How a Developer
became a UX
Designer

Boon Chew
@jaremfan
Two Parts   1. How I Got Here
            2. What Has Changed
1. How I Got Here




                    One Journey, Three Stories
What my CV looks like-ish

                     2001 Built Java Applets


                                               2002 App/Web Dev




               2004 Senior Dev



2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer



2010 UX Designer
What my CV looks like-ish

                     2001 Built Java Applets


                                                 2002 App/Web Dev




               2004 Senior Dev



2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer



2010 UX Designer
                                         Doesn’t explain journey
2001 Built Java Applets


                                                   2002 App/Web Dev




               2004 Senior Dev



2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer



2010 UX Designer
                                               Latent Aspirations
1993 Wannabe Comic Artist




                                  2001 Built Java Applets


                                                                2002 App/Web Dev




                            2004 Senior Dev



2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer



2010 UX Designer
                                                            Latent Aspirations
1993 Wannabe Comic Artist


                                              1998 Founded a College Newsletter



                                  2001 Built Java Applets


                                                                        2002 App/Web Dev




                            2004 Senior Dev



2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer



2010 UX Designer
                                                               Latent Aspirations
1993 Wannabe Comic Artist


                                              1998 Founded a College Newsletter



                                  2001 Built Java Applets


                                                                        2002 App/Web Dev




                            2004 Senior Dev

2005 – 2008 Freelance Print Designer

2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer



2010 UX Designer
                                                               Latent Aspirations
2001 Build


                   2002 Build




2004 Build
2001 Build


                                                 2002 Build




                2004 Build



2009 Research, Design, then Build (didn’t really work)
2001 Build


                                                 2002 Build




                2004 Build



2009 Research, Design, then Build (didn’t really work)



2010 Define the Experience (not build it)
How do I do this??
Books that inspired me
(a long time ago)




                         Good ol’ Jakob
2005… a
tipping point




                It’s not (just) about the technology
This book changed everything




                               UX in a Book
It’s all Alan’s fault
Community
IxDA

HCI-E MSc

UPA & London IA

Mentor & Seniors
Which HCI Course?   IxDA

                    HCI-E MSc

                    UPA & London IA

                    Mentor & Seniors
Which HCI Course?   IxDA

Good Friends        HCI-E MSc

                    UPA & London IA

                    Mentor & Seniors
Which HCI Course?    IxDA

Good Friends         HCI-E MSc

Wider UX Community   UPA & London IA

                     Mentor & Seniors
Which HCI Course?    IxDA

Good Friends         HCI-E MSc

Wider UX Community   UPA & London IA

Job Advice           Mentor & Seniors
So what has changed?
The BIG picture




          Challenging what I think is possible
Creatively using physical things




          Overcoming fear of “inefficiency” & “disorder”
Telling Stories




         Learning that design doesn’t exist on its own
“Glue Thinking”   Everything Holds Together

Mantra                  Make things “Stick”

                            Get people high
Thanks




                                                       Get in touch - @jaremfan

         Flickr credits: triciawang, china.sixty4, topherous, ajawin, miletbaker, NathanaelB, yandle, willfuller

How a developer became a ux designer

  • 1.
    How a Developer becamea UX Designer Boon Chew @jaremfan
  • 2.
    Two Parts 1. How I Got Here 2. What Has Changed
  • 3.
    1. How IGot Here One Journey, Three Stories
  • 4.
    What my CVlooks like-ish 2001 Built Java Applets 2002 App/Web Dev 2004 Senior Dev 2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer 2010 UX Designer
  • 5.
    What my CVlooks like-ish 2001 Built Java Applets 2002 App/Web Dev 2004 Senior Dev 2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer 2010 UX Designer Doesn’t explain journey
  • 6.
    2001 Built JavaApplets 2002 App/Web Dev 2004 Senior Dev 2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer 2010 UX Designer Latent Aspirations
  • 7.
    1993 Wannabe ComicArtist 2001 Built Java Applets 2002 App/Web Dev 2004 Senior Dev 2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer 2010 UX Designer Latent Aspirations
  • 8.
    1993 Wannabe ComicArtist 1998 Founded a College Newsletter 2001 Built Java Applets 2002 App/Web Dev 2004 Senior Dev 2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer 2010 UX Designer Latent Aspirations
  • 9.
    1993 Wannabe ComicArtist 1998 Founded a College Newsletter 2001 Built Java Applets 2002 App/Web Dev 2004 Senior Dev 2005 – 2008 Freelance Print Designer 2009 Lead Dev + UX Designer 2010 UX Designer Latent Aspirations
  • 10.
    2001 Build 2002 Build 2004 Build
  • 11.
    2001 Build 2002 Build 2004 Build 2009 Research, Design, then Build (didn’t really work)
  • 12.
    2001 Build 2002 Build 2004 Build 2009 Research, Design, then Build (didn’t really work) 2010 Define the Experience (not build it)
  • 13.
    How do Ido this??
  • 14.
    Books that inspiredme (a long time ago) Good ol’ Jakob
  • 15.
    2005… a tipping point It’s not (just) about the technology
  • 16.
    This book changedeverything UX in a Book
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
    IxDA HCI-E MSc UPA &London IA Mentor & Seniors
  • 20.
    Which HCI Course? IxDA HCI-E MSc UPA & London IA Mentor & Seniors
  • 21.
    Which HCI Course? IxDA Good Friends HCI-E MSc UPA & London IA Mentor & Seniors
  • 22.
    Which HCI Course? IxDA Good Friends HCI-E MSc Wider UX Community UPA & London IA Mentor & Seniors
  • 23.
    Which HCI Course? IxDA Good Friends HCI-E MSc Wider UX Community UPA & London IA Job Advice Mentor & Seniors
  • 24.
    So what haschanged?
  • 25.
    The BIG picture Challenging what I think is possible
  • 26.
    Creatively using physicalthings Overcoming fear of “inefficiency” & “disorder”
  • 27.
    Telling Stories Learning that design doesn’t exist on its own
  • 28.
    “Glue Thinking” Everything Holds Together Mantra Make things “Stick” Get people high
  • 29.
    Thanks Get in touch - @jaremfan Flickr credits: triciawang, china.sixty4, topherous, ajawin, miletbaker, NathanaelB, yandle, willfuller

Editor's Notes

  • #2 \n
  • #3 \n
  • #4 \n
  • #5 Looks pretty standard\n
  • #6 I had all these latent aspirations. I wanted to create amazing experiences for people.\n
  • #7 I had all these latent aspirations. I wanted to create amazing experiences for people.\n
  • #8 I had all these latent aspirations. I wanted to create amazing experiences for people.\n
  • #9 I ended up thinking I was actually designing web applications, but I was just building it.\nThere must be a way to do things better.\n
  • #10 I ended up thinking I was actually designing web applications, but I was just building it.\nThere must be a way to do things better.\n
  • #11 I tried to fill the slide with all the books I read but it got too tedious and gave up halfway\n
  • #12 1998 – 2000ish\nThen I went on to software books, and just focused on building web apps for a long time, until…\n
  • #13 I had an epiphany – the world was changing around me, very fast.\nI wanted to find out what made good software good… and it wasn’t about the technology.\n
  • #14 About Face 3 had a software approach that was different, but practical.\nI managed to convince my line manager to let me do user research and apply Alan’s method.\nMy first attempt wasn’t the best, but it got me started and I was hooked.\nI actually blame Alan Cooper for changing my life.\n
  • #15 \n
  • #16 \n
  • #17 \n
  • #18 \n
  • #19 \n
  • #20 \n
  • #21 \n
  • #22 \n
  • #23 \n
  • #24 \n
  • #25 Stick – memorable, intuitive, usable\nHolds – structure, scaling\nHigh – excitement, immersion\n
  • #26 \n