Good working use of PowerPoint or similar tools for crafting presentations for presentation up to board level communicating ideas through visual design, prototypes and motion graphics.

Experience: 0-1.5 years

Responsibilities:Executing design work consistent with design and brand standards, analytics insight, customer feedback.Takes direction from a Senior UX team member and requires close guidance to deliver design work effectively.Technical Skills:Skilled in using Adobe Creative Suite packages, mainly Photoshop and Illustrator.Skilled in motion graphics using After Effects (desirable).Strong sensibility of best design practices for production delivery across platforms, i.e. desktop and mobile.Knowledge of interaction architecture practices in UX and the ability to take wireframes through to well executed visual designs with supporting annotations.

Visual DesignerExperience: 2-4 years

Additional Responsibilities:Delivers design work on programs of any size with minimal oversight.Effectively negotiates trade offs with product management and engineering.Additional Technical Skills:Full understanding of best design practices for production delivery across platforms, i.e. desktop & mobile.Well versed in IA practices across UX and the ability to take wireframes through to well crafted visual designs with supporting annotations.Ability to prototype designs using Axure and/or HTML/Motion graphics.

Junior Senior











Additional Responsibilities:Planning and executing any scale of research project.Senior stakeholder management and presentation to the business at all levels including board level.


Responsibilities:Begin assisting in running research sessions.Write up research notes, perform competitor analysis.

Takes direction from senior UX team.Technical Skills:Methodologies - Experienced in research methods - usability testing (lab), phone interview, focus groups.Familiar with contextual/ ethnographical study, remote study (online), card sorting, diary study, eye tracking, intercept surveys, participatory design, A/B MVT testing.Software - PowerPoint, Word, Excel. Familiar with Photoshop, Morae, Userzoom.

User ResearcherExperience: 3-6 years

Additional Responsibilities:Planning and executing smaller scale research projects, drawing on research from various areas of the business: analytics, customer insight, help desk.Good presentation skills and able to present to senior stakeholders and good stakeholder management skills.Additional Technical Skills:Software - Familiar with Final Cut Pro, Tobii eye tracking, Axure, InDesign

Junior Senior










Questions?

Thanks.

MIKE [email protected] @lordshales

MICHAEL SEIDELmkeux.com

[email protected] @michaelseidel

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]