2Īfter users are interviewed in the research process, the product/application is mapped, and the digital product is created in a tangible design, the final step is to put the work to the test. Carr advised, “Have a clearly defined goal for every mapping document you produce.” He recommended Communicating Design by Dan Brown and Visual Vocabulary by Jesse James Garrett as two great resources to learn how to map out your product or application successfully. This even includes the steps a user might make that were not intended by the solution. A designer is responsible for this mapping to show all product screens and steps for an in-depth illustration of each interaction within the flow. Carr shared his flowchart that outlined all the interactions a user could take within an application. With research completed, a designer is ready to tackle application mapping. Embrace moments of silence-silence is essential to help you listen and delve deep to uncover the user’s experience.Ĭarr concluded this segment with a recommended read, titled Just Enough Research by Erika Hall, quoted, “Conducting a good interview is actually about shutting up.” 1.Never correct or make the user feel incompetent.Listen intently and remember the interview is about the user, not you.He offered tips on how to become comfortable interviewing users if a designer works with a UX researcher. “ Product designers,” Carr adds, “help define what an application does, how it works, how it looks, and how it feels.”Ĭarr emphasized the most effective method for understanding your users is through the research and discovery process. Understand the technology, how the product is created and how it is maintained for longevity.Design the product to define how form and function work together.Understand how and why users make contextual decisions within an experience.Define the product and outline the capabilities of what the function should be.Understand the problem by way of research in order to learn what the user needs and why.He mentioned the five main components for successful UX design includes having the ability to: Your work will be your door into this emerging industry.”Ĭarr elaborated on how traditional designers can transition to the field of UX if they are willing to expand beyond designing works of art to understanding how humans respond. The best way to begin is to learn new skills and start working. “As a graphic designer,” he stated, “you have a foundation of skills that set you up to be great product designers. In true UX fashion, Carr simplified the definition of UX in one clear sentence, “Graphic design is static user design is dynamic.” He explained the key to user experience design is defining the problem and only after the problem is clearly understood, a designer can begin to create the solution. The Transition from Graphic Design to UX Design One of the first digital products he made there was the Intuit Sphere, an application built using Flash. Carr’s portfolio of design, custom CMS work, and inherent drive to experiment with code landed his job at MAARK, a digital innovation agency. In order to organize the vast amounts of data in his personal work, he devised a content management system (CMS), where tags and keywords could find documents to enhance his efficiency in keeping track of all the content. Carr taught himself how to code using HTML and CSS and became well versed in the development of websites and applications. During the introduction of his talk, we learned he attended the Rhode Island School of Design to study graphic design, but curiosity drove his passion to build websites for friends and colleagues outside of classes. As the internet was coming of age, Alex Carr was growing into his profession. Audience of Graphics to UXĬarr brought us back to the late 2000s. These independent contractors, in-house designers, agency dwellers, and business owners, gathered to first learn Carr’s perspective on how UX helps define digital products, how the creative process is used, and how we can become practicing UX designers ourselves. The dominant audience ranged from new folks in the creative industry to seasoned Creatives, curious about the transition from design to UX. Prior to an audience-driven Fireside Chat with both speakers, we listened to Carr’s solo lecture. Both Creatives shared strategies on how they turned their BFA design backgrounds into a unique User Experience design career. On December 10th, 2018, the AIGA community joined Alex Carr, Creative Director at MAARK, and IBM’s User Experience Director, Gorham Palmer at IBM Cambridge.
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