Ian is a User Experience Designer for a leading digital distributor of insurance and household financial services. For the past 12 years, Ian has specialised in digital and user experience for a number for brands in retail, education, and entertainment.

Q. What prompted you to make the move from working as a web designer to a UX designer in 2013?

How did I take the plunge into the world of UX? Well, there were two parts to the transition…

Firstly, during my days as a web designer, I was at the centre of a busy ecommerce outfit, churning out digital content for a suite of retail websites. At the time, the design process was ‘marketing heavy’, which meant there was little focus on making the online journeys user-centred. In addition, any website optimisation, such as a new checkout flow, was pushed straight into production without a single wireframe, let alone any research — crazy, I know! This made me realise that the company needed to implement a user experience strategy.

Secondly, both situation and curiosity led me to explore the realms of user experience. After reading some of the great works by Don Norman and Steve Krug, I grew fascinated by the psychology of design. The notion of designing for usability and customer satisfaction inspired me to take a new direction.

Fortunately, after a company restructure and some persuasion from my behalf, I progressed to a UX Designer role within a new business outfit that would discover and test ways to innovate digital products.

Q. What really pisses you off about UX?

There are three things that really get my panties in a twist…

Firstly, a lot of people who work in digital think that user experience is predominantly visual. When in fact, the design is just the tip of the iceberg. What you don’t often see is all the research, analysis, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration that take place beneath the surface. These all constitute an essential user-centred process that fine-tunes the user interface you see poking at the top.

Secondly, research is sometimes bypassed or cut short because of fears that it will hold up the project. I’ve often had stakeholders and other disciplines shy away from running usability or sending out studies. Running research doesn’t have to be time-consuming; it can be rapid, and as long as it’s continuous and transparent, then the right decisions can be made early and throughout the development lifecycle.

Finally, a lot of teams and individuals still perceive UX as someone else’s job; a designer, or “the guy who likes to get his/her crayons out”. UX shouldn’t be treated as a phase or as an afterthought.

I believe that any discipline — developers, business analysts, or even someone who works in the legal department, can add value to the user experience. No matter what it is we do in our roles, we should constantly use UX as a way of thinking. Every line of code and every single word can have an impact on the overall experience.

‘Nuff said, rant over.

Q. Can you give me a fairly recent example of some UX which you really admired when you first saw it?

About ten years ago I would have been drawn into eye-candy websites with dazzling animations and parallax scrolling. However, these days I’m more intrigued by unique experiences as opposed to something that looks good.

I really like the way how voice UI is helping people connect with technology and communities. Even the elderly are adopting products like Amazon’s Alexa to keep in touch with others and to take more control of their lives. We’re also experiencing an influx of industries, like fintech, transcend more into the invisible interface. For example, you can now ask Alexa to check your bank balance, as opposed to the hassle of using your mobile app.

I also admire the interesting technology that Nintendo innovate. Where Microsoft and Sony have invested a lot in processing power, Nintendo has explored ways to offer different experiences. Take the Nintendo Labo, for example, the ‘build-and-play’ concept enables players to create their own gaming experience by combining cardboard templates with controllers. Then there’s Nintendo’s new Ring Fit Adventure, which comes with a novel ring-like device that players use for performing physical activities. Again, it’s not always about the visuals but the experience.

Q. How do you think UX might develop or evolve over the course of this year? Are things going in the right direction?

I predicted at the beginning of 2020 there will be an increase in adoption for voice UI, VR and AR. For sure, these technologies have been much talked about for many years, but now they’re becoming cheaper to build and easier to access. This leads me to believe that UX will be practised by even more industries, other than retail and gaming. For example, VR is already being used for sensitive medical training, and it’s essential to ensure that the usability is spot on to make simulations feel as seamless as possible.

In a world of connected devices, I think there’ll be a growing need for Continuous Design. This is all about data synchronisation and ensuring that people can seamlessly flow from one medium to another without any interruptions. For example, you might use voice UI to call for an Uber, and after your trip, you can add a tip for your driver and pay them a pre-set compliment on your phone.

Then, there are UX metrics, which will enable UX practitioners to find a simple way to show stakeholders that their products are improving through user research efforts. This is already available at UserZoom, a remote user research service, as a quality of experience scorecard program called a qxScore. UX researchers can create a single benchmarking score for their products. How does this work? The qxScore combines measurements in behavioural data (such as task success) and attitudinal data (such as ease of use, trust and appearance) from user studies to generate a UX metric.

UX is evolving for sure, but for who, that’s the question. Companies who invest in UX tactics will meet customer expectations and therefore enjoy further success. For those who choose to build just for features rather than people, will eventually be ‘out thought’ and outplayed by their competitors.

Q. Lastly, have you noticed anything adapting quickly/changing in digital due to the global coronavirus outbreak?

I’ve noticed how people are adapting to new lifestyles by adopting digital mediums, including live streaming and remote video conferencing tools. For example, my wife and son have been engaging with toddler groups and phonics lessons on Zoom, and taking daily exercise classes with Joe Wick.

We’ve seen how organisers have taken a massive hit from cancelling or postponing conferences and exhibitions. However, some groups have experimented with novel technologies like VR to prevent risk to public health, yet allow their shows to go on. I’ve even seen museums adopt VR to provide people in isolation with remote access. This could become a new trend for the arts and recreation industry where anyone can experience a tour or a show from their own homes.

And throughout this pandemic, I‘ve noticed that communities have come closer together. We’re now making use of neighbourhood hubs, such as Nextdoor, to keep each other informed about what’s going on our local community — whether it’s helping people to get some shopping or sharing helpful information. It’s a fantastic digital medium that’s bringing people together to cultivate a kinder world.

=====