While UX in the UK may have fewer rock star than in the US, there is a indeed a population size difference that account for much of the gap. Comparing it to France, or most other European countries, with similar populations but pretty much zero UX scene might provide some perspective.

As for the higher education situation, and UCL MSc in particular, I think you are right on your perspective (as an alumni from UCL MSc). I was myself a bit annoyed that we focused too much on papers and too little on case studies for my taste. However this MSc is on “HCI with Ergonomics”, not “UX”. It aims to produce UX professional, but also academic researchers. It is also a bit more future proof: what we learnt there is a way of thinking, not just the technique of the day. HCI and UX are always in motion, and who knows, maybe in 10 years we’ll be using odour interfaces, and all the wireframing tools will be useless…

So maybe there is room for a more vocational course, but the UCL one, papers and all, is still a great way to get the basics and the right mindset. And we do more practice there than is usually acknowledged.

From the time I arrived on the scene mid 2008 there was a sense “someone should do something”, of wanting a lot more than existed at the time.

Grass roots action and a sense of togetherness in creating the user experience are important critical success factors. Otherwise we are in danger of becoming fragmented and sidetracked with competing groups in a zero sum game to get status and membership. I really hate that stuff. Or we get caught up in all the limitations of the traditional members club model where a small group of people organise events and the rest attend.

I think we’re beyond that now with the help of social network technology like Ning, a new way of seeing our community and a good dose of “yes we can” type thinking. So hopefully we don’t have a lot of the baggage which the Americans still have to contend with.

Its a great time for London UX. The community is really taking off here. We can go so much further still.

Making UX matter needs people who make sure good design and success stories get out there. A local community of peers gives people a chance to present their work and gain confidence. We’re on the right track. With more events like the IA mini-conference or the upcoming persona show-and-tell, I believe that soon I will be able to name a large number of UK-based people who do good work and inspire me from the top of my head. Friendly peer events also help people to go and spread the message of UX to the tech and business people.

For these reasons, I’m excited about what has been happening to the community over the last couple of months, and I would like to thank everybody who has been a part of it. The trend of local communities has finally reached the UX world. Time to join forces.

We have web standards meet-ups and Ruby groups, web app conferences and Python get-togethers, hack-days, bar camps and all manner of other events, but until recently the only regular UX meet-up was the UPA event. I know a couple people on the IA mailing list tried a few times to organise something but it always seemed to fizzle out. So much so that I began to wonder what the problem was. Was it a lack of interest, a lack of time or a lack of a coherent community to begin with?

I’m so happy that grassroots events like IA Mini and the UX Book Club have started to spring up over the last few months and this is definitely something we need to nurture. However I do think it’s a little ironic that both these events were organised by Antipodeans rather than native Brits. I’m sure this is purely by chance, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

As a profession of skilled communicators, I’d like to see more activity in this field. More people publishing articles, writing blog posts and speaking at events. What’s more I’d like to see this happening in London rather than Memphis (IA Summit), Melbourne (Web Directions UX) or Malmo (Business to Buttons).

We don’t need “Rock Stars”, but we do need passionate, credible and erudite people willing to champion the community and push all of us forward. At least in my humble opinion. Others may disagree.

1) A strong vision
We need people who both have a strong vision, and who are capable (and willing) to communicate this. Norman, Spool and Nielsen are celebrities because it is part of their job, they need their fame to make a living. I can imagine that in the UK fame is not enough to make a living, the audience is simply not big enough to support a UX troubadour.

I don’t think that the UK has less talented or hard working UX people, they are just less visible. I do think that an innovative culture can benefit from people who stick their head out. And the UK has several of them. But as mentioned before (a bit of chicken vs egg) In order for people to dedicate their whole time to be a leader of the field, the field needs to be big enough.

Nevertheless, a strong vision. “Britain should be a leading country in the UX world”

2)A Feedback mechanism for learning
To understand if you are actually following the right path in the right direction you need a feedback mechanism. Mentor schemes could help (I had never heard of them, so spreading information would also be one) More UX focussed design education, best practices. More blogposts.

3) A Culture that supports innovation
You already mentioned a few meet-ups, some conferences a book-club, mini conferences. Maybe they should be more interconnected. Less focussed on drinking beer, more on problem solving. But overall over what I’ve experienced the last months the culture feels pretty right.

But an overall chapeau for stating the problem, now lets start working on solving it :) Let’s write a manifesto and storm the Bastille!

I think I’m still confused over what the role of a UX “leader” is, beyond a role model. We have plenty of those, but they don’t need to inhabit the same island as we do.