I tell them, "I manage user experience. This means I not only help design
easily used and navigated applications, but also provide strategic input on
what your users value, what technology they use, how to make content
findable, even how to integrate major site changes with email and off-site
content campaigns. I do testing to provide solid feedback."
Sometimes I tell them "I organize information from the inside out to make
the most intuitive, useful, findable web site possible, and make sure it
coordinates with the rest of the user experience (email, atomized off-ste
content, etc.)." You have to be careful of your audience, though - a word
like "atomized" will intrigue some and lead to interesting conversation
about the "atomize and distribute" content model, but others may simply tune
you out.
If they ask for an example, I say, "A good UX manager will not only make
sure your new splash page matches your e-postcard and advertising, they'll
tell you the best time of the day and week to send the email and how
frequently your users like to be contacted about site updates." Or I might
talk about structuring information around the content and audience
("taxonomy" is another word to be careful using ;-) in order to make an
easy-to-use, easy-to-maintain site that's a joy to experience.
bests,
Alex O'Neal
UX manager/social network analyst
--
The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is
now.
On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 3:27 PM, Joanne Weaver <[email protected]
> wrote:
> This is the best thread! As a UX recruiter I get asked this question a lot
> too + I've always wondered how to encapsulate it best.
>
> I usually try to frame it in context to web designers, as that's what most
> laypeople seem to recognize best, ie:
> "UX folks create the underlying framework and skeleton and *logic* of a
> site, and work very closely with the designers, to make it not only
> beautiful, but usable, too."
>
> Joanne
>
> Joanne Weaver
> President
> The Joanne Weaver Group
> UX + Creative Talent Acquisition
> http://www.joanneweavergroup.com
> +1 917 623 9369
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Katie
> Albers
> Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 5:13 PM
> To: [email protected]
> Cc: R. Groot
> Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Interaction Designers: What is your elevator
> pitch?
>
> " I make sure the computer works to make *your* life easier, instead
> of requiring you to make your work match the way the computer wants
> things"
>
> Also incomplete by a mile, but I find most people understand it
> relatively well.
>
> kt
>
> Katie Albers
> Founder & Principal Consultant
> FirstThought
> User Experience Strategy & Project Management
> 310 356 7550
> [email protected]
>
>
>
>
>
> On Dec 17, 2008, at 1:44 PM, Robert Hoekman Jr wrote:
>
> >>
> >> how do you introduce the work you do when you have a social
> >> introduction?
> >
> >
> > "I figure out what a web site or application needs to do, and why,
> > and then
> > design how people will perform those tasks."
> >
> > It's incomplete by a mile, but it works well after you say, "I'm an
> > interaction designer", and they look at you funny.
> >
> > -r-
> > ________________________________________________________________
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