Sam Hooper, a UX Lead at Cyber-Duck, shares lessons learned from their career in a presentation titled "Junior to UX Lead: Some Things I've Learned (Often the Hard Way)". The presentation includes tips on limiting case studies in portfolios to focus on the user, doing both qualitative and quantitative research, being positive with clients and colleagues, prioritizing user needs over business or technical constraints, and continually learning through doing projects, getting involved in communities, and progressing in leadership roles over time.

1. JUNIOR TO UX LEAD:
SOME THINGS I’VE LEARNED
(OFTEN THE HARD WAY)
Sam Hooper
UX Lead at Cyber-Duck
@shooperux

2. Hello. I’m Sam from Cyber-Duck.

3. Powered by user-centred design, data and technology
WE DELIVER
TRANSFORMATION

4. OUR CLIENTS

5. RIGHT, HOLD ON TO
YOUR HATS…

6. Don’t talk about
yourself at talks
and conferences
-

7. Philosophy & … UX Designer
2015

8. Hiring managers:
consider previous
experience
-

9. UX portfolios?
UX them!
-

10. - Limit number of case studies
- Have layers of detail
- Be clear what YOU did
- Think about who the user is
(big picture & small details)

11. Big Picture &
Small Details
-

12. Be a Ninja

13. Agency
vs
In-House
-

15. Generalist
vs
Specialist
-

17. Ugly projects
=
Beautiful UX
-

19. Qualitative data
vs
Quantitative data
-

20. Always do both!
Some books:
UX Optimisation: Combining behavioural UX and
Usability Testing Data to Optimise Websites
by Craig Tomlin
This SUX! A Guide to Better User Experiences
by Ritvij Gautam

21. Be Positive!-

23. “Yes, and…”
“No I wouldn’t do it like that…”
“I don’t like that”
“No, do it this way…”

24. Know the context

26. Personas are
dead!
(No they’re not)
-

28. All about Users
(but don’t forget
the Business)
-

29. BUSINESS
NEEDS
USERS
NEEDS

30. Business
needs
User
needs
Time &
Budget
Design
vs Dev
Technical
Constraints
Scope
Creep

31. Part Designer,
Part Counsellor
-

32. Information
Architecture:
User needs not
Org Charts
-

33. New Tech
=
Not always the
best solution
-

36. Evangelise &
Find your
UX Champions
-

38. Stand up,
Share,
Show & tell,
REPEAT
-

40. “Lightweight”
can still be useful
-

42. Accessibility
=
Inclusive design
-

43. Inclusive toolkit
https://katholmesdesign.com/inclusive-toolkit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlMfynLKGXA
Elegant Accessibility Video
Accessible e-commerce store
https://publicissapient.github.io/accessible-ecommerce-
demo/index.html
https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/04/designing-
accessibility-inclusion/
Accessibility & Inclusion Article

44. Design with
ethics in mind,
but be careful…
-

45. https://www.ideo.com/blog/ai-needs-an-
ethical-compass-this-tool-can-help
Ethical AI resources
https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/ethics-
and-data/9781492043898/
Ethics and Data Science

46. Leaders: Enable,
don’t dictate
-

48. Soft Skills
=
Hard Skills
-

49. It doesn’t get easier…
Research
Users
> Clients > Collaborating > Leadership
> Stakeholders > Colleagues > Your Team

50. Progressing your
career…
-

51. Do stuff! Get involved!
withcandles.slack.com

52. Learn stuff!

53. It’s ALIVE!!!
Digital is never
done and dusted
-

54. THANK YOU