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"It's More of a Mindset Than a Method": UX Practitioners' Conception of Design Methods

Published: 07 May 2016 Publication History

Abstract

There has been increasing interest in the work practices of user experience (UX) designers, particularly in relation to approaches that support adoption of human-centered principles in corporate environments. This paper addresses the ways in which UX designers conceive of methods that support their practice, and the methods they consider necessary as a baseline competency for beginning user experience designers. Interviews were conducted with practitioners in a range of companies, with differing levels of expertise and educational backgrounds represented. Interviewees were asked about their use of design methods in practice, and the methods they considered to be core of their practice; in addition, they were asked what set of methods would be vital for beginning designers joining their company. Based on these interviews, I evaluate practitioner conceptions of design methods, proposing an appropriation-oriented mindset that drives the use of tool knowledge, supporting designers' practice in a variety of corporate contexts. Opportunities are considered for future research in the study of UX practice and training of students in human-computer interaction programs.

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  1. "It's More of a Mindset Than a Method": UX Practitioners' Conception of Design Methods

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    cover image ACM Conferences
    CHI '16: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
    May 2016
    6108 pages
    ISBN:9781450333627
    DOI:10.1145/2858036
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    Published: 07 May 2016

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    Author Tags

    1. UX practice
    2. design education
    3. design methods
    4. designerly tools
    5. practice-led research

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    May 7 - 12, 2016
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    • (2024)Challenges and Opportunities for Tool Adoption in Industrial UX Research CollaborationsProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36869828:CSCW2(1-27)Online publication date: 8-Nov-2024
    • (2024)Surveying a Landscape of Ethics-Focused Design MethodsACM Journal on Responsible Computing10.1145/36789881:3(1-32)Online publication date: 17-Jul-2024
    • (2024)Themes, Lenses, and Materials: Three Perspectives on HCI Program DevelopmentProceedings of the 6th Annual Symposium on HCI Education10.1145/3658619.3658622(1-5)Online publication date: 5-Jun-2024
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