John Vaughanis still the "new kid on the block" in the traditional IT development world.
In its infancy the new media concerned itself primarily with technical issues (We struggled to create the technology, make it work and accept the novelty). In recent years we've finally started to focus on the quality of the experience. In that sense, the Web really embodies the emergence of "usability": It is highly graphical, widely accessible, relatively easy to produce and use.
Usability is the competitive edge now. Our UxP Challenges are:
Establish an Identity : Who We Are
The User Experience Practice must become a unified and recognized entity, both within and beyond the enterprise.
The very nature of UxP is that most UxP professionals tend to be eclectic generalists, with substantial "grey area" overlap in skillsets (information architecture, cognitive and behavioral sciences, creative presentation and software user interface engineering).
Clarify the scope and boundaries of the User Experience Practice.
Develop the Infrastructure : What We Do
Good design is effective only when it is implemented. Organization, documentation and process discipline are essential if we are to maintain "best practices" across the enterprise.
- Maintain Standards (templates, information repositories, behaviors)
- Define our Methodology
- Provide Guidance
Establish a structure and culture for knowledge transfer.
Define Our Process : How We Work
UxP acts as a liaison and design ambassador among the "cultures" in the organization (Technical, Business, Marketing). UxP often operates across multiple projects throughout the enterprise (portal integration). A thorough understanding of client strategy and Internet technology allows us to design a cohesive user experience.
- Integrate
- Communicate
- Advocate
Champion the customer perspective.
