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While running a UX/UI design studio for B2B SaaS companies for 10+ years - I’ve seen the UX space evolve into a cult like crowd of designers with too many “guru

by krm01 7y ago

While running a UX/UI design studio for B2B SaaS companies for 10+ years - I’ve seen the UX space evolve into a cult like crowd of designers with too many “gurus” and design research methodologies. Really, all you have to do is 2 things: # talk to your users. # look at your data/analytics It’s really not rocket science. These two metrics will take you minutes to find UX problems and opportunities in your product. Then, try to solve them with the least amount of design possible. Repeat.

pwthornton 7y ago
Ah, I think this is a bit simplistic, as it leaves out testing, which is critically important. Too many UX people don't follow or even know what a proper user-centered design process looks like. Talking to users and looking at data is a lot of it. Testing is another critical component. The other big part is to be methodical with how you do ideation, design, and prototyping.
- krm01 7y ago
  Testing is important, absolutely. But it too can be summarized with exactly those two points. It’s part of the same cycle. The proper way to test anything is to launch it, talk to users.. and look at your data.
ryanSrich 7y ago
“UX” should go away. What everyone calls UX is just proper UI design. Too often the term “UX” is put on this pedestal. It’s thought of as more important or cerebral than visual design. The problem with that thinking is that UX _is_ very obviously visual. Those that try to distance UX and visual UI design often have terrible aesthetic taste and lack any creative skill. Which should give you some indication why the design industry is a shell of its former self. The homogeneous nature of modern web products is concerning, but it makes sense unfortunately.
- radley 7y ago
  Actually, I'm finding that UX design translates to "documented design", i.e. providing proof for every design decision.
- anmorgan 7y ago
  I find your comment very similar in tone as the article: someone who is a interface designer that has had bad experiences with UX designers. I think this is unfortunate, because I think UX design just a definition of the process that product (digital or physical) design was already doing, and now there is a common (though still evolving) language to be able to communicate the challenges of the full product design lifecycle. To me UX is the superset for user centered design and User Interface design is a subset of it. They are both important. UX is not UI because they are not comparisons, but parts of the same thing. Those are my thoughts and experiences at least.

by krm01 7y ago

pwthornton 7y ago

Ah, I think this is a bit simplistic, as it leaves out testing, which is critically important. Too many UX people don't follow or even know what a proper user-centered design process looks like. Talking to users and looking at data is a lot of it. Testing is another critical component. The other big part is to be methodical with how you do ideation, design, and prototyping.

krm01 7y ago
Testing is important, absolutely. But it too can be summarized with exactly those two points. It’s part of the same cycle. The proper way to test anything is to launch it, talk to users.. and look at your data.

ryanSrich 7y ago

“UX” should go away. What everyone calls UX is just proper UI design. Too often the term “UX” is put on this pedestal. It’s thought of as more important or cerebral than visual design. The problem with that thinking is that UX _is_ very obviously visual. Those that try to distance UX and visual UI design often have terrible aesthetic taste and lack any creative skill. Which should give you some indication why the design industry is a shell of its former self. The homogeneous nature of modern web products is concerning, but it makes sense unfortunately.

radley 7y ago
Actually, I'm finding that UX design translates to "documented design", i.e. providing proof for every design decision.
anmorgan 7y ago
I find your comment very similar in tone as the article: someone who is a interface designer that has had bad experiences with UX designers. I think this is unfortunate, because I think UX design just a definition of the process that product (digital or physical) design was already doing, and now there is a common (though still evolving) language to be able to communicate the challenges of the full product design lifecycle. To me UX is the superset for user centered design and User Interface design is a subset of it. They are both important. UX is not UI because they are not comparisons, but parts of the same thing. Those are my thoughts and experiences at least.