User Experience with one eye closed

While trolling around the Internet, I stumbled on what promised to be a great white paper. All About UX published a User Experience White Paper that promised to "clarify the concept of user experience". While I have a very clear understanding of what User Experience (UX) means, it's always good to learn other perspectives.

The list of contributors was quite impressive. I've worked with many smart people from the UK and Finland, so for me, that added a lot of credibility. Of course, it was missing something important. What was their expertise or background? Just because you're from a research facility or university, does not make you a UX expert worthy of contributing to a white paper. The introduction clearly broke down the different ways to look at UX (phenomenon, field of study, and practice). The paper does not does delve into the UX as a field of study.

The phenomenon section was a little boring. Now I'm not saying that I disagree with the phenomenon section, it just looked like filler for someone's research paper. I will say that the bulleted list on "What is UX not?" rubbed me the wrong way, mostly because of how it was positioned. While reading half of this list, I thought, well yes.....and no. For example, the paper says "UX is not just cognitive task analysis, or seeing users as a 'human information processor'." While the words are accurate, they are misleading, because cognitive task analysis, and seeing users as a 'human information processor' (not my phrase) definitely contributes to the UX. Again the statement is accurate, it's just written in a black and white format when it's not black and white.

Moving on to the section "UX as a Practice". This was more my speed, real world application. Maybe there was a nugget of genius that I could grab onto and improve knowledge and skills. It started out very promising and then I was stunned. They missed the very core element of UX. Again, let me be clear, the words within this paper are accurate, but the picture painted is massively incomplete. Maybe the title should be "User Experience White Paper from a Designer Perspective". Design is critical to a great UX. You definitely don't want bold colors with balloons and clowns on a site that's about a cancer treatment drug. Great visuals are needed for an effective UX. But it's not enough! The white paper total misses that UX is goal driven. UX is defined by how effectively, efficiently and pleasantly a user can achieve a goal. That goal can be anything; find and understand information, purchase a product, play a game, etc. This is job for an Information Architect.

Key the superman music - Without an Information Architect or someone to define the user's interaction needed to accomplish a goal, you are looking at UX with one eye closed. Behind the creativity provided by the designer, you need someone that takes the 'goal' and meticulously defines how users will accomplish it. The designer makes it look fabulous, but the Information Architect provides the process that ensures users can effectively and efficiently accomplish a goal.

You cannot practice UX without considering the Information Architecture. Because this white paper omits this key element, it does not clarify the concept of UX, it paints a confusing and misleading picture.

What you can expect from this blog

So I've finished my first few blog posts and decided that I need to set expectations for this blog. I think it's a problem to have a blog without defining what it's about and what type of content users can expect. Of course, you could look at the name and guess, but that becomes a problem when the name has multiple meanings. So here's a list of topics that I may write about, this is by no means a complete list:

• User experience
• Information Architecture
• Website usability
• Poker
• Social Media
• Random experiences in my life
• My life as a puppy pusher
• Technology

Reader beware

I have an extremely warped sense of humor and I will often ooze sarcasm. I can't guarantee if my humor will be obvious from your perspective, but I feel it's necessary to give you fair warning. I believe there is nothing healthier than a good sense of humor and I live it everyday.

It's all about me! (Part 6)

This is the final segment on my professional evolution.  If you haven’t already, please read the previous versions. Back to Part 5.

After completing the Palm Beach Tan Operations Manual, I chose a more stable position at Aastra Intecom. I was hired because of a great vision from the documentation manager; she wanted to move their documentation library into modular single sourcing environment. I was considered an expert in this area, but I really hesitate to use the term expert. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints and a change in the company’s direction, this never became a reality. Instead I would spend the next two and half years doing basic technical writing. I did take this opportunity to create a web-based user interface for their global library, which helped me hone my website experience and continue my quest to become an Information Architect. I also did a lot of reading, primarily from the unofficial Information Architect handbook.

Finally in 2006, my daughter graduated high school, oh and I received my Bachelor of Science in Business/E-Business degree. With degree in hand, I feverishly started looking for a position as an Information Architect (IA). I think it’s time to use the abbreviation.  While there were several potential candidates, imc² continued to rise to the top of my list. In May of 2006, I sent my second resume and this time I got a bite. Setting the hook was a little more difficult, because they were only looking for a contract position and I was only looking for a permanent position.

Third time is a charm – Around September 2006, I applied for a permanent position at imc². This time I had a real phone interview, but I had a tough time convincing the hiring manager that I could do the job. So we agreed that I would create some typical IA deliverables and that did the trick. I was granted an interview and hired. That only took three years, not bad when you take a step back. Side note - a few days after accepting the position at imc², I was offered another IA position.

In November 2006, I started working for imc² as an Information Architect…IA for those of us in the industry. I have yet to mention that imc² was a marketing agency, not high tech, not DOD, and not a single technical writer. I was in a completely different world and it was good.

So here I am after four and a half years, I figured they haven’t kicked me out the door so this IA gig is working out. I work in an extremely flexible environment, where we can bring our dogs to work, wear shorts, flip flips, telecommute when needed and we even have unlimited time off. My path to becoming an IA was quite unusual; I often felt inferior, because I’m still learning so much about being an IA and the marketing industry. But I’ve decided that I’m not at all inferior, I just work with such talented people that I don’t rise to the top as quickly as I have in my past positions.

It's all about me! (Part 5)

back to part 4

Unemployment, a time to re-evaluate oneself and a time to do financial damage control. Would it last 2 weeks or 2 years?

I’ve been told that I plan obsessively and I believe my need to plan is genetic.  So I needed to map out a plan for several scenarios even if most of them were not realistic. My need to plan is coupled with my drive not to fail and being prepared for almost anything.  After a little time to except the situation, it was time to get to work and turn this ordeal into a challenge. I was an active member of the Society for Technical Communication and I had a nice stack of their monthly magazines.  The April 2003 feature article would help me make an amazing discovery. “Information Architecture -You Do It, You Just Don’t Know It”, as I read this article, I realized that I actually had done many of the tasks associated with Information Architecture and these tasks were the most intriguing parts of my work. Of course, marketing myself as an Information Architect would still take some time, because I needed to refine my experience and complete my degree. At least now I had a goal. I wanted to be an Information Architect.

With a little help from my friends, actually a relative, I landed a freelance position at Palm Beach Tan. I was able package all of my experience at Nokia and convince them that I could develop an operations manual from scratch, something that I had never come close to doing in the past. This was a great challenge for me, because it required all my skills from user and task analysis to project management. Of course, it didn’t hurt to supplement any shortcomings of experience by bidding the job lower than anyone else could and I still doubled the salary I was making at Nokia. To say this was a great experience that further solidified my expertise as a documentation specialist is an understatement. I hadn’t forgotten about being an Information Architect, but I still needed to work, and the Palm Beach Tan gig was a great opportunity. I actually continued to research Information Architecture and discovered an interesting company call imc², mostly because they actually recognized the Information Architect position in 2003 and they focused on developing websites. It just sounded like a fun place to work, so even though I did not have my degree and loosely fit the job requirements, I decided to massage my resume and send it over. *Crickets*

In part 6, I mark the completion of something that I started 24 years earlier.

It's all about me! (Part 4)

back to part 3

Working as a DOD (Department of Defense) contractor has its ups and downs.
Does that sentence look familiar? Why yes, it’s the same way I started my previous entry. I knew that my current technical writing position was temporary, so I continued searching for a permanent position. I felt very comfortable with my electronics background; so I focused on positions geared toward troubleshooting electronic equipment. I also had expertise with RF (Radio Frequency) transmitters and receivers, so I included those types of positions in my search.  One of the many positions I pursued was an RF Technician at Nokia in Irving, Texas.

One bright sunny Saturday afternoon, my 14 year old son informs me that someone was on the phone from Finland (Keep in mind that at this point, I had no idea that Nokia was based out of Finland). Yes, it was Nokia calling (insert Nokia ring tone) and I was going to interview for an RF Technician. Queue the marathon interview. The Nokia interview would last over three hours consist of five interviewers for three completely different positions. When I arrived, I had no idea that I was interviewing for multiple positions, but a versatile background has its benefits. Eventually, I was offered a technical writing position and I was told that a group leader position was in my future. Welcome to the corporate world and the term politically correct. My time as a manager was very educational and helped me improve my people management skills.

Over the next four and a half years I would hold three positions at Nokia; Technical Writer, Customer Documentation Manager and Documentation Specialist. I would later translate my experience as a Documentation Specialist to be my first experience as an Information Architect.
Over two years of my time at Nokia would be focused on creating documentation systems, templates for organizing content and procedures for implementing a global documentation system. It was during this time that I become very proficient at structuring and organizing content (remember those last four words, you will see them again).

My time at Nokia would end abruptly with my first ever layoff. For the first time since I was 17, I would find myself without a job, a very scary position that too many people have experienced. Nokia was a great company with great benefits and they were paying my tuition while I pursued a bachelor’s degree at the University of Phoenix (online studies). Unfortunately with four or five classes remaining, completing my degree would have to be put on hold. While I truly loved my time at Nokia, the phrase “when one door closes another door opens” could never be more accurate.

I would write more, but this is a logical transition for my story. You may be wondering if I’m ever going to stop talking about myself. So to set your expectations, there will be two more riveting parts to the saga of my professional evolution, so keep your eyes glued to your displays, because in my next segment, I make an amazing discovery about myself.

It's all about me! (Part 3)

Welcome Back!
If you're just joining the conversation, please be sure to read part 1 and part 2.

Working as a DOD (Department of Defense) contractor has its ups and downs. When your expertise is no longer a commodity, the government will toss you out like an old shirt. Luckily, if you pay attention to all the gossip, you will learn about your demise before it comes to pass. It was time to move on by my own initiative or become an old shirt.

We were quite settled in Bedford, Indiana, so I used my background and found a position as a cash register service technician. This position proved that I could work on non-government equipment and introduced me to the world of networks. From a maintenance and troubleshooting perspective this job was not challenging; however, giving great customer service is always a challenge. I learned quickly that perception is much more important than reality. Less than a year on the job and I was still learning about all the different systems. I recall one of my toughest service calls, it had me in the store late one evening and I had to go back at 6:00 am the next morning. I spent hours trying to isolate the problem. I talked numerous times with my manager, it was quite frustrating. Then, I located the problem; I had made numerous errors and actually made the problem worse. I should have been in and out in 30 minutes the night before (I felt like an idiot). Finally, the system was back up and the store manager never knew how bad I failed. In fact, I provided continuous updates and reassured them often. They were so pleased with my service; they called the president of the company and shared their gratitude. I was clueless about the problem, but I understood the importance of making sure the customer was happy. The customer perceived they were in good hands with a senior technician, when in reality they were not.

Gloomy cold weather, family, limited pay and career opportunities brought us back to live in Texas. When I enlisted in the Navy, we lived in East Texas and now after 11 years, we came home.  Of course, it wasn't East Texas, it was the Dallas metroplex. After all, it was 1997 and there were many jobs for the picking. I chose to use my security clearance, technical knowledge, and military experience to land another DOD contractor position. Now, my expertise is about procedures and troubleshooting not the equipment. I was officially a technical writer and my biggest asset, empathy for the end-user.

In part 4 - My 14 year old son takes a message for me from a person in Finland.

It's all about me! (Part 2)

So it's late 1990 or early 1991, I'm stationed on the USS Chancellorsville CG-62 in beautiful San Diego, California (by the way, I'm a plankowner) and we recently returned from a 6 month cruise. In the last year, I was promoted to E-6, yes E-6 in around 4 years. In fact, I was starting to prepare for E-7 (Chief Petty Officer). Had I stayed in the Navy, I would have been promoted to E-7 in less than 8 years. Ask anyone familiar with military advancement, that's fast. During this section, please think of me as EW1 (SW) Ratcliff. I was the senior Electronic Warfare Technician on an almost brand new U.S. warship, which made me responsible for anything to do with my equipment (Remember? The equipment with terrible technical manuals). On this particular day, I'm escorting a "civilian" to inspect my equipment. I really can't remember why she was there, but we spent time talking about my tour ending and that there were opportunities for someone with my expertise outside of the Navy.

Now I was less than a year away from heading back to Pensacola and I already have my orders for instructor duty in hand, but I'm a curious kind of person so I investigated this so-called opportunity. One thing led to another and we were heading to Indiana. Yes, INDIANA! No ships and no beaches and I am no longer EW1 (SW) Ratcliff, I am a civilian for the first time in 6 years. It's a tough transition.

Luckily, I wasn't alone, there were several others with the same expertise either already in Indiana or would arrive over the next 1-2 years. Looking back, you could consider us a cross-between a dream team and a bunch of suckers. Each experienced Electronic Warfare Technician was teamed up with extremely talented engineers, our task would last several years and it would be an extreme challenge. Re-write and re-engineer all troubleshooting procedures for the system we maintained on board ship.
We played a huge role in improving the user experience for our fellow shipmates. It is truly one the most challenging and rewarding tasks I’ve ever completed.

Ok, so this little "about me" section is getting long, but I'm not a fan of extremely long posts, because you were probably bored at 1991. Good usability is about helping users absorb manageable chunks of information.

In part 3, I will transition from electronics technician to technical writer and we will head back to the great state of Texas.

It's all about me! (Part 1)

Really, it is all about me. Well at least it's how I've evolved professionally and landed into my current position as an Information Architect at imc2.

I was born a poor...............................wait, that's a different story.

Let's start back in 1986 when I joined the Navy. Now I didn't join the military to shoot people or get shot at, so I spent a considerable amount of time trying to find a relatively safe field of work. The military was a gateway for me, it was a way to learn a trade and make more than $8 an hour from the top of a oil derrick. Four years working in the oilfield and I escaped with all my fingers, that's how I measure success.
I chose the Navy rate of Electronics Warfare Technician. Yes, this sounds very cool and it was, but I chose this field for two main reasons; advancement was fast (more $$) and I would end up spending more than 2 of the 6 years that I enlisted in schools learning about electronics and how to troubleshoot equipment. It was later that I learned how mission critical and exhilarating it was to be an Electronics Warfare Technician.

During my fast track advancement in the Navy, I became responsible for the operational readiness of a highly sophisticated defensive system. During peace time, a pretty cushy job, but we trained for the worse case scenarios and you never want your equipment to fail and if it does, you better fix it fast or people may die.
Enter my world of technical manuals, these manuals contained maintenance and troubleshooting procedures. We aren't talking about few hundred pages or a few thousand, but tens of thousands of pages consisting of 16+ volumes and many were 11x17 sized pages; we're talking a lot of information. Now I could spend a lot of time explaining my Navy training and how a very famous government contractor developed these manuals, instead I'll summarize. The manuals sucked, they were horrible and at times useless, the great Navy instructors at Pensacola, Florida spent more time telling us what was wrong with these manuals than actually repairing the equipment. We learned about all the errors and endless troubleshooting circles, we learned to never believe the results and relied more on the instructors personal notes than this huge pile pages. Don't be mislead, this was some very complex equipment, but the people that designed the system, were not the same people that designed the manuals to repair the system. This was a classic example of a bad user experience. Let's move on before my blood pressure goes up.

My wife and I loved Pensacola and we looked forward to going back for a 4 year shore rotation so I could teach others all the tricks needed to maintain and repair this equipment. But that would never happen, fate had something else in store for us. Would you believe it was because of those horrible technical manuals?

Stayed tuned for part 2 and learn how a group of sailors find themselves landlocked.