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  1. Wanna be a better UXer? Share | Elisabeth Hubert

    […] 9, 2011 in User Experience by LisNo Comments » A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled, Where Does UX Knowledge Come From?. In it, I talk about the one way that we can find and have confidence in the knowledge of our […]

  2. Anonymous
    Anonymous at |

    Another thought provoking post, Lis, thanks!nnYou’re describing using the user-centered design skillset on our clients and sponsors as well as on behalf of end users. I believe that’s also the best way to help organizations evolve, but requires lots and lots of patience, as well as the ability to see situations from multiple dimensions simultaneously.nnI’ve got the multiple perspectives thing down – that is key to the IA mindset. Still working on the patience, though that’s getting easier with age and experience – my own perspective needed maturing, I guess.nnAnd paradoxically, the softer, slower influence gets the clients ahead faster. I have to relearn that occasionally.

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    1. Lis Hubert
      Lis Hubert at |

      All great points Susan. The patience thing… yes that is tricky indeed :-/

      Reply
  3. Tweets that mention Where does UX knowledge come from? | Elisabeth Hubert -- Topsy.com

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Domenico Polimeno, Lis Hubert. Lis Hubert said: Where does UX knowledge come from? – http://bit.ly/egH0Pc […]

  4. livebysatellite
    livebysatellite at |

    It’s easy for me to say, since I am at a point where I trade on my experience as an asset, but also having traversed different careers, I feel confident saying that on-the-job experience is critical within the user experience profession – probably more so than in individual specialties.nnWhen I went through a period where I was strictly a graphic designer I could see that there is a ‘talent’ factor that can help short-cut experience needed in ascending through the ranks. Generalizing, graphic design is a specialty, a domain. User Experience is a conglomeration of domains. The interdependencies reduces the ‘talent’ factor that allows industry leapfrogging.nnWhile there are qualities (or ‘talent’) that people have that will make them more successful in user experience (empathy and the ability for synthesis being two critical ones), and help them ascend faster – actual ‘experience’ is critical because what we do is expose ourselves to situations – the lessons learned to which you refer. nnAs a whole, we tackle solutions that have quite a bit of ambiguity – many things that simply haven’t even been done yet. Our skill and talent doesn’t come from knowing that answer, but from navigating the ambiguity, framing a problem, and defining the best route to tackle the problem – our path to arriving at the answers. Experience to previous ‘problems’ is critical – at worst just beneficial – to this process.nnWhen we are not able to conduct research or gather information to synthesize to help define a solution, we depend on heuristics. Heuristics “refers to EXPERIENCE-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery” (per a quick wikipedia lookup for the sake of this comment, emphasis mine). Right there, when we aren’t gaining ‘experience’ in a first hand (primary research/exposure), we are depending on previous precedent – previous experience – to inform us. We aren’t just designing experiences (if one can be designed, separate discussion) – but that ‘user experience’ can refer to our singular (you as an individual) or collective (heuristic) experience WITH users – exposed to users, or exposed to the interaction, content, design problems that they present us. nnThis might change as user experience, and specialties like interaction design, become areas that have degrees and curricula that can better prepare for an actual ‘career’. But currently, few people in our profession came into it with a plan out of college to pursue experience design. So the body of practical knowledge resides in the experience we accumulate having been exposed to many projects, many users in many situations.nnFor me, I’ve learned from a few successes, and many failures since I started doing this (or something similar to this) in 1996. I have, thus, developed my own heuristic lexicon that hopefully means I will now have more successes than failures.

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  5. A.Nonymous
    A.Nonymous at |

    As a Project/Program Manager, I find the biggest key to success is to tell myself every day that I’m not the expert. I observe, give opinions, facilitate, track issues, and ensure there is accountability. But I’m not the one designing the system or determining requirements. I think in some ways UX is a parallel. Looking at things with an open mind and coming up with ways to interpret business requirements and perhaps improve them.

    Reply
    1. Lis Hubert
      Lis Hubert at |

      Great insights! I completely agree.

      Reply

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