Comments for Designing for Experience http://designingforexperience.com A Holistic Approach to Design for People, Interaction, & Business Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:17:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on user-centered design ignores some people by Initial thoughts on selling Design | Designing for Experience http://designingforexperience.com/2011/05/18/user-centered-design-ignores-some-people/comment-page-1/#comment-1099 Initial thoughts on selling Design | Designing for Experience Mon, 07 Nov 2011 13:17:47 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=439#comment-1099 [...] written about how User-Centered Design (UCD) leaves out some people, and Michael alludes to this same fact in his article when he says to “bring your [...] [...] written about how User-Centered Design (UCD) leaves out some people, and Michael alludes to this same fact in his article when he says to “bring your [...]

]]> Comment on Thoughts on conferences by Niels http://designingforexperience.com/2011/10/24/thoughts-on-conferences/comment-page-1/#comment-1079 Niels Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:18:41 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=447#comment-1079 Interact really screwed up everything. Food, badges, program guide, and even the location (split between buildings). I had a lot of fun and interesting discussions but the organizer left some room for further improvement… Interact really screwed up everything. Food, badges, program guide, and even the location (split between buildings). I had a lot of fun and interesting discussions but the organizer left some room for further improvement…

]]> Comment on user-centered design ignores some people by aaronh http://designingforexperience.com/2011/05/18/user-centered-design-ignores-some-people/comment-page-1/#comment-1061 aaronh Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:42:20 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=439#comment-1061 Hey Matt, Sorry I've been slow on the uptake, I thought this comment was from a previous post. I suck, we need to talk more I think. In my work I'm addressing the idea of "throwing things over the wall" more directly. I'll post about that in the next month or so as I develop a longer journal article on it. In a way I think you're advocating a design as a kind of shared organizational competence. I like the idea of it, but can we expect everyone to do it? Who do we target for such things? I'd love to talk more offline about how that works in your workplace. I need to read your post and the comment Chad made on it, and then comment there or here or both. I think we should consider writing up some of these ideas into a provocative piece that could go into Interactions magazine or Johnny Holland or UXmatters or similar. We need to get people talking about this more. Hey Matt,
Sorry I’ve been slow on the uptake, I thought this comment was from a previous post. I suck, we need to talk more I think.
In my work I’m addressing the idea of “throwing things over the wall” more directly. I’ll post about that in the next month or so as I develop a longer journal article on it.
In a way I think you’re advocating a design as a kind of shared organizational competence. I like the idea of it, but can we expect everyone to do it? Who do we target for such things?
I’d love to talk more offline about how that works in your workplace.
I need to read your post and the comment Chad made on it, and then comment there or here or both. I think we should consider writing up some of these ideas into a provocative piece that could go into Interactions magazine or Johnny Holland or UXmatters or similar. We need to get people talking about this more.

]]> Comment on user-centered design ignores some people by Matt Snyder http://designingforexperience.com/2011/05/18/user-centered-design-ignores-some-people/comment-page-1/#comment-1048 Matt Snyder Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:41:38 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=439#comment-1048 I'm so glad you're thinking about user-centered design this way... I see this a lot where I work, where designers throw their designs over a "wall" and A) expect someone else to understand it, and build it, and B) get offended when it doesn't happen. I think all designers need to realize that a constraint of designing is the environment and culture in which they work. Some people see UX designers as "button makers", others see UX designers as advocates of users whose advice is "optional". Good ideas, fancy drawings, and authorship value has to be rethought of in terms of teams, process, and development. I touched upon this in a paper/book "The Design Keepers". http://www.primopollo.com/img/downloads/TheDesignKeepers-email.pdf Some user-centered designers (UX Designers?), who come from backgrounds that support and sustain design value as a quality of authorship, lack the ability and skills to work (design) with others. But that's not the world we live in. Design is no longer a craft, where tools dictate output. The value of design doesn't belong to individuals. And within organizations, it certainly does not belong to a handful of "user advocates" - instead design value has be instilled by all stakeholders. User-centered designers need to understand others within their organization as well as understand "users". Makers of things can only make things for others if they understand themselves AND others. It's about influence, teaching, and inspiring others... I wrote a few ideas about how UX designers can work with others recently. http://www.primopollo.com/?p=826. Great post. Keep it coming. I’m so glad you’re thinking about user-centered design this way… I see this a lot where I work, where designers throw their designs over a “wall” and A) expect someone else to understand it, and build it, and B) get offended when it doesn’t happen. I think all designers need to realize that a constraint of designing is the environment and culture in which they work. Some people see UX designers as “button makers”, others see UX designers as advocates of users whose advice is “optional”. Good ideas, fancy drawings, and authorship value has to be rethought of in terms of teams, process, and development.

I touched upon this in a paper/book “The Design Keepers”. http://www.primopollo.com/img/downloads/TheDesignKeepers-email.pdf

Some user-centered designers (UX Designers?), who come from backgrounds that support and sustain design value as a quality of authorship, lack the ability and skills to work (design) with others. But that’s not the world we live in. Design is no longer a craft, where tools dictate output. The value of design doesn’t belong to individuals. And within organizations, it certainly does not belong to a handful of “user advocates” – instead design value has be instilled by all stakeholders. User-centered designers need to understand others within their organization as well as understand “users”. Makers of things can only make things for others if they understand themselves AND others. It’s about influence, teaching, and inspiring others…

I wrote a few ideas about how UX designers can work with others recently. http://www.primopollo.com/?p=826.

Great post. Keep it coming.

]]> Comment on I am one of 7 people thinking of the philosophy of technology? by Gotowe portale http://designingforexperience.com/2007/10/10/i-am-one-of-7-people-thinking-of-the-philosophy-of-technology/comment-page-1/#comment-1047 Gotowe portale Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:36:52 +0000 http://aaronh.name/2007/10/10/i-am-one-of-7-people-thinking-of-the-philosophy-of-technology/#comment-1047 I’m impressed, I need to say. Really not often do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me inform you, you could have hit the nail on the head. Your idea is excellent; the issue is one thing that not enough persons are speaking intelligently about. I'm very happy that I stumbled across this in my seek for something relating to this. I’m impressed, I need to say. Really not often do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me inform you, you could have hit the nail on the head. Your idea is excellent; the issue is one thing that not enough persons are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I stumbled across this in my seek for something relating to this.

]]> Comment on drinking deeply at the pools of ethnography by aaronh http://designingforexperience.com/2011/03/21/drinking-deeply-at-the-pools-of-ethnography/comment-page-1/#comment-1010 aaronh Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:30:49 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=429#comment-1010 Thanks Matt, None of the texts I mentioned deals with that, but there certainly are some books addressing this. To some extent I'm addressing this topic in my PhD research, but beyond that narrow band I'm very interested in the idea and practice of corporate culture and how to change and influence it in order to make better stuff, create a better place to work, and ultimately make the world a better place (yes I'm an idealist sometimes). But to answer your question, This <a href="http://hbr.org/2009/03/ethnographic-research-a-key-to-strategy/ar/1" rel="nofollow">Harvard Business Review article </a>addresses it, two books (that I've not read mind you) that specifically talk about it are : <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Organizational-Ethnography-Studying-Complexity-Everyday/dp/1847870465?ie=UTF8&tag=clippingsfrommylife-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow">Organizational Ethnography: Studying the Complexity of Everyday Life</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Organizational-Ethnography-ebook/dp/B002FB6PWO?ie=UTF8&tag=clippingsfrommylife-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow">Organizational Ethnography</a> And of course the <a href="http://www.epiconference.com/2011/" rel="nofollow">EPIC conference</a> addresses this directly. This is similar to CHI in that it has both academics and practitioners, but my understanding is that since it's quite focused on doing Ethnography in businesses it has a more practical edge. On a more personal level if you are interested in influencing corporate culture around you read or listen to Tribal Leadership, (<a href="http://www.culturesync.net/tribal-leadership-audio-book" rel="nofollow">free audiobook</a>) and I recently listened to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Delivering-Happiness-Profits-Passion-Purpose/dp/0446563048?ie=UTF8&tag=clippingsfrommylife-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow">Delivering Happiness</a> which talks about how Zappos has explicitly made culture and UX/customer service the very heart of what they do. Thanks Matt,
None of the texts I mentioned deals with that, but there certainly are some books addressing this. To some extent I’m addressing this topic in my PhD research, but beyond that narrow band I’m very interested in the idea and practice of corporate culture and how to change and influence it in order to make better stuff, create a better place to work, and ultimately make the world a better place (yes I’m an idealist sometimes).
But to answer your question, This Harvard Business Review article addresses it, two books (that I’ve not read mind you) that specifically talk about it are : Organizational Ethnography: Studying the Complexity of Everyday Life and Organizational Ethnography And of course the EPIC conference addresses this directly. This is similar to CHI in that it has both academics and practitioners, but my understanding is that since it’s quite focused on doing Ethnography in businesses it has a more practical edge.
On a more personal level if you are interested in influencing corporate culture around you read or listen to Tribal Leadership, (free audiobook) and I recently listened to Delivering Happiness which talks about how Zappos has explicitly made culture and UX/customer service the very heart of what they do.

]]> Comment on drinking deeply at the pools of ethnography by Matt Snyder http://designingforexperience.com/2011/03/21/drinking-deeply-at-the-pools-of-ethnography/comment-page-1/#comment-1001 Matt Snyder Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:29:31 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=429#comment-1001 Great post. I've been thinking about "design" and "design influence" at my job recently. It's become apparent that great design happens within organizations and cultures. I've had to learn to participate as a designer both for a product and as an influence upon the culture that exists here. I've found myself using my basic (and unpolished) ethnographic research skills to understand how design happens in order to affect design – something that wasn't in the job description! Do any of the above mentioned authors talk about ethnography from a corporate-culture point of view? Great post. I’ve been thinking about “design” and “design influence” at my job recently. It’s become apparent that great design happens within organizations and cultures. I’ve had to learn to participate as a designer both for a product and as an influence upon the culture that exists here. I’ve found myself using my basic (and unpolished) ethnographic research skills to understand how design happens in order to affect design – something that wasn’t in the job description! Do any of the above mentioned authors talk about ethnography from a corporate-culture point of view?

]]> Comment on DIS 2010 Day 2 Liveblog by Clemente Trevisan http://designingforexperience.com/2010/08/19/dis-2010-day-2-liveblog/comment-page-1/#comment-1000 Clemente Trevisan Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:38:15 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=357#comment-1000 I am extremely impressed along with your writing skills neatly as with the format in your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent high quality writing, it is rare to peer a nice blog like this one these days.. I am extremely impressed along with your writing skills neatly as with the format in your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent high quality writing, it is rare to peer a nice blog like this one these days..

]]> Comment on DIS 2010 Day 3 Liveblog by Interaction, movement, and dance at DIS 2010 › The Ayman and Naaman Show http://designingforexperience.com/2010/08/20/dis-2010-day-3-liveblog/comment-page-1/#comment-720 Interaction, movement, and dance at DIS 2010 › The Ayman and Naaman Show Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:54:15 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=371#comment-720 [...] studies. Aaron Houssian liveblogged all three days in case you need to catch up: [Day 1, Day 2, Day 3]. I spoke on Day 3, the morning after we build a nail gun [...] [...] studies. Aaron Houssian liveblogged all three days in case you need to catch up: [Day 1, Day 2, Day 3]. I spoke on Day 3, the morning after we build a nail gun [...]

]]> Comment on DIS 2010 Day 2 Liveblog by Interaction, movement, and dance at DIS 2010 › The Ayman and Naaman Show http://designingforexperience.com/2010/08/19/dis-2010-day-2-liveblog/comment-page-1/#comment-719 Interaction, movement, and dance at DIS 2010 › The Ayman and Naaman Show Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:51:18 +0000 http://designingforexperience.com/?p=357#comment-719 [...] studies. Aaron Houssian liveblogged all three days in case you need to catch up: [Day 1, Day 2, Day 3]. I spoke on Day 3, the morning after we build a nail gun [...] [...] studies. Aaron Houssian liveblogged all three days in case you need to catch up: [Day 1, Day 2, Day 3]. I spoke on Day 3, the morning after we build a nail gun [...]

]]>