Comments for You the User http://youtheuser.com little ideas keep growing Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:18:39 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on As little design as possible but as much help as you can get by Nick http://youtheuser.com/2010/01/28/as-little-design-as-possible-but-as-much-help-as-you-can-get/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Nick Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:18:39 +0000 http://youtheuser.com/?p=313#comment-106 Hiya, the title of this post is similar to this weeks post at www.userexperience.co.nz I've photographed a couple of 'innovative' car door handles which have managed to dodge the process which all those quoted above recommend. One is simplified to breaking point, the other complicated to frustration point. http://www.userexperience.co.nz/2010/01/when-less-is-not-more-and-more-is-too-much/ Nick Hiya, the title of this post is similar to this weeks post at http://www.userexperience.co.nz
I’ve photographed a couple of ‘innovative’ car door handles which have managed to dodge the process which all those quoted above recommend.
One is simplified to breaking point, the other complicated to frustration point.

http://www.userexperience.co.nz/2010/01/when-less-is-not-more-and-more-is-too-much/

Nick

]]> Comment on Like buying a puff of air by Ian Fenn http://youtheuser.com/2010/01/11/like-buying-a-puff-of-air/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Ian Fenn Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:59:36 +0000 http://youtheuser.com/?p=306#comment-84 And that'll be why I continue, I'm afraid, to buy physical music where possible... Even when it comes to vintage tracks, I'm trawling second-hand music stores and charity shops... And that’ll be why I continue, I’m afraid, to buy physical music where possible… Even when it comes to vintage tracks, I’m trawling second-hand music stores and charity shops…

]]> Comment on CV format – is it broken? Does it need fixing by CV format – is it broken? Does it need fixing (UPDATE) http://youtheuser.com/2009/12/23/cv-format-is-it-broken-does-it-need-fixing/comment-page-1/#comment-80 CV format – is it broken? Does it need fixing (UPDATE) Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:52:23 +0000 http://youtheuser.com/?p=177#comment-80 [...] update to previous article about CVs is that I have updated the CV Grid [...] [...] update to previous article about CVs is that I have updated the CV Grid [...]

]]> Comment on To portfolio or not to portfolio, that is the question by Jason Mesut http://youtheuser.com/2009/12/30/to-portfolio-or-not-to-portfolio-that-is-the-question/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Jason Mesut Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:21:15 +0000 http://youtheuser.com/?p=243#comment-77 Love the sentiment of this article - portfolios should definitely show more than just finished work. It's a portfolio of process as much as polish - if not more process than polish. I do, however, challenge the notion that a portfolio should be self-explanatory. It can take a really long time to do this, and it's easier to just pull out relevant examples as part of a conversation. It would take me about a week of clear time to do this for my portfolio, and to be honest I'm always going to be too busy for that. Is that arrogance? Maybe, but for me, it's just pragmatic. The issue of NDAs is a tricky one. If you have ever done any decent paid work for a decent 'known' organisation it is likely to be under some sort of NDA. I don't want to urge people to break the law, but for decades designers have shown work that is technically confidential and shouldn't be shared. But, an interview is a place of confidentiality anyway. You will probably say things that you wouldn't want spread around the industry (to your current boss, your colleagues, your ex-boss). And the interviewers are not likely to rip off your ideas or your wireframes. Seriously, they are really not likely to. The chances of them remembering what they saw when a relevant project comes up are very low. So, I get incredibly frustrated when interviewees pull the NDA card as an excuse for not showing some of their 'interesting' work. If you really can't bring yourself to share the work that you have done to get the job that you want by proving what you can do, you are really missing out as an interviewer really can't make such a leap of faith in your abilities just on your say so. But there is an alternative... You could always de-brand the work, recreating it in a way that the original client is not identifiable. Or, as the article points out, show some non-work work. Side projects, thought leadership, failed projects, pitch work etc. I hope that every User Experience person in our industry that is planning on taking themselves to an interview can take note of this article and be respectful of both the interviewer's time and their need to see how you work so they can have faith that you can help them deliver work for their clients. Love the sentiment of this article – portfolios should definitely show more than just finished work. It’s a portfolio of process as much as polish – if not more process than polish.

I do, however, challenge the notion that a portfolio should be self-explanatory. It can take a really long time to do this, and it’s easier to just pull out relevant examples as part of a conversation. It would take me about a week of clear time to do this for my portfolio, and to be honest I’m always going to be too busy for that. Is that arrogance? Maybe, but for me, it’s just pragmatic.

The issue of NDAs is a tricky one. If you have ever done any decent paid work for a decent ‘known’ organisation it is likely to be under some sort of NDA. I don’t want to urge people to break the law, but for decades designers have shown work that is technically confidential and shouldn’t be shared. But, an interview is a place of confidentiality anyway. You will probably say things that you wouldn’t want spread around the industry (to your current boss, your colleagues, your ex-boss). And the interviewers are not likely to rip off your ideas or your wireframes. Seriously, they are really not likely to. The chances of them remembering what they saw when a relevant project comes up are very low.

So, I get incredibly frustrated when interviewees pull the NDA card as an excuse for not showing some of their ‘interesting’ work. If you really can’t bring yourself to share the work that you have done to get the job that you want by proving what you can do, you are really missing out as an interviewer really can’t make such a leap of faith in your abilities just on your say so.

But there is an alternative… You could always de-brand the work, recreating it in a way that the original client is not identifiable. Or, as the article points out, show some non-work work. Side projects, thought leadership, failed projects, pitch work etc.

I hope that every User Experience person in our industry that is planning on taking themselves to an interview can take note of this article and be respectful of both the interviewer’s time and their need to see how you work so they can have faith that you can help them deliver work for their clients.

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