Rejection emails from IxDA’s Interaction11 conference have begun to circulate this morning.
There were 300 submissions for the lightning sessions and only 30 slots, and no doubt rejecting 90% of the speakers was an extremely tough task. I don’t take it personally at all that I was included among them.
Many people in the industry whom I consider to be my heroes were also turned away; I hope they submit their ideas to other conferences so that I can get the chance to see them! Given the high caliber of submissions to Interaction11, I’m even more excited to attend the conference to see the sessions that were selected — they must be extraordinary.
I wanted to share my submission with you to get your feedback on how to improve upon it. Do you think this is a good idea for a session and something you would want to see? Could I have done a better job with the description or title?
I’d like to iterate on it and submit it to another upcoming conference. I think it would be a lot of fun, and it’s something I really want to spend the time researching and thinking about.
What Lessons Can We Learn From Soap Operas For Designing Experiences
Soap operas have been in existence for more than 80 years, have told the world’s longest stories, and capture an intensely loyal fan base of millions. What lessons can we learn from their format and structure to captivate and transport our own users? How can we make use what theorist Steve Neale refers to as their “chance meetings, coincidences, missed meetings, sudden conversions, last-minute rescues and revelations, and deus ex machina endings,” as mechanisms to engage people in the interactive space? What design patterns can we apply to our own work?
In this talk, I will share the findings of my research into the history of soap operas and their relationship to interaction design. I hope to spark attendees’ interest in the genre as a source of inspiration for the experiences they create, and a deeper understanding of the emotional touchpoints of those experiences.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments! Thanks so much in advance for helping me make this better.
Thank you so much to the 33 people who showed up for the fifteenth week of Whit Hour — my weekly one-hour video chat to answer any and all of your questions about user experience, consulting, and whatever else you throw at me.
Why would you select a platform whose UX sucks so bad?
What is your favorite im client in terms of design?
What considerations should you use when integrating “social” features into a website – like share buttons, refer a friend, like buttons, etc.
Do you ever use any online applications/websites to wireframe interfaces?
What’s the most important thing a designer should consider when moving from UX to Visual Design?
Do you have any tips for working with academics on institutional websites?
What do you think about this oversaturation of “share this” type of buttons, or “like this” buttons? At some point, I’d think those will become innefective. Maybe that’s just because I ignore those buttons. Am I the only one that ignores these things?
Are there any email or SMS management tools that you think are well designed from a UX experience?
What’s the dirtiest trick a client’s ever tried to play on you live on Whit Hour? :P
Do you have any particular knowledge management practice? How important it is to maintain a record of your past ideas? How do you feel about review and reuse from artifacts from your own?
Has there ever been a video game you have played where the interface/experience has stood out with you?
I just finished reading Content Strategy by Kristina Halvorson, how do you think about content in terms of UX planning/wireframes/etc.
Any tips when you have a lean startup that has to be changing and evolving very often in order to understand the user to provide them the right product?
Programming (or other more “technical” skills) are not “required” to be fully mastered by UX designers, but is there any that you wish to be more knowledgeable in to strengthen you capabilities as a UX designer?
You had a question in my SXSW panel that I don’t think we answered properly – it was about women entrepreneurs in the ycombinator model – do you still have a strong opinion about the lack of women in startups?
I know you cowork a lot. Any issues with keeping client confidentiality when you’re working in an open space like that?
Full Text Chat
Welcome to the ‘whithour’ room.
efortiz: Why would you select a platform whose UX sucks so bad?
efortiz: for WhitHour, I mean
GangstaCode: what is your favorite im client in terms of design?
efortiz: I do, I stalk you.
efortiz: I remember those days.
efortiz: Have you heard of Junto? It’s a strategy/platform that Venessa Miemis is pursuing/ideating
vanshea: hey WHit!
DD: hello
efortiz: http://emergentbydesign.com/2010/03/22/junto-discussing-ideas-worth-spreading/
Lloyd: Hey :)
fabianapsimoes: is there any way I can set this audio only?
thetombryan: Do you enjoy doing Livestream tech support? Jeez… :P
vanshea: Hey..!
GangstaCode: what is your favorite im client in terms of design?
Lloyd: GTalk <3
johnlabriola: hey whit!
GangstaCode: or sms
efortiz: ICQ? :)
GangstaCode: gangstacode = @frankdenbow
morganb: Hi Whitney, what considerations should you use when integrating "social" features into a website - like share buttons, refer a friend, like buttons, etc.
DD: do you ever use any online applications/websites to wireframe interfaces?
vanshea: What's the most important thing a designer should consider when moving from UX to Visual Design?
efortiz: http://emergentbydesign.com/2010/04/17/junto-is-born/
morganb: cool thanks!
morganb: no it is
thetombryan: Do you have any tips for working with academics on institutional websites?
whitneyhess mod: Balsamiq
Lloyd: Free if you write them up a review on your blog too
morganb: i <3 balsamiq
Lloyd: ^^ ditto
thetombryan: What about pen and paper? I haven't found anything better, personally
Dru: i agree.
DD: exactly
davedawson: On the subject of social media elements. What do you think about this oversaturation of "share this" type of buttons, or "like this" buttons? At some point, I'd think those will become innefective. Maybe that's just because I ignore those buttons. Am I the only one that ignores these things?
blackjid: somiething like omnigraffle but for windows>
GangstaCode: are there any email or SMS management tools that you think are well designed from a UX experience?
DD: Thank you whitney
vanshea: Busted.
thetombryan: What’s the dirtiest trick a client’s ever tried to play on you live on Whit Hour? :P
vanshea: Now tom, I was just trying to participate!
vanshea: :)
thetombryan: haha
fabianapsimoes: Do you have any particular knowledge management practice? How important it is to maintain a record of your past ideas? How do you feel about review and reuse from artifacts from your own?
DD: Has there ever been a video game you have played where the interface/experience has stood out with you?
vanshea:
gabimoore: bow indeed
whitneyhess mod: http://xkcd.com/773/
Lloyd: ah, about how nothing you ever want is there?
thetombryan: Ah yess!
Lloyd: ah, haha. <3 XKCD
morganb: another one for you, I just finished reading Content Strategy by Kristina Halvorson, how do you think about content in terms of UX planning/wireframes/etc.
vanshea: Good one morgan.
blackjid: Any tips when you have a lean startup that has to be changing and evolving very often in order to understand the user to provide them the right product?
thetombryan: Makes sense!
thetombryan: Absolutely :)
DiegoPulido: Salut ma cherie ;)
DiegoPulido: j'ai une question:
davedawson: Great, thanks for the response!
DiegoPulido: Programming (or other more "technical" skills) are not "required" to be fully mastered by UX designers, but is there any that you wish to be more knowledgeable in to strengthen you capabilities as a UX designer?
johnlabriola: Fireworks or inDesign
vanshea: Thunderbird is kinda nice
Lloyd: What do you think of gmail?
GangstaCode: *genuflects*
thetombryan: It's called an iPhone :D
vanshea: ..oh boy..
vanshea: :D
marc1919: Omnigraffle is great, and I love Balsalmic, but I've been a big fan of Google Draw with wireframe templates lately: https://docs.google.com/drawings/edit?id=1-6kqB3ZrTwoJgE7Z41fV-_fb5ibaSz4vYaFiufAlLCM&hl=en
thetombryan: @marc1919 is that part of SketchUp or separate?
thetombryan: @marc1919 nevermind, I clicked the link :P
fabianapsimoes: thank you, Whitney : )
dafark8: did I miss, what is the beer tonight?
DD: thanks was great to hear about the ipad thinking of getting one and now more incentive
thetombryan: I <3 Happy Cog
thetombryan: hear hear
melanie: That's cool! I'm an aspiring content strategist so it's neat to hear the ux designer perspective.
morganb: cool
willsansbury: @melanie "Aspring?" Whatever. You rock it.
vanshea: marc-that was a very cool GDoc
marc1919: I didn't create that google doc, but I really like it's ability to share and collaborate with others seamlessly. Here is one for iPhone/iPad: https://docs0.google.com/drawings/edit?id=1-cbwYVC3aG4oY1Gx00_7k__kDs9ggZPHnzXAp-KbMFY&hl=en
DiegoPulido: brilliant! It's going on my Amazon wishlist ;)
Lloyd: Ditto :D
Lloyd: eww, fireworks ;D
DiegoPulido: wat you're saying about Google is true: I saw that on a panel as SXSW, in which tey suggested nothing less than functional prototypes as THE one and only deliverable for UX designers :-/
vanshea: marc-link didn't take
dafark8: in design linking
Lloyd: Like comps?
dafark8: i go back and forth - depending on the type of wires indd is valuable though also often a bit overkill as it is a print doc tool by nature
marc1919: try this link: https://docs.google.com/drawings/edit?id=1-cbwYVC3aG4oY1Gx00_7k__kDs9ggZPHnzXAp-KbMFY&hl=en
marc1919: it's too long
dafark8: @willsansbury it took you till now to see that?
marc1919: it does work - I think it's terrific
dafark8: yeah, that was a twitter @ fail
DiegoPulido: i heard quite a few people complainig about it --I didn't quite get it, even after I spoke to the panelist themselves.
dafark8: typed in the wrong window
DiegoPulido: I'm sure it would be great, but...
GangstaCode: why are you so awesome?
blackjid: go crazy about lean startups and UX
willsansbury: bwaha
marc1919: Whitney, you had a question in my SXSW panel that I don't think we answered properly - it was about women entrepreneurs in the ycombinator model - do you still have a strong opinion about the lack of women in startups?
willsansbury: You also apparently love Honey Bunches of Oats.
vanshea: Will-you is funny
marc1919: it was my panel - with Paul Graham, Josh Baer, David Cohen and Naval Ravikant
aaroni268: finally got a chance to catch Whit Hour, stoked!
marc1919: same panel
marc1919: I moderated
marc1919: It's been bothering me for months
willsansbury: ok, a serious question: I know you cowork a lot. Any issues with keeping client confidentiality when you're working in an open space like that?
marc1919: UX is heavily focused on in Capital Factory - I can't speak for any of the others
marc1919: CF vets for the market, not for the solution if that helps
vanshea: Good one will
marc1919: sure - marc1919@gmail.com
Lloyd: @will in NWC they have a boothe for phonecalls, so you can conduct them in private
whitneyhess mod: http://uxmagazine.com/strategy/when-you-startup-with-ux
marc1919: minimum viable product is all about UX
GangstaCode: @mar1919 agreed
dafark8: thanks as always whit
vanshea: yay!
GangstaCode: thanks *genuflects*
marc1919: great job!
blackjid: thanks whitney
GangstaCode: labor day = full day to do startup stuff
gabimoore: This is always an absolute pleasute. Thanks again.
gabimoore: *pleasure
Lloyd: Always love the whit hour
Lloyd: Bye!
Thank you so much to the ~27 people who showed up for the fourteenth week of Whit Hour — my weekly one-hour video chat to answer any and all of your questions about user experience, consulting, and whatever else you throw at me.
So keeping on the pittsburgh theme, the 2011 summer in pgh – move the work back there for the season or what were the thoughts?
I see a wide range of iPad app designs — kind of the “wild west” on that device. Have you any UX consulting for the iPad? If so, anything in particular you have learned about it?
If you have a website that was primarily a newsletter teaser (where you had to sign up for a newsletter to get content) how would you re-engineer the site to combat declining newsletter subscribers?
How do you deal with doing great work for clients but not being able to show it in your folio due to privacy contracts etc?
What sort of tasks could you have people do with the short attention span prevalent for this demo?
How would I diplomatically explain to a VP that it isn’t ideal for him to sit in on all stakeholder interviews?
What do you recommend shifting your focus to when a client is taking a long time to approve wireframes without getting too ahead of yourself?
What about the opposite of that situation? What if the client does not allow you enough time to think through the complexity and details?
Can you elaborate on your pricing policy? I read the relevant section on your blog, and I really like it, but how do you really evaluate how much value you’re brining in to the project and from that extract how much you should charge? Do you do a time assessment to yourself of how much you expect to be investing in the project or not at all? How much time do you invest with the client before you give him a proposal (learning the proj background etc.)
When an ugly ecomm site is (thoughtfully) redesigned & replatformed, yet conversions drop (from 3% to 2%) @ re-launch, where would you start your “what did we miss” process?
Do you know anyone who uses a pricing methodology similar to yours in other disciplines such as development?
When you tell clients you can’t work with them without a budget, how do you negotiate that? Do you convert clients who initially insist on some kind of hourly rate?
What is your favorite corporate-lingo term?
Have you been able to get a large percentage of your paying work done at coworking spaces like New Work CIty or do you need to retreat to a private space for heavy duty work? Are those spaces good for the social but not necessarily heads-down?
Full Text Chat
Welcome to the ‘whithour’ room.
dafark8: loud and clear
thetombryan: gotcha
lezardfleck: loud and clear
Pedro Belleza: Hi Whitney
dafark8: At least one of us here shares the pgh love
thetombryan: I’m trying to think of an awesome question! It’s lunchtime here and I’m slacking off work to tune in :P
Pedro Belleza: I will be just hearing. I have a job to finish. Good chat guys!
dafark8: So keeping on the pittsburgh theme, the 2011 summer in pgh – move the work back there for the season or what were the thoughts?
lezardfleck: back
Mortvia: Hi all!
lezardfleck: stupid internet died
lezardfleck: hey mortvia
thetombryan: Launceston, Australia!
Mortvia: Hey Lezard, how are you?
mltorrefranca: Summer in Pgh sounds like a great idea.
ChrisCavallucci: howdy
lezardfleck: Im cool, can you log on skype so we dont spam here again ? =P
lezardfleck: and a brazilian as most of the whit hours =P
lwcavallucci: Wow 2 years already! Congrats!
klayon: Hello from Minneapolis. =) I see a wide range of iPad app designs — kind of the “wild west” on that device. Have you any UX consulting for the iPad? If so, anything in particular you have learned about it?
thetombryan: On the iPad – how far have you gotten on Angry Birds?
gruen: hi whit!
thetombryan: Best game ever.
gruen: i’m currently watching an ad
gruen: can we talk about how bad of a ux decision that is?
lwcavallucci: Yeah, about the ads, is there any way to get rid of them?
lwcavallucci: that’s a crazy pricing plan.
thetombryan: I’ve gotta shoot off now Whit – I’ll prepare some questions for next week now that I finally signed up ;)
mcarvin: oh hai
gruen: alright—here’s a question. if you have a website that was primarily a newsletter teaser (where you had to sign up for a newsletter to get content) how would you re-engineer the site to combat declining newsletter subscribers?
gruen: newsletter subscribers = higher CPMs
gruen: much much higher
stillpixels: how do you deal with doing great work for clients but not being able to show it in your folio due to privacy contracts etc?
gruen: 21-30 nightlife douchebags who work at conde nast and goldman sachs
gruen: (they don’t fill out surveys)
gruen: ok
gruen: so get them intoxicated
gruen: what sort of tasks could you have people do with the short attention span prevalent for this demo?
lynneux: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/10/process-not-portfolio.php
lynneux: :)
stillpixels: cheers!
gruen: sure
gruen: anyway, to give you more color on the problem: the business is to be an aggregator for content. that is, a staff runs out and finds the best of the best for the day and serves to be the editor for the sheer amount of crap on the internet. so, we’re supposed to be a single point of entry (get in-get out) sort of thing
mcarvin: for stillpixels, from Russ Unger’s blog: http://www.userglue.com/blog/2008/04/02/how-do-you-display-your-samples-of-work/
gruen: hence
gruen: engagement is to be lower
gruen: we don’t want them lost in a web of hyperlinks
gruen: yes
gruen: thrillist for X
gruen: (i’m not commenting on the business model)
lynneux: Hey Whit. How would I diplomatically explain to a VP that it isn’t ideal for him to sit in on all stakeholder interviews?
gruen: you don’t think it’s the content?
gruen: that’s an idea :) <3
lynneux: Good idea.
gruen: i think that's the stronger point
lynneux: Absolutely :)
greyongray: What do you recommend shifting your focus to when a client is taking a long time to approve wireframes without getting too ahead of yourself?
lynneux: Ha. Perfect. Thanks Whit.
gruen: that worked for me too
ChrisCavallucci: What about the opposite of that situation? What if the client does not allow you enough time to think through the complexity and details?
gruen: anchor steam!
greyongray: thx white, very insightful - I have content copy writing to stay busy with
greyongray: *whit
ChrisCavallucci: sorry: subcontractor scenario
ChrisCavallucci: limited space here...
benmarks: Whit, when an ugly ecomm site is (thoughtfully) redesigned & replatformed, yet conversions drop (from 3% to 2%) @ re-launch, where would you start your "what did we miss" process? After cracking open an Anchor Steam, of course.
gruen: gtg-- thanks whit!
DP: Hi Whit! Impressive that you take time to do this, it's great! Do you know anyone who uses a pricing methodology similar to yours in other disciplines such as development?
benmarks: lol touche.
DP: makes sense to me! thanks.
DP: One more. When you tell clients you can't work with them without a budget, how do you negotiate that? Do you convert clients who initially insist on some kind of hourly rate? (oops, you just got interrupted by a condom ad!)
greyongray: what is your favorite corporate-lingo term? (a la businessguysonbusinesstrips)
lezardfleck: LOL
lezardfleck: im really loling a lot here
lynneux: Makes so much sense. Is the same advice my father has always given for negotiating salary :)
DP: That sounds very sane.
dafark8: http://businessguysonbusinesstrips.com/?p=247
dafark8: http://whitneyhess.com/blog/2009/02/20/my-favorite-terms-from-the-dictionary-of-corporate-bullshit-2008-part-1/
benmarks: I’m going to leverage that post at the next optimal instance.
greyongray: lol
dafark8: i’m still trying to get my head around ‘application leakage’ that i got earlier today
lynneux: also good: http://emptybottle.org/bullshit/index.php
greyongray: I work with those people
crashhelmet: http://emptybottle.org/bullshit/index.php
crashhelmet: haha
crashhelmet: lynn you are too fast
uxjam: haha, bingo, that’s genius
DP: I don’t see any other Q’s up yet, so I’ll throw another one out (I’m so selfish). Have you been able to get a large percentage of your paying work done at coworking spaces like New Work CIty or do you need to retreat to a private space for heavy duty work? Are those spaces good for the social but not necessarily heads-down?
benmarks: Congrats on the @NWC fundraising effort btw
Mortvia: Very true, it helps to be fired up by others
DP: (yes, congrats on the kickstarter success)
dafark8: thanks whit
Dan: Thanks Whit!
lwcavallucci: Thanks Whit!
DP: Thanks!
Mortvia: Thanks, Whitney! Bye all!
benmarks: Preciate ya
uxjam: thanks!
lynneux: thanks Whit
My name is Whitney Hess. I'm an independent user experience designer, writer and consultant based in New York City. I make stuff easy and pleasurable to use.
