midwest ux 2014 - pay it forward: how to mentor your ux co-workers without them realizing it
TRANSCRIPT
Strengths, to a UX recruiter
ethnographic research
visual design
information architecture
interaction design prototyping
the latest, hottest LinkedIn keyword
usability testing
Agile
HTML/CSS/JS
Strengths, in core UX skills
active listening
kicking it into overdrive and getting s*** done
holistic view
empathyfacilitation
collaboration
strategy
asking the right questions
What have people complimented you about at work?
What have people said when critiquing you at work?
Grab the positives, and spin the negatives into positives!
“how hard it is to do good research”
What can non-UX folks learn from us?
“how to get feedback from sample groups about our user interfaces”
“types of user testing” and what “tools and methods we like to use”
“UX means actually talking to users”
Is there anyone at your workplace who you think you could teach something to?
Write down 3 names.
Commit to mentoring one of them through the end of the year.
Why would you want to not appear to mentor co-workers?
They’re “too busy”.
They “don’t need to know anything about UX”.
Why would you want to not appear to mentor co-workers?
They’re “too busy”.
They “don’t need to know anything about UX”.
Company culture doesn’t have a mentoring setup in place.
Why would you want to not appear to mentor co-workers?
They’re “too busy”.
They “don’t need to know anything about UX”.
Company culture doesn’t have a mentoring setup in place.
Can be easier if a teacher-student hierarchy isn’t in place.
Life is a design project, yo. That includes your career.
Use your skills (the same ones that pay da bills).
Got more hints?
Avoid being direc-ve.(I know, that was direc-ve.)
View non-‐crea-ve things through a crea-ve lens.
Got more hints?
Avoid being direc-ve.(I know, that was direc-ve.)
Always be looking to learn more, and change your approach.
View non-‐crea-ve things through a crea-ve lens.
To sum up:
Everyone can mentor on something. You just have to determine your natural-‐born strengths and UX superpowers.
To sum up:
Everyone can mentor on something. You just have to determine your natural-‐born strengths and UX superpowers.
There are people to teach and people to learn from all around us.
To sum up:
Everyone can mentor on something. You just have to determine your natural-‐born strengths and UX superpowers.
Use your UX design skills, always be looking to learn more, and be willing to adapt your methods.
There are people to teach and people to learn from all around us.