User Experience (UX) is probably one of the fastest evolving and most exciting disciplines to be a part of these days. As the practical value of UX-work has become more and more obvious in the past few years, the demand for UX Designers and experts has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, there are hardly any official educational paths or certifications yet and the confusion around UX is very broad – UX is becoming a buzzword. As a result, the market is not only confused or has at best a very narrow understanding of the term, but this also offers a soil for many amateurs and fake representatives of the discipline to evolve. Over the past few years, Martina has had the (dis)pleasure to meet and work with some highly promoted UX Charlatans, so that over time she started spotting the patterns – some of their similarities and tactics. Martinas aim is to share her observations in this presentation, in the hope to save you some time, money, and frustration – no matter if you are an evolving UX Designer or a Business/Project owner in need of UX expertise.

1. Diagnosis: UX Charlatans
How to SpotThem Quickly and Stop Wasting
Time, Money and Nerves
@MartinaMitz8th September 2018

2. The Plan™
• Who the F*** Am I to Diagnose?
• Situation on the Market
• Diagnosis: UX Charlatans - 9 Symptoms
• What to Look for in a Good UX?
• What is UX Then?
@MartinaMitz

3. image: http://thebqb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/frust3.jpeg
@MartinaMitz
…Me in the Past FewYears

4. images: 1st - source unknown, 2nd - http://imgur.com/gallery/GUcVw.jpg
@MartinaMitz
One Explanation…

5. BUT WAIT
Let me tell you where I am coming from…
@MartinaMitz

6. (1999) 2001:
Web Designer
(semi human-centered)
@MartinaMitz
Passion

7. 2001 - 2007:
Certified Psychologist (Education)
2008 - 2009:
Clinical Psychologist
@MartinaMitz
Profession

8. image: https://nonverbalforte.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Insecure-Photo.jpg
@MartinaMitz
…Me at theTime

9. Time to Do Something!
PSYCHOLOGY
(profession)
WEB DESIGN
(passion)
ME?
(crazy?)
@MartinaMitz

10. Pro-passion Beginnings
2009 - 2010:
"Konzeptioner/in"
(Marketing, Research, Concept,
Content, Visual Design, Development)
@MartinaMitz

11. Pro-passion
since 2010:
UI Designer / Web Designer
Interaction Architect (Ix)
Information Architect (IA)
UX Architect
UX Designer
Product Experience / CX something
Service Designer
or recently:
UX Psychologist*
* Thanks for the inspiration Dr. Nick Fine!
@MartinaMitz

12. My Mission:
since 2014:
To plant different "seeds"
in (business leader’s) mind-sets…
@MartinaMitz

13. Totally in the Mood of:
Khoi Vinh’s talk:
"Thinking Critically About Design and Criticism”
2018
@MartinaMitz

14. My Mission:
since 2014:
To plant different "seeds"
in (business leader’s) mind-sets…
…by being (self) critical.
@MartinaMitz

15. MEANWHILE
… on the market
@MartinaMitz

16. We Haven’t Done What We Preach -
"Talking Our Users' Language"!
Spreading of misunderstandings:
• UX is only User Research
• UX is more expensive Web / UI Design
• UX is only digital
• UX is a linear process
• UX is like pixie dust, like magic
• UX Designers are unicorns
image: https://www.vectorportal.com/StockVectors/People/MAGICIAN-VECTOR-GRAPHICS/12895.aspx
@MartinaMitz
🤷

17. Example:
@MartinaMitz

18. Example:
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

19. Hardly Any Official
Educational Paths
Confused colleagues, due to our
very diverse (study-)backgrounds:
• Computer disciplines
• Cognitive/Behaviour Sc.
• Design disciplines
• just to name a few…
image: https://media.postgrad.com/editorial/question_marks_-_road1.jpg
@MartinaMitz
🎓

20. Huge Demand
@MartinaMitz
🚀

21. Huuuuuge Demand
@MartinaMitz
SOME REPRESENTATIVE NUMBERS:
from 26 482* jobs registered with the
German Federal Employment Agency
in Berlin in August 2018
across all sectors
*source: https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/Navigation/Statistik/Statistik-nach-Regionen/Politische-Gebietsstruktur/Berlin-Nav.html
And the
non-representative:
~ 1000 UX jobs
= ~ 4%
of ALL jobs in Berlin
🚀
💥

22. UX has become very trendy
BUT actually in a misunderstood way
There is a huge demand for skilled experts
BUT it is hard to know who the right one is
UX is more and more involved
BUT usually at the wrong stage of the process
A PERFECT BREEDING GROUND FOR CHARLATANS
Summary - Market Situation:
image: http://granitegrok.com/wp-content/uploads/charlatan.png
@MartinaMitz
🤷
🎓
🚀

23. image: http://www.sparksgroupinc.com/resources/sparks-group-blog/
Buzzwordizing:
@MartinaMitz

24. Sidenote: Rupert at IxDAb
Surely also a valuable one:
"Why you're a Brand Shaper (knowingly or not)
and what you can do about it"
2015
@MartinaMitz
Rupert Platz

25. "Hype vs. Change =Talking vs. Doing"
Very helpful against Hypes:
"Hyper! Hyper!!"
Rupert Platz's talk at
UX Camp Berlin 2017
@r000pert
@MartinaMitz

26. Diagnosis: UX Charlatans
9 Symptoms
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

27. WARNING!
You will find yourself in some of the symptoms,
this still does not qualify you! ;)
… it highly depends on:
severity of the symptom + scale of the company/projects
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

28. 1st Symptom
ONLY USERS ARE IMPORTANT
• Dismissing business/stakeholder needs, pains or questions
• Getting lost in User Research
• Not creating any valuable outcomes
“It’s all about the users…”
USERS
BUSINESS
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

29. 2nd Symptom
DO WHAT THE BUSINESS WANTS
• React only to the demands of the business or other stakeholders
• Do, do ,do - deliver, deliver, deliver - no critical thinking
• Care more about “networking” and their salary/title
“It’s all about the money…it’s just a job!” or “Users are stupid!"
BUSINESS
USERS
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

30. 3rd Symptom
KNOW-IT-ALL
• Trust-me attitude + strong ego
• Know all the answers straight away
• Give solutions, rather than uncovering different solution-paths
“We have to do ‘Agile’, it’s what Google and Netflix are doing”
BUSINESS
USERS
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

31. 3rd Symptom - Example
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

32. 4th Symptom
SWEET TALK
• Say things that sound right
• Make strong and confident statements
• No substance, no practical coverage of their words, no reality-check
“I have over 15 years experience in the digital area…”
BUSINESS
USERS
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

33. 5th Symptom
MASK IT WITH JARGON
• Tend to hide behind jargon
• Use specific terms, sometimes without understanding them
• Feel more expert-y / raises their ego, when no else understands them
“We definitely need Contextual Inquiries to finish the MVP!”
BIZ
MVP
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

34. 6th Symptom
JUST RETURN THE BALL
• Good at delegating and/or fishing for info and ideas
• Better in adapting into the current situation, but not visionary
• Can’t say “I don’t know”
“Remind me again what a CTA was?”
EGO
AUDACITY
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

35. UX IS ALL IN THE TOOLS
• Strong advocates of specific tools
• Usually, defensive against new stuff
• Only concentrating on tangible outputs, not on outcomes
“I use Axure and Photoshop, of course I am a UXD”
7th Symptom
WIRE-
FRAMES
BUSINESS
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

36. 7th Symptom -Tool Evolution
slide:“Hyper! Hyper!!” - Rupert Platz - UX Camp Berlin 2017
@MartinaMitz

37. 7th Symptom -Tool Madness
@MartinaMitz

38. 7th Symptom - BestTool so Far!
image: https://pilgrimroad.com/wp-content/uploads/prc-ux-ui-design-tools-rocketbook-wave-sketchbook.jpg
@MartinaMitz

39. 8th Symptom
UX IS JUST DIGITAL
• Also, only concentrating on tangible outputs, rather than solution paths
• Caring rather about the "How?" than the "Why?"
• Acting only on one channel/touch-point in isolation
“We are only responsible of the platform/website”
USABILITY
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

40. UX isn’t Just Digital!
As shown in the talk:
“(Human) Interaction
at Conferences”
2014
Claudia Brückner
@MartinaMitz

41. 9th Symptom
I CAN DO THAT TOO!
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans
UX

42. 9th Symptom - Best Example
WORKING ALONGSIDE UX DESIGNERS IS ENOUGH?
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

43. 9th Symptom - Best Example
WORKING ALONGSIDE UX DESIGNERS ISN’T ENOUGH!
#goUXX
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

44. The 9 Symptoms:
If 3 or more of the following symptoms
appear on more than 3 encounters,
then you are most probably dealing
with a UX-Charlatan:
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans
1. ONLY USERS ARE IMPORTANT
2. DO WHAT BUSINESS WANTS
3. KNOW-IT-ALL
4. SWEET TALK
5. MASK IT WITH JARGON
6. JUST RETURN THE BALL
7. UX IS ALL IN THE TOOLS
8. UX IS JUST DIGITAL
9. I CAN DO THAT TOO!
image: https://www.learngeek.co/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/IMAGE-Symptom_Icons.jpg Thanks for the layout-change Jason! :)

45. WHATTO LOOK FOR
IN A GOOD UX
Some similarities in great thinkers:
@MartinaMitz

46. Some UX-Mindset Observations
Great Design-Thinkers and Problem-Solvers:
• Will hardly give you a direct solution - rather ask a questions first
• Need context/insights before jumping into decisions/commitments
• Realise that collaboration is key, as they can’t know everything in detail
• Learn to be comfortable with being proven wrong - become modest, egos vanish
• Have the ability to zoom out and look at the bigger picture, while discussing details
@MartinaMitz

47. Some Psychological UX-Traits
Great Design-Thinkers and Problem-Solvers:
Are
curious / analytical / critical /
empathetic / self-reflected / confident but humble
comfortable dealing with uncertainty
Are NOT F***ING UNICORNS!
image: http://1wkf705fg6e2aisrw22uhig6.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/files/2013/09/UOiOtakn8ds-600x350.jpg -
@MartinaMitz
Thanks for the image-inspiration @tWolo!

48. BUT WHAT IS UXTHEN?
I will let the “father” of UX explain…
but first a UX Charlatan
@MartinaMitz

49. A Highly-Rated UX Charlatan:
“User Experience
is obviously
what the user sees”
@MartinaMitz#UXCharlatans

50. UX is Much MoreThanThat!
SecondMuse showed:
“Co-Creating Prosperity"
2013
Ruha Reyhani
@MartinaMitz

51. Don Norman:
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdtGjoIN4E
@MartinaMitz

52. UX is…
"User experience" encompasses all aspects
of the end-user's interaction with the
company, its services, and its products.
Don Norman
@MartinaMitz

53. TO PUT IT SIMPLER:
And in the words of
my very own UX-Dad
@MartinaMitz

54. UX is…
…the sum of a series of
interactions between:
• people,
• devices
• events
Eric Reiss
image: UX Sofia, 2015
@MartinaMitz

55. @MartinaMitz
On to the next 10, dear IxDA Berlin!
IxDA Berlin 2017 - Design Against Populism

56. @MartinaMitz
PROST!
Martina Mitzieva-Veglia
UX Psychologist, Strategist & Designer
martina.mitz@gmail.com
web, skype, twitter, LI: Martina Mitz
currently:
Berlin, Germany
IxDA Berlin 2018