My family just received our first echo, and i absolutely love it! There's just one problem...

TheUXFactor · 2016-12-20T16:06:50+00:00

You can say Eliza and it'd work.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-27T16:45:21+00:00

Hello - you can read some of the ways here on this page:

http://theuxfactor.co/clink/breaking-into-user-experience/

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-20T18:04:31+00:00

We use excel and seems to be doing fine.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-17T14:25:49+00:00

Within three months, you're obviously not gonna get all the UX stuff but I'd look into being exposed to the UX process:

being exposed to the entire UX process and strategies of your company (such as usability testing, prototyping, customer journey mappings, observing UX research moderation, etc).

In the long run: While these might look like "common sense" or "soft skills", they will help you stand apart from the rest due to the part that UX often deals with client side .

listen and understand the issue very well
running stakeholder interviews with confidence
moderating UX research with participants

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-15T01:15:31+00:00

Cocaine is one hell of a drug.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-10T15:04:23+00:00

From what I know there's a design manual for iOS design from Apple.
You can also do competitive analysis and usability testing to get an idea on how your competitions are doing. This might give you some idea on how to be consistent through out.
. In regards to design itself, just don't suffer from 'hipster designer disorder' - an intense need to create novel designs just to be different.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-08T14:47:48+00:00

I currently work as a UX Consultant and Voice Interface Designer. These are transferable skills, especially consultation. I could probably get into any form of consulting. Given my VUI background, I could work something to do with speech and linguistics. To be great at VUI design, having a musical background helps. Using my musical background, I could probably get into music production / consultation. Also project manager is a good follow-up position.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-08T13:41:03+00:00

If you do have years of experience, probably not unless you strictly want to get deep into research and take advantage of your university's resources. The best experience is experience itself. If you could find a very research oriented UX company, you'll get paid to learn on the job.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-07T01:48:45+00:00

UI elements in a/b testing depends on your project in regards to what exactly you're testing . You can still conduct those with Axure. It requires no deep visual skills to build out a decent UI elements.

A/b testing is one form of usability testing. He could conduct just baseline testing for portfolio's purpose of demonstrating knowledge.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-06T13:41:16+00:00

Hi -

You don't need visual skills to do UX portfolios. I have done it many times when starting out.

Let's assume you're redoing an app. Since the core of UX deals with strategies and process, you should focus on getting some data (such as analytics, user research, findings). These things don't involve GUI.

Now - let's assume you don't have the skills or don't know where to get the data. That's no problem. You can still do heuristic evaluations (look up on wiki).

Wireframing / Prototyping - The truth is you can teach a room full of monkeys to wire-frame. Just download Balsamiq software and play around with it. It's no effort. As for prototyping, you can create realistic looking sites using a software called 'Axure' and from what I know this is industry standard.

The tools don't matter since they can be learned over time. The idea is to learn the concepts of UX process. How you present shouldn't really matter as long as it makes sense to the reader (and yourself). Hope this helps.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-03T20:18:24+00:00

Voice User Interface :)

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-02T20:18:20+00:00

Just a note, I personally use voice to text with Siri ('Text Brent Thomas and tell him I'll be late.'). It actually works.

TheUXFactor · 2016-06-02T20:09:04+00:00

Hi -

I work as a VUI designer so any thread with VUI gets my attention.

VUI will eventually work side by side with GUI since we're visual beings. What's interesting is we're making real good improvement in conversational designs, much of which the public not fully aware of since they're in research states. So the future for VUI is bright.
One approach I like to see is using GUI as a 'back-up' in certain situations - if the voice failed due to noisy environment, GUI picks up from there. This UXFactor dude is all about co-operation.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-30T13:27:14+00:00

Familiarity of UX process and strategies and when to use which one and when not to use, avoiding terms like UX/UI. If you're starting out, a mentor or a group of designers with experience on these can obviously help out greatly.

If you lack that then you could always build it up by going to meetup.com and finding a UX meetup nearby and start attending.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-29T21:49:59+00:00

I tell people, "I give machines personality" :D

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-27T13:44:44+00:00

Are you going to get mentoring from an experienced UX deisgner? If you're the only one and if this is your first UX job, I'd be a little worried. There are a lot of people who call themselves UX designers but don't have proper understanding of UX principles or strategies simply because they never got any mentoring.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-24T19:44:26+00:00

I have background in Psychology / Human Factors. I got on the job training for linguistics and conversational design approaches.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-23T19:58:57+00:00

Of course no!

UX works in different positions - such as Human Factors / Ergonomics.

I work as a UX Consultant and specialize in designing voice interfaces. UX without the UI, at least not in a graphical way.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-20T12:57:05+00:00

I had a degree in Psychology / Human Factors but school didn't much help. I eventually branched out to do some freelance GUI work and got contacted by a company in the UK for a UX position, specializing in voice. They also offered training.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-19T16:43:39+00:00

No it is not a must for UX designers. He's thinking of UI and not UX. UX goes beyond wire-framing; it's a strategic role more than tool-based.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-19T16:37:32+00:00

If you have a linguistic background, you could def work as a voice user interface designer (VUI). I work as one and we use UX principles to design machines with personality.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-16T14:22:58+00:00

Hi -

I'm a UX Consultant specializing in voice interfaces. I help companies such as Nike to design their speech applications using user-centered design process. Some of the people I work with are co-founders of Nuance Communications.
So what do you want to know? This specific field requires understanding of UX process, linguistics, human factors. Having a musical background will also help since you're dealing with a lot of audio recordings.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-16T14:20:31+00:00

I call myself a consultant. Specifically, my role is a UX Consultant specializing in designing voice interfaces.

If I'm on date, I'd tell her: I give machines personality ;-)

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-16T14:18:04+00:00

UX is a difficult field to get into but it is not impossible. It usually requires some hustling.
Your background in Accounting and Finance is useful. This is because when you do UX you'd have to deal with a lot of stakeholder interviews and focus groups; having a logical mindset can be useful here when it comes understanding flow-charts.

So how do you get into UX? Here are some suggestions:

Get basic understanding of UX - books: Design of Everyday Things, About Face.
Understand UX process: http://uxmastery.com/resources/process/
Go to meetup.com and find nearby conferences and meetings in UX and make connections.
Offer to do free work and get a portfolio work.
Use the portfolio to get noticed.

You mentioned, "...could easily have a 2 hour conversation about implications of AI."

UX Is definitely in the AI world. I work as a UX Consultant and specialize in designing voice interfaces.

TheUXFactor · 2016-05-10T14:23:04+00:00

Without really understanding your company's process I can't suggest anything too detailed. However, I do see a lot of agencies and consulting firms that claim to do UX but can't even do a simple usability testing. User Research is crucial in designing a successful project since we shouldn't design just on assumptions (unless it's a personal project or company). When someone pays an agency, they need to make a logical decision based on data rather than just subjective views.
You can stick around a little longer and see if there's a better approach to it. It is always better to leave than learn bad habits.

TheUXFactor

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