Archive for July, 2009

Speaking at EuroIA

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Nearly forgot to mention that I’ll be speaking at EuroIA this year. I’m excited to have been picked to present at Europe’s foremost IA conference; that it’s in marvellous Copenhagen is a bonus.

The synopsis of my session isn’t on the EuroIA site yet, but you can read it on the Reboot website (sadly I was unable to make arrangements to present it there). As you’d expect, I’m currently deep in research. Happily, wayfinding is a fascinating topic; part architecture, part psychology, part semiotics. The timing is also fortuitous, given the growing interest in wayfinding and augmented reality on mobiles. Plenty of case studies and conjecture to examine. It also ties in with this year’s dConstruct theme, so I’m hoping to pick up a few nuances. The main challenge will be doing justice to such an engrossing field.

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The angst of the user experience designer

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

My work is used by millions.

When the thought first struck the numbers were lower, but I was stunned. I quickly surmised the only way I could retain objectivity and impartiality was to bury this thought, but it wouldn’t leave me alone. I’m hoping that I can now make sense of it by voicing it.

Of course the scale of the web excites me; I’m delighted and humbled that my work can communicate with so many people. Very few roles have such scale. Architecture, perhaps. Journalism. Politics too, although I’m hardly comfortable with that comparison.

While I admit that it’s something of an egocentric thrill, I’m no household name and nor do I wish to be. Web design is far less important than, say, teaching or healthcare. What matters more to me is that I do great work, and having a large canvas provides me with fascinating ways to achieve this.

However, while the web makes it easier for one person to reach millions, it doesn’t make the relationship easier to comprehend. My excitement is tempered by vertiginous apprehension. From these millions, there will be thousands who love my work. There will also be thousands who hate it: people who relied on the old site, who appreciated a section I removed, whose needs I’ve overlooked in the hurry to get the job done.

With such scale, these users are anonymous to me, just as I am to them. While I work hard to understand them and design to support their needs, there’s no way I can know I’ve improved things for an individual user. I hope I’ve done right by them.

The angst of the user experience designer.

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Blank canvas

Wednesday, July 8th, 2009

We’ve been busy. Not only have we taken on ‘leftie number nine, but we’ve also moved into larger studio. Obviously this means higher overheads, which takes careful thought in the middle of a recession, but it also means (amongst other things) we finally have wall space.

A blank wall is an invitation to a designer. As soon as the paint dries, I’m sure we’ll drown in post it notes and poorly-taped flipchart sheets. Heated debates will be held at the sharp end of a marker pen. The war room of my most recent project featured 20′ of whiteboard, which became a great way to sketch and walk through design concepts before stepping into prototyping. Drawing on the walls has thus become a minor fetish. It’s highly visible, and thus brilliantly suited to critique. It keeps you moving and alert, rather than immobile in your chair. And it also has the marvellous appeal of finally being able to do something you never could as a kid.

I hope to to share some of our scribblings in due course.

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UXCampLondon – ticket details

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Well, it’s all falling into place. We’re putting UXCampLondon tickets on general release on Wed 15 July at 11am. To read more about the event, see my earlier post.

The inevitable questions

Q: How are you allocating the tickets?
A: First come, first served.

Q: What if I can’t make that time?
A: Ask a friend to grab a ticket for you. It’s 1 ticket per person though, so we recommend you ask someone who’s not planning on coming. They’re more likely to put your interests first ;)

Q: Are these the only tickets available?
A: No, but it’s the biggest swathe. A handful of tickets have already been allocated (sponsors, organisers, and London IA members got first stab), but this general release accounts for the majority of tickets available. We’ll hold a few back for a final release too. That’ll probably be a lottery. More on that later.

Q: I don’t think these arrangements are fair!
A: Erm, that’s not really a question. But anyway. No method’s perfect, and we have day jobs to do too. If you want to be involved in UX community events, please consider setting one up or helping with others. We’d be glad to advise.

Q: Should I grab a ticket in case I can make it?
A: Please be altruistic and let others have your ticket if you’re not sure you can make it. Non-attendance is a real problem for BarCamps and we really want to minimise it. We promise the UX gods will smile on you for your kind gesture.

Hope to see you there!

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