Recently I’ve come across a few people who have expressed concerns around what to call themselves and if what they do is right. They’ve looked to thought leaders and the general UX community for guidance but instead they’ve become insecure and scared.
Just now I stumbled over this brilliant and, as Ian Fenn said, “brave post” by Boon Chew called UX amateurism and why I’m not a UX designer anymore. Towards the end of his post there’s one particular paragraph that made my heart sink, not the least as I’ve heard so many others say the same thing:
User experience used to excite me. Now I’m afraid of using the word. I’m afraid that I’d be using it incorrectly, or define things the wrong way, or share from my limited experiences without the foreknowledge of my practice. I’m also worried that I’m not doing things the right way.
The UX community can be a scary place
The UX community can be a really scary place when you first enter it and even later on. Last year I did my first public speaking and though I met many friendly people I also met some who I felt, rightly or wrongly, looked down on me somewhat because I hadn’t spoken publicly before. At first it made me want to throw in the towel. Who did I think I was? Did I actually have anything to say? Then I decided that yes, since my proposal had been accepted at least someone thought I did.
I felt the same way when I first began to blog about IA and UX in November 2012, and when I started the day to day posts at the beginning of this year. Though I’m a fairly confident person and know that I’m good at what I do, exposing yourself to others with your own views and opinions is very different from presenting your work to clients. There you are the expert and the person people look to for guidance. In the UX field there are so many others and a lot of big names.
The debate of right or wrong and what we should call ourselves
There has been a lot of discussions in the UX community around what we should call ourselves and around new buzzwords like responsive design and mobile first etc. These buzzwords, including UX, get the debate going and whilst to some extent I think it’s healthy there is a real risk associated with it. Personally, as long as people and clients understand what I do and what value the kind of work I do brings to a company, the clients and the users I don’t care one bit what my title is or the phrase used to describe it. But quite a few people do care and that’s fine. What’s not fine is when particular thought leaders who new people in the UX field look up to and seek guidance from scare people off by preaching what’s right and wrong and why you shouldn’t call yourself this or that. It makes people unsure of if they are called the right thing, how people will react to their job title, if they’ll be judged if they start to share their views in e.g. a blog, and generally it makes them more concerned with what others might think than following what excites them. That makes me both sad and angry but most of all ashamed of the UX community.
Tomato, tomahto & finding your way
The thing is that there are no right ways and very few wrong ways. Sure, there are ways that have proven better than others, but it doesn’t mean they are the only ways to do it. As long as you do the best work you can, look to actively develop and learn as well as do UX out of a passion rather than a quest for fame or money, then go for it. Choose a title that you feel best describes what you do and don’t be scared of making mistakes. We’ve all been there and even the big names where once new to the game. You find your way by trying and doing and anyone who judges that without offering guidance along the way are not worth paying attention to. Instead find people who’s approach and thoughts you share and learn from them. Ignore the ones who tell you you’re doing it wrong or point out for the sake of pointing fingers that you are not an X but an Y. These people are the few and there are so many others out there who are brilliant, welcoming and supportive. After all what we in the UX community are about is great experiences and journeys that help people achieve what they want to accomplish.
Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/stickkim/7491816206
