My closing plenary from UX Camp Europe in Berlin, June 4, 2017. Here I reviewed some of the key issues talked about at the conference and share some of my own learning experiences

1. Beyond the Bullshit
Lessons from a long career
Eric Reiss
@elreiss
UX Camp Europe
4 June 2017
Berlin, Germany

2. What can an old man like me
say that will help you?
The BIG question...

3. Lots of issues and buzzwords
Design thinking
Storytelling
Lean / MVP
“Awesome”
“Intuitive”
AI / IoT
Portfolios
Methodologies
Case studies
Research
Certification
Research

4. Research
Creating better designs
Getting a job
Getting promoted
Starting for yourself
Understanding globalization
Tailoring your portfolio
Avoiding UX mistakes

6. So, you want to get a job…

11. what a company does
Website
what customers are saying
TrustPilot (products and services)
Yelp (hospitality industry)
TripAdvisor (hospitality industry)
Blogs (products and services)
Social media (everything and then some)
where you can make a difference
That’s up to you!
You need to know before you write...

12. Now about that portfolio…

13. Tell me a story:
What was the problem?
How did you solve it?
What was the result?
Your process
How did you get from A to B?
What kinds of decisions did you make along the way?
What I look for in a portfolio

14. And if you get an interview…

15. If I take the time to interview
you, I want to hire you!
The BIG secret...

16. Curiosity
Even when the subject is boring to most others
Understanding
Of the business needs as well as the user’s needs
Empathy
Can you see things through your user’s eyes?
Passion
Do you live and breathe for your projects?
Skills
Aesthetic sense, artistic skills, practical skills
What I look for in a designer

17. Now, you want a promotion…

18. “We have lots of
research! We know
all about our users.
We know all about
our competitors”
(Clueless marketing manager)

19. (Eric, tell them about Claus and the 400)

20. read the business plan
research your competitors
gain insights that marketing/sales may have
missed
suggest more informed design decisions
impress your boss
With just a little effort you can...

21. 1. Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site
2. Show that there’s a real organization behind your site.
3. Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and
services you provide.
4. Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site.
5. Make it easy to contact you
6. Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your
purpose).
7. Make your site easy to use – and useful.
8. Update your site’s content often (at least show it’s been reviewed
recently).
9. Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g. ads, offers)
10. Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem.
*Stanford University Web Credibility Guidelines
Based on 4,500 interviews with business users
Stanford Web Credibility

22. X Y Z A B C
Accurate ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Real org. ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Expertise ☺ ☺
Honest ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Contact ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Design ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺
Usability ☺
Updates
Promo ☺ ☺ ☺
Errors ☺
Stanford Credibility – May 2017

23. URL: CompanyX.com
Tagline: none
Position: El, natural gas, district heating
Statement: “Company X provides electricity,
natural gas, and district heating with several
important advantages. We give you personal
advice regarding your energy purchases – even
if you aren’t currently our customer.”
Comments: Only natural gas to business
customers. Focus on district heating for private
customers.
Overall impression:
Company X

24. Screw that, Eric!
I want to be my own boss!

26. How you will spend your time
Billable design workBusiness development
Finances
Invoicing
Meetings
Recruiting
Staff reviews

28. “Form follows function”
The Villa Savoye
1929

33. “Form follows function”
Women’s fashion
(1895-1898)

34. 1895

35. 1898

36. “Form follows function”
Infant death and service design
(1847)

37. Ignaz Semmelweis

39. Observe your users
Talk to your users
Look for touchpoints that you can influence
Lesson to be learned

40. Globalization

41. We need to understand different cultures,
not just general design patterns
Why globalization is important

49. We need to understand different cultures,
not just general design patterns
There are few things where “one size fits all”
Vacuum cleaners, gas stations, and rice cookers
Why globalization is important

51. We need to understand different cultures,
not just general design patterns
There are few things where “one size fits all”
Rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, gas stations
You have to see the forest, not just the trees!
How is your stuff going to be used?
Why globalization is important

53. We need to understand different cultures,
not just general design patterns
There are few things where “one size fits all”
Rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, gas stations
You have to see the forest, not just the trees!
How is your stuff going to be used?
Do your homework before you come up with a
bad design or bad answer
Why globalization is important

56. Bonus #1
How to search

57. Use phrases
Use multiple words
Write query as an answer rather than a question
Keys to good search results

58. What’s the key ingredient in bearnaise sauce?
What’s the most fuel-efficient car in the world?
How many stripes does a zebra have?
Some research questions

62. Bonus #2
Answering some questions

66. According to Fast Company:
1. Define the problem
2. Create and consider many options
3. Refine selected directions
4. Repeat as necessary
5. Pick the winner
6. Execute
What is “design thinking”

67. Tell me a story:
What was the problem?
How did you solve it?
What was the result?
Your process
How did you get from A to B?
What kinds of decisions did you make along the way?
What I look for in a portfolio

70. (Click here to add obligatory Venn diagram)
All the people in the
whole world

71. (Click here to add obligatory Venn diagram)
All the people in the
whole world
All the people in the
whole world
who do UX

72. Berlin | 20 June 2015 | 01:35

73. Berlin | 20 June 2015 | 08:12

74. Eric’s 1st Law of UX:
User experience is the sum of
a series of interactions between
• people
• devices
• events

75. Eric’s 2rd Law of UX (CARE):
UX design represents the conscious
act of :
• coordinating interactions
we can control
• acknowledging interactions
we cannot control
• reducing negative interactions
• examining the journey
between these interactions

76. Can influence
Cannot influence
Business
critical
Screw
it
True UX
Artistic masturbation

79. Scrum and UX

81. Pick me! Pick me!

82. Introducing “Carpenter thinking”
Measure twice, cut once

83. My Favourite Process
DWYNTDTGTSD
Do What You Need To Do To Get The Shit Done

89. Observing the User Experience
Mike Kuniavsky
Morgan Kaufmann, 2003
Design Research
Brenda Laurel (editor)
MIT Press, 2003
Validating Product Ideas
Tomer Sharon
Rosenfeld, 2016
Contextual Design
Karen Holtzblatt, Hugh Beyer
Morgan Kaufmann, 2015
Must-have books for researchers

90. Measuring the Success of Your Website
Hurol Inan
Prentice-Hall, 2002
Measuring the User Experience
Tom Tullis, Bill Albert
Morgan Kaufmann, 2008
Books – UX metrics

91. Designing a UX Portfolio
Ian Fenn
O’Reilly, 2017
The Interview Expert
John Lees
Pearson Business, 2011
A Project Guide for UX Design
Russ Unger, Carolyn Chandler
New Riders, 2012
Books – self-help

92. Actionable Web Analytics
Jason Burby, Shane Atchison
Sybex, 2007
Web Analytics – an hour a day
Avinash Kaushik
Sybex/Wiley, 2007
Web Metrics
Jim Sterne
Wiley, 2002
Practical Web Analytics for UX
Michael Beasley
Morgan Kaufmann, 2013
Books – web analytics

93. How to Conduct Your Own Survey
Pricilla Salant, Don A. Dillman
Wiley, 1994
Improving Survey Questions
Floyd J. Fowler, Jr.
Sage, 1995
Mail and Internet Surveys
Don A. Dillman
Wiley, 2000
Interviewing Users
Steve Portigal
Rosenfeld, 2013
Books – surveys and interviews

94. Rocket Surgery Made Easy
Steve Krug
New Riders, 2010
Handbook of Usability Testing
Jeffrey Rubin, Dana Chisnell
Wiley, 2008
Don’t Make Me Think
Steve Krug
New Riders, 2013
Usable Usability
Eric Reiss
Wiley, 2012
Books – usability

95. Danke!

96. The FatDUX Group ApS
Strandøre 15
2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Office: (+45) 39 29 07 07
Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44
Twitter: @elreiss
er@fatdux.com
www.fatdux.com
Eric Reiss can (usually) be found at: