In this preview of a potential 2012 SXSW Interactive panel, Centralis' Kathi Kaiser argues that the field of User Experience needs to adopt a professional model of practice to gain further acceptance and realize future success.

1. Kathi Kaiser
@kathikaiser
@Centralis_UX

2. Hi, I’m Kathi Kaiser. That’s me -->
I’m a User Experience professional.

3. Ten years ago, no one knew what
UX meant.
Oh, I get it, you do
market research.
I’m a User Um, a what?
Experience
professional.
So you’re a
graphic artist?
Can you code this
for me?

4. Today, there are thousands of us!
We make things easier and more compelling to use 
Hooray!

5. However, people still don’t always
understand what we do.
Great! I need some
I’m a User focus groups.
Experience
professional.
Fantastic – we
need you to do
our new branding.
Can you code this
for me?

6. Why?
For one thing, we have different skills
and use them in a variety of ways.

7. We also apply different models
when we do UX work.
We position ourselves as architects…

8. …and artists…

9. …and even doctors.
Yes, our tests show
you’re suffering from a
confusing navigation
system and lack of
content strategy.

10. Each of these models has implications
for how we do user experience work:
Architects define a structure and collaborate
with contractors to bring it to life.
Artists harness their creativity to
innovate and inspire.
Doctors gather data, analyze,
diagnose and treat based on
extensive training.

11. There are other models, too:
Attorneys advocate for their clients’ interests;
we advocate for the user.
Therapists help people understand where
they’ve been and how to move forward;
user experience is about innovation and
progress (often in spite of legacy systems).
Religious leaders guide their believers;
we talk about people who “get” UX
versus those who don’t.
And many more…

12. A clear model for UX would:
• Help others understand what we do
• Enable us to establish standards of practice
• Provide guidance for UX education and training
• Foster more effective collaboration
• Increase the overall prominence and impact of the user
experience field
I’m a User
Experience
professional.
Perfect!
Glad you’re here.

13. To evaluate models, we should ask:
• What are the core tenets of UX that unite us despite our diversity?
• How do those beliefs influence the way we structure our work and
present ourselves to the world?
• What characteristics does UX share with other fields, and where
do we depart from those models?
• What are the implications for a given model on our self-definition,
standards and training?
• What model makes the most sense for UX, given those
implications?

14. If these questions interest you,
please vote for this idea in the 2012
SXSW Interactive Panel Picker:
Architects, Doctors, Artists? A Model for UX

15. Thanks!
Kathi Kaiser
@kathikaiser
@Centralis_UX