On Jan 25, 2008 12:35 PM, Katie Albers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > And along the same lines: > "I'm a Libra with Pisces rising and > moon in Sagitarius" only less specific. > > Katie
Oh - your a Libra? Well then clearly you are qualified to run the operations side of our e-commerce site. If you were a Pisces, you would be better at designing the web application forms and administering the MySQL database. > > > At 6:45 AM -0500 1/25/08, Chauncey Wilson wrote: > >Will's response is quite elegant and right on the mark. Personality > >tests like the MB or many others often peg people as having a > >particular disposition and ignore the fact that personality interacts > >strongly with situational factors. Think about how we may be quite > >different personas in different situations -- I'm very shy at cocktail > >parties and avoid them as much as possible but I can be quite > >theatrical in front of a good audience -- two quite different > >behaviors in social situations. If you dig into the MB or read > >reviews by serious academics, you will find that it has questionable > >validation. In the early 1970s, there was a major debate in the > >social psychology field over the predictability of personality tests > >(you take the test and then correlate some type of performance with > >the score) and the amout of variance attributed to personality was > >very low (say in the range of 5-17% of behavior could be attributed to > >personality). There is some interaction of personality with context > >as my earlier example pointed out and there is some predictability > >with some personality tests, but not all that much. The debate of > >personality versus situation was between Daryl Bem and Walter Mischel > >(two brilliant fellows in personality and social psychology). > > > >So, given the low correlation between performance and personality > >scores, I would consider them dangerous (and the labels they put on > >people something to avoid). I've been in several workshops where these > >types of tests are given and the group as a whole latches on to the > >scores and descriptions of the "personality" and even with moderators > >who caution not to take the scores too seriously, the next 3 hours are > >a discussion of the scores and how they are strong predictors of job > >performance when in fact, they are not. > > > >I was the "victim" once of a company that wanted to use an MB-like > >test to support decisions about management and promotion. Most senior > >managers balked and the company withdrew the test as a basic for > >promotion. I was ready to quit if forced to take the test. > > > >Chauncey > > > >On Jan 25, 2008 5:51 AM, W Evans <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> I'll weigh in, although my answers are obviously highly subjective. > When > >> evaluating candidates and building a team I would rather boil in a vat > of > >> hot molten lead than use a standardized test to inform anything, > including > >> who is fit to make coffee. Actually - more strongly - I think > standardized > >> tests are dangerous and serve only two purposes - to evaluate a > candidates > >> ability to take the test and score in some manner that I have a > prejudice in > >> thinking is the right personality matrix based on my own personality > type; > >> and to enrich and further the memetic influence of test makers and > >> promoters. Myers Briggs is absolutely useless because it does not > answer or > >> provide insight into the key metrics I need in evaluating an IxD/IA/UX > > > candidate which are: > >> 1. Can the person design great experiences -- does knowing they are > INTJ > >> inform that? No. > >> 2. Can the person defend their designs when faced with opposition? > >> 3. Can the person take criticism? > >> 4. Can the person collaborate in the design process? > >> 5. Deliver on a deadline? > > > 6. Show up to work? > >> > >> Besides the tests being highly subjective - they measure all the wrong > >> things, and do not provide me as a hiring manager with any information > that > >> better informs my decision. > >> > >> Two interaction designers board trains. One leaves Chicago at 4pm > traveling > >> at 60mph, the other interaction designer (wearing black Dr. Martins) > leaves > >> Boston at 330pm traveling at 72 mph - both headed towards each other. > 3 > >> hours later, the interaction designer on which train has created a > more > >> compelling user registration process? > >> > >> I have used many techniques for interviewing, evaluating, training and > >> mentoring folks in our field - and I would say that standardized tests > are > >> the most onerous - nay - dangerous. > >> > >> I found this list of questions and have used variations of this in the > >> interview process - I have added/modified it over recent years. This > only > >> covers general knowledge, etc - and doesn't tell me how the person > will > >> design or interact with a group - but at least it's far better than > some > >> Myers Briggs test: > >> > >> Fundamental IA/UX/UI Knowledge Interview Questions. > >> > >> 1. What two or three interaction design, information architecture or > >> user experience design books would you recommend to your colleagues? > Which > >> has contributed the most to your understanding of our profession? > >> 2. How do you keep your knowledge of user experience design and > >> usability up to date? > >> 3. How do you define when a website or application is "usable > enough"? > >> 4. Can you explain what heuristic evaluation is and what some of its > >> strengths and weaknesses are? > >> 5. What are some general guidelines for making web applications > >> accessible to users with visual, hearing, or motor disabilities? > >> 6. What courses or seminars have you taken on usability or user > >> interface design? > >> 7. Can you give a few examples of cognitive principles that should > >> influence software design? > >> 8. What are some of the differences in designing for the thin > clients > >> versus designing for print or a Windows or Macintosh thick client > >> application? > >> 9. What are some UI design principles that you would try to follow > >> when designing web pages ? > >> 10. How do you decide what tasks should be included in a usability > >> test? > >> 11. How would you conduct a competitive analysis of two applications > >> or websites? > >> 12. Describe how the user's physical environment can have an impact > on > >> the design of a website. > >> 13. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of contextual > >> inquiry or field studies for the design of a website or application? > >> > >> Experience in an IA/UX designer role > >> > >> 1. What are some of the ethical issues that can arise in a usability > >> or user interface design position? Have you experienced any of these > >> personally? What did you do to resolve/deal with these issues? > >> 2. What usability methods are you most experienced with? > >> 3. Are you familiar with any information architecture methodologies? > >> Which ones? > >> 4. What usability/UI design methods would you like to know more > about > >> or are least experienced with? > >> 5. Have you taught any courses or seminars in usability or user > >> interface design? What topics did you cover in the course? > >> 6. Have you ever been involved in determining user requirements for > a > >> web application or desktop application? What methods did you use to > >> determine these requirements and what was your involvement in the > process? > >> 7. Describe how you have marketed or evangelized user centered > design > >> or user experience design in your current position? How would > >>you market it > >> if you were the first usability or user experience design > >>professional in a > >> company? > >> 8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a style > guide? > > > If you have worked on a style guide, describe your method for > >developing it. > >> 9. How have you addressed issues of user interface consistency > across > >> products in your current position? > >> 10. In your current role, what percentage of time do you spend in > >> evaluation versus design? > > > 11. What have/can you do to make usability testing in a lab > >> environment as realistic as possible? > >> 12. How much experience do you have recruiting external customers > for > >> evaluation or design activities? Have you done group or individual > user > >> focus sessions? > >> 13. What steps have you taken to convince a recalcitrant developer > to > >> listen to your advice? > >> 14. How would you explain the benefits of a user-centered design > >> approach to a project manager or program manager who is > >>unfamiliar with it? > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> ~ will > >> > >> "Where you innovate, how you innovate, > >> and what you innovate are design problems" > >> ------------------------------------------------------- > >> will evans > >> user experience architect > >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> ------------------------------------------------------- > >> > >> > >> On Jan 25, 2008 12:22 AM, Anthony Colfelt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> > >> > Hi all, > >> > > >> > I'm drafting the second part of an article on Hiring UX > professionals > >> > for Boxes and Arrows at the moment and researching people's thoughts > >> > on the all important axis of personality when hiring UX folk. > >> > > >> > Can you tell me whether you think that personality typing tests like > >> > Myers Briggs or DISC are helpful to you in either hiring or working > >> > with others in your discipline? > >> > > >> > When thinking about the individual streams of Research, Information > >> > Architecture, Interaction Design, Graphic Design and Writing, do you > >> > reckon each of these should display any particular personality > >> > attributes as you might find in typing tests like Myers Briggs? > >> > > >> > The obvious answer is "Well, that depends on your context". But I > >> > thought it would make an interesting discussion point here and then > >> > summarized in the article. What are your thoughts? > >> > > >> > Anthony Colfelt > >> > > >> > ________________________________________________________________ > >> > *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > >> > February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > >> > Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > >> > > >> > ________________________________________________________________ > >> > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > >> > To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > >> > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > >> > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > >> > > >> ________________________________________________________________ > >> *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > >> February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > >> Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > >> > >> ________________________________________________________________ > >> Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > >> To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > >> List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > >> List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > >> > >________________________________________________________________ > >*Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* > >February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA > >Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ > > > >________________________________________________________________ > >Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > >To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > >List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > >List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > > > -- > > ---------------- > Katie Albers > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -- ~ will "Where you innovate, how you innovate, and what you innovate are design problems" ------------------------------------------------------- will evans user experience architect [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
