I lead teams at the intersection of strategy and design. Autodidact. Polymath. Barbecue acolyte. I start fires (the good kind).
It’s understandable that non-designers talking about design (as increasingly happens) focus on the superficial–it’s the easiest to discuss. However, we in the digital design community must not get so caught up in the seductive Surface that we neglect those lower layers.
Hear hear!
Kyle Neath wrote a post that has been kicking around in my head these last couple of days, resonating more strongly with each hour. Simple titled Product, it cuts to the heart of both product ownership and user experience. Note the lower-case for both of those terms. I’m not talking about job titles – I’m talking about whether you and I as builders truly care about the products we own and the experiences we craft for our fellow humans. Please, go read the piece. I’d love to hear what you think. Here are a couple of great quotes that I expect to revisit in the weeks, months and years ahead:
Caught up in a race for money and fame, we lost our focus on the important. We talk of venture capital, recruiting tactics, dreams of disrupting industries, stock options, growth hacks, and the superiority of our tools. We do not talk of the bugs, the quirks, the difficulties of using our creations, the exploitation of the public, or the worst secret of all: software is broken, we are responsible, and we’re making a lot of money off it.
We’ve become obsessed with process and tools. We’ve stopped caring about the product.
That hurts. It hurts because it’s true.
I guess it’s not surprising that so much software is terrible. It’s easy to be lazy, and it’s hard to build good product. But we get paid to invent the future. The future! That’s an incredible opportunity that blows my mind every day.
Damn right we do. That’s a pretty awesome opportunity. It’s also an awesome responsibility that we should be much more mindful of carrying.
Every UX professional feels the pain that has driven me down my winding career path, but the next steps aren’t obvious and there is not a clear path to follow. I’m trying to document the opportunities that I see, in the hope that others will drive forward, taking risks in order to have a larger impact.
Admittedly, I miss the days where I spent 10 hours in Photoshop or wrangling code. When I’m finalizing budgets, dealing with internal politics, reviewing contracts or defending a product roadmap, I seriously think about returning to those roles. Those challenges are much more familiar. The role far more comfortable. The results of my effort easier to see.
But my influence would be dissipated. My view of the world narrowed. My ability to deliver a great experience reduced, hampered by the decisions of others.
I would not make the impact that I want.
Every so often I’m asked about my career path: “why the switch from coding and design to workflows and wireframes?”, “what prompted the jump from User Experience to Product Management?” or “why the move to the business-side of the house?”
It took me a long time to realize that my reason is simpler than my lengthy replies, outlining a cycle where I gained more control over the experience with each move, only to find that I didn’t have the final say. There was always someone else who would make the call, or could change something that I felt was in the best interest of the user.
Now, my answer boils down to this: I want the best possible experience for our users, and the only way to do that is to be the person who makes the final decision.
Many companies say user experience is critical, but until there are more of us in true, company-wide leadership roles, UX will not have its proper place at the table.