Last summer when I was watching American Idol or some such thing, I walked into the kitchen during a commercial break but was quickly drawn back when this caught my ear:
“The fun part is taking complex technology and making it easy to use for customers.”
– Jason Johnson, UI designer for the Ford Focus SYNC navigation system
To my knowledge, this is the first mention of a user interface/user experience designer in the mainstream. I nearly gasped — we’ve made it!
But since then it’s been crickets. If we want to be recognized, we need a lot more great face time like this.
Be able to explain what you do simply and succinctly. And when given the opportunity to share it with the world, jump at the chance. We need to stop talking to one another and start spreading the good word with the folks who really matter — our customers.
Brag about the great projects you’re working on. Show people the value of having you on the team. Explain why you matter, and why people should care. Just stop being shy and start acting like you really believe in what you do. If you don’t, move over and make room for someone who does.
[Check out discussion on the IxDA mailing list about this commercial back in May.]
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About Whitney Hess
Whitney Hess is a coach and writer helping product teams and senior leaders make better decisions through the principles of user experience. She believes empathy builds empires.