When UX is not visual

designMags Hanley, GA UXDi instructor, Information Architect and UX Consultant

UX roles that are not visually design-focused

UX consultant/ strategist

Content strategist

Information architect

User researcher

Service designer

Product manager

UX Consultant/strategist

What aspect of UX that they focus on? Using user research and design techniques to

understand the problems of the business and the

users, and design a solution.

Techniques include:

• Affinity diagramming

• Contextual enquiry

• Design studios

• User interviews

• Report writing and presentations

Where are these roles? Consultancies, UX Agencies

How do you connect to them? Network to others in the desired companies

Is it right for you? It's right if you like problem solving and working

with people

Content strategist

What aspect of UX that they focus on? Focusing on the content that needs to be created and

deseminated for an organisation's users

Techniques include:

• Audience identification and persona development

• Mapping workflows for the creation of content

• Content strategy – what content and why?

• User interviews

• CMS analysis

• Developing briefs for content

Where are these roles? Publishers like Pearson, Media companies, companies

who publish lots of information such as eBay and Telstra

How do you connect to them? Go to meetups like Content Strategy

Is it right for you? It's right if your focus is content, writing, style guides

and ensuring the correct content is created for users.

Information architect

What aspect of UX that they focus on? Focusing on how people find information and creating

navigation, labelling and structures

Techniques include:

• User research into information seeking

• Search log analysis

• Content analysis

• Card sorting

• Development of taxonomies

• Designing search engines

Where are these roles? Retailers for their product catalogues and search

engines, publishers, intranets

How do you connect to them? Join IA Institute, go to Content strategy meetups

Is it right for you? It's right if your focus is the way people find information,

like labelling and language, and think in an organised

way.

User researcher

What aspect of UX that they focus on? Focusing on how people use technology; their underlying

needs and wants that can be supported by technology

Techniques include:

• User research

• Contextual enquiry

• Discount usability methods

• User interviews

• Usability testing

• Report writing

Where are these roles? Organisations with mature UX groups, government, UX

agencies

How do you connect to them? Join UXPA and CHI. Talk to people in UX agencies

Is it right for you? It's right if your focus is on why and how people use

technology; if you like psychology.

Service Designer

What aspect of UX that they focus on? Focusing on how user or customer experience can design

a service across multiple channels such as instore, call

centres and online.

Techniques include:

• Affinity diagramming

• Contextual enquiry

• Design studios

• User interviews

• Customer journey mapping

• Service strategy

• Report writing and presentations

Where are these roles? Consultancies such as Accenture (Fjord), smaller

agencies such as Meld and Tobias & Tobias. Client-side

such as banks, telcos, retailers and higher education

How do you connect to them? Talk to people in Agencies and large organisations

Is it right for you? It's right if your focus is on the big picture; designing the

whole experience

Product manager

What aspect of UX that they focus on? Focusing on the product and how it meets both the

business' and users' needs.

Techniques include:

• Affinity diagramming to identify the business needs

• Contextual enquiry

• User interviews

• Customer journey mapping

• Product roadmaps

• Product specifications

• Report writing and presentations

Where are these roles? Client-side such as banks, telcos, retailers and higher

education.

Startups such as Atlassian and Envato

How do you connect to them? Talk to people in large organisations, go to Prosuct

Anonymous meetups

Is it right for you? It's right if your focus is on the product and its features.

Thank youMags Hanley

Twitter: magshanley