Comments on: User Interface Clerks http://www.redrooffs.com/2006/12/03/user-interface-clerks/ Interaction design, wine, Cocoa, Vancouver, and other observations Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:11:34 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: James http://www.redrooffs.com/2006/12/03/user-interface-clerks/comment-page-1/#comment-83 James Sun, 07 Jan 2007 02:42:21 +0000 http://www.redrooffs.com/2006/12/03/user-interface-clerks/#comment-83 I agree with what you're saying, but I think there's a cause and effect issue at play. Not so much in an agency setting or where there are multidisciplinary teams with well-defined roles like PM, visual designer, interface developer, programmer, etc. However, I think the structure some people are forced to work within, doesn't often allow specialization. So, the business analyst who just happens to have watched user testing at some point, and is asked out of the blue to conduct one, muddles through and produces poor results. However, in the interest of padding their resume, they add it as a skill. It's like coming into a new work situation (as I've done twice in the last couple years) and finding out, not only are things really not how they're presented to you, but the fight you have on your hands to drive understanding of the web development process is almost certain to be a losing one. So you get asked or expected to do all things web, while knowing you need more resources or budget, but having to live without it. I'm not sure about people passing themselves off as interaction designers with no real HCI education/experience, but I know all too well what the term 'web consultant' has come to mean in my career. A bit of usability analyst, a bit of PM, a bit of visual designer, a bit of UI developer and often not doing the things you're most skilled at nearly enough. Meanwhile doing lots of things you'd rather bring a skilled contractor in for, but which you can't consider. I agree with what you’re saying, but I think there’s a cause and effect issue at play. Not so much in an agency setting or where there are multidisciplinary teams with well-defined roles like PM, visual designer, interface developer, programmer, etc. However, I think the structure some people are forced to work within, doesn’t often allow specialization.

So, the business analyst who just happens to have watched user testing at some point, and is asked out of the blue to conduct one, muddles through and produces poor results. However, in the interest of padding their resume, they add it as a skill.

It’s like coming into a new work situation (as I’ve done twice in the last couple years) and finding out, not only are things really not how they’re presented to you, but the fight you have on your hands to drive understanding of the web development process is almost certain to be a losing one. So you get asked or expected to do all things web, while knowing you need more resources or budget, but having to live without it.

I’m not sure about people passing themselves off as interaction designers with no real HCI education/experience, but I know all too well what the term ‘web consultant’ has come to mean in my career. A bit of usability analyst, a bit of PM, a bit of visual designer, a bit of UI developer and often not doing the things you’re most skilled at nearly enough. Meanwhile doing lots of things you’d rather bring a skilled contractor in for, but which you can’t consider.

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