What should I talk about? (Puget Sound SIG-CHI)

I’m speaking this month at the Puget Sound SIG-CHI meeting (1/26, 6:30pm, location TBD) , a cool group of designers, researchers and UX-minded folks.

Since it’d be daft to pick a topic without some form of user-research, I’m asking you, here and now, what you’d most like to have me talk about. Here are some suggestions:

  • The top 10 mistakes UX people make
  • Why designers fail
  • How to be persuasive
  • What I wish I’d learned in college (about UX)
  • Why the world is hard to use (and always will be)
  • What I learned designing WordPress.com

If anything in the list resonates, leave a comment. Or offer a suggestion please.  Thanks.

 

30 Responses to “What should I talk about? (Puget Sound SIG-CHI)”

  1. kimberley d

    I’d still vote for negotiations w/freelance & consulting clients… but, another topic of interest to me at the moment is responsive web design a la http://mediaqueri.es – currently working on a WordPress site using a responsive theme and it’s rad.

    Reply
  2. Dave S

    Consistency over time. Practical solutions that trump a change in management, change in the latest/improved tool/language that I must add to my resume, bad judgment, insufficient budget, not enough time, etc.? Not a miracle, but practical solutions that can be implemented.

    Reply
  3. Jeroen

    Top 10 mistakes UX peeps make!

    Reply
  4. Stephen Lead

    All of the above sound great. If the talk is filmed, please post it online :)

    Reply
  5. Susan

    Of the list you give, I would choose one of these:

    The top 10 mistakes UX people make
    Why designers fail
    What I learned designing WordPress.com

    And if at all possible, please do post the video!

    Reply
  6. Jack Dempsey

    What it actually means to be Product Manager. (hint–it’s much harder than most everyone seems to think)

    Reply
  7. Roxane Neal

    I vote for either “Why the world is hard to use (and always will be)” or “The top 10 mistakes UX people make.”

    Reply
  8. Larry Swanson

    I’d love to hear you talk about how UX can promote/assist behavior change. There must be some great stories out there from the professional-development, personal-growth, and self-help worlds about good UX helping to instill new habits, etc. For example, has Mint actually helped people change their financial behavior, and if so how did UX help?

    Reply
  9. Mark Hoffman

    “How to be persuasive” as a general topic-focusing on what UX practitioners need to do mainly to gently (and stealthily) hand-hold management and have them understand the importance of User Experience and make it an integral part of their business process, not a “make it pretty” add-on.
    Ideas for:
    •using presentation materials, slides
    •prototyping-when to show,how high fidelity?
    •video from usability studies
    •formulating a presentation plan and “selling” your ideas
    •speaking “truth to power”-consultant/employee?
    •speaking with conviction and passion
    •understanding internal “politics”
    •not alienating stakeholders
    •understanding constraints
    •knowing what can be done with resources available
    •working with developers-making them your allies
    •phased approaches incorporating UX findings/changes

    Reply
  10. Wendy

    The top 10 mistakes UX people make

    Reply
  11. Lesley

    Top 10 or how to be persuasive.

    Reply
  12. Steve Van Atta

    My vote: The top 10 mistakes UX people make

    Reply
  13. Michael L

    “How to be persuasive (effective)” as elaborated by Mark H earlier.

    Reply
  14. jwilliams

    My vote: Why designers fail

    Reply
  15. Judy

    The top 10 mistakes UX people make
    OR
    What I wish I’d learned in college (about UX)
    OR
    Why the world is hard to use (and always will be)
    OR
    What I learned designing WordPress.com

    OR
    elements from all of the above

    Reply
  16. Steve Dossett

    I vote for what you learned designing WordPress.com. Interested in the people side of things (persuasion, negotiation, sorting through lots of ideas from lots of cooks in the kitchen, etc).

    Reply
  17. Celine Aston-Smith

    Really looking forward to your talk. My vote goes to “Why the world is hard to use and why it always will be.” Aren’t we as UX professionals making some things easier and better?

    Reply
  18. Jennifer Louie

    Either ‘The top 10 mistakes UX people make’ or ‘Why the world is hard to use (and always will be)’ sound good. Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Stephan

    My Vote: “What I wish I’d learned in college (about UX)”

    Reply
  20. Michal Kopec

    What should we do to enable more designers to create businesses with meaningful social impact? That is one of the questions we’re asking ourselves at TheDesignerFund.com and it would be great to get your perspective on this. Cheers, Michal

    Reply
  21. Nadia

    The top 10 mistakes UX people make
    Why designers fail
    What I wish I’d learned in college (about UX)

    Any of the above!

    Reply
  22. Shane

    I’d be most interested in:
    The top 10 mistakes UX people make
    How to be persuasive
    What I learned designing WordPress.com

    Reply

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