Career Growth | Whitney Hess

If Not Now

July 10, 2014 by Whitney Hess 1 Comment

In my July contribution to The Pastry Box Project, If Not Now, published on the eve of my 32nd birthday, I share my lifelong struggle with seeking approval — and that perfect intersection of readiness and permission where everything seems to click. When I turned 30, I suddenly had this realization that I was officially [Keep Reading…]

The UX Career Path: From Wireframes to Coaching

January 17, 2014 by Whitney Hess 12 Comments

I have attended the IA Summit every year since 2008. This year’s event takes place in my new home of San Diego, so naturally I’ll be there. It’s hard to believe it will be my 7th consecutive year when I still feel like a newbie. I love this community, I love this conference, and I [Keep Reading…]

Where in the World is Whitney? San Diego

January 15, 2014 by Whitney Hess 7 Comments

After a year of balancing on a rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, we packed up the Jeep, wrapped up the boat, and left Key West for the West Coast. Two weeks and 3600 miles later (we took a few pleasure detours), we arrived at another water’s edge: the rocky coast of the [Keep Reading…]

5 Years of Independence

August 22, 2013 by Whitney Hess 9 Comments

Happy anniversary to me! Today marks five years since I left my full-time job to go indie — and what a hell of a ride it’s been. I want to thank all my clients who have valued what I could contribute to their organizations and the countless friends, colleagues and strangers who pointed them my [Keep Reading…]

The Evolution of User Experience

July 29, 2013 by Whitney Hess 31 Comments

When I started my career in user experience, my purpose was to make digital products easier and more pleasurable to use. Interfaces were poorly organized, poorly labeled, and took forever to learn—and I wanted to fix them all. I applied my knowledge of best practices and emerging trends. I used design patterns and standard elements [Keep Reading…]

My Natural Next Step: Becoming a Coach

May 1, 2013 by Whitney Hess 8 Comments

My life’s mission is to put humanity back into business. As a user experience consultant, guiding technology companies on how to make their products easier and more pleasurable to use, I get to work towards this every day. But I’ve come to realize that user experience is not enough. Designing the product is all for [Keep Reading…]

I’m Going Home

April 7, 2013 by Whitney Hess 9 Comments

Home. The last year of my life has been an exploration of that word. I came to a point where I finally had to admit that I no longer felt at home, in my home, in my city. And in a search for a new home, I had to admit that I no longer felt [Keep Reading…]