"User experience" has become a ubiquitous buzzword in technology; it's everywhere. However, most people understand me to be a designer. But was I? The truth is that I am (not) a designer, and so are(n't) you. This panel describes my journey to accepting my "designer" label while making it my own. We examine: what does "design" mean, anyway? How do I "do" design, even if I don't draw? Who is in charge of the definition? How do I move forward as a designer and make the label work for me, even if others don't agree with my definition? The answer is often found in how we define ourselves. [This presentation was given at SXSW Interactive in Austin, TX on March 7, 2014. These are the PDFs of the presentation; please contact me about notes or if you have additional questions!]

1. I Am (Not) A Designer
Accep%ng
the
“Designer”
Label
On
Your
Terms
Morgan Burton | @morgan_kb
#nolabels#notdesign

2. Eckhart Tolle
Give up defining yourself - to yourself or
to others[…]You can only lose something
that you have, but you cannot lose
something that you are.
#nolabels#notdesign

3. [Obligatory Introductions]
#nolabels#notdesign

4. Hi! I’m Morgan.
• Native Texan (Type:
Houstonian)
• Loves bacon, BBQ (esp.
beef brisket) and hot
sauces
• Slightly obsessed with
wearable and ambient
tech
#nolabels#notdesign

5. Before all this…
Pre-med/biology
+
Informatics
+
Social/bio-psychology
+
Marketing
User Experience [Researcher/Architect]
Interesting and fun; but I HATE GERMS.
Who doesn’t LOVE information?!
Why are people weird?
How do I make these weirdos do what I want?
#nolabels#notdesign

6. PRELUDE:
A
PURPOSEFUL
DILEMMA
“WHAT do you do again?”

7. #nolabels#notdesign

8. “So,
what
do
you
do?”
I work in user experience.
#nolabels#notdesign

9. “So,
what
do
you
do?”
I work in user experience.
#nolabels#notdesign

10. “Oh, you’re a user experience ?”
Photo by Benson Kua (CC license via Flickr)

11. NO. WAY.
- graphic, arty people
- crazy creatives
- don’t you need an art school degree?
- I don’t make websites (that often)
I am so NOT a designer.
#nolabels#notdesign

12. The truth is…
I am (NOT) a designer.
[And so are(n’t) you]
#nolabels#notdesign

13. 1.
DENIAL
“Know Your Labels”

14. What Is Design, Anyway?

15. Design is in everything we make,
but it’s also between those things.
Erik Adigard
#nolabels#notdesign

16. de•sign /də’zīn/
noun: purpose, planning, or intention that exists
or is thought to exist behind an action, fact, or
material object.
verb: to plan and make (something) for a
specific use or purpose
#nolabels#notdesign

17. plan + make + purpose
[ Have a ]
[ something ]
[ on ]
#nolabels#notdesign

18. TL;DL (Too Long; Didn’t Listen)
design = plan + make + purpose
You can’t deny what you don’t know
We plan – make – purpose all the time!
#nolabels#notdesign

19. …I could possibly be a designer.
#nolabels#notdesign

20. 2.
ANGER
“Breaking The Mold”

21. I used to worry about the labels
others placed on me… until I
realized my limitations weren’t
coming from their labels, but from
my own.
Steve Maraboli
#nolabels#notdesign

22. #nolabels#notdesign

23. Drawing!

24. CODING!

25. BUSINESS!

26. “@#%=*! I’m
not creative!”

27. plan + make + purpose
[ Have a ]
[ something ]
[ on ]
#nolabels#notdesign

28. Purpose: The Only To-Do That Matters
What do you WANT people to do?
- Inspire
- Inform
- Alert
#nolabels#notdesign

29. [Insert picture of car simulation for
car sim alert story]
#nolabels#notdesign

30. TL;DL
Know the purpose of your work (whatever it is)
Designers do things for a reason
#nolabels#notdesign

31. But…WHO said it has to be this way?
#nolabels#notdesign

32. 3.
NEGOTIATION
“Something Old + New”

33. #nolabels#notdesign

34. QUESTION EVERYTHING
Look for new perspectives
INNOVATION: see old things with new
eyes
CREATIVITY: discover new things with
same eyes
#nolabels#notdesign

35. plan + make + purpose
[ Have a ]
[ something ]
[ on ]
#nolabels#notdesign

36. The Tension Gap
What I Know
What I Want To
Accomplish
shift_me
SYNTHESIS!

37. Design is the intermediary
between information and
understanding.
Richard Grefé
#nolabels#notdesign

38. [Insert
picture
for
choice
arch
story
here]
#nolabels

39. Design =/= (only) Visual Arts
- Planning comes from analysis, which means we must
fully understand the problem.
- Need some background knowledge – which you
have (life experience)
- Things we know + new ways = INNOVATION
plan + make + purpose

40. TL;DL
Use what you know already to accomplish
what you want to do
shift_ thinking = shift_you
#nolabels

41. Checklist:
ü Understand design
ü Break social definition
ü Innovate and create w/ shift_Me
…I’m a “designer”!
#nolabels

42. 4.
DEPRESSION
“Get Lost (In Your Work)”

43. Research
isn’t
design!
What
do
you
mean
“you
don’t
code
all
the
%me”?!
Designers
draw…
#foreveralone

44. The
truth
is…
Stage 4: Depression
(“Get Lost In Your Work”)
It’s ok (even GOOD) to be different.

45. The
truth
is…
Stage 4: Depression
(“Get Lost In Your Work”)
It’s ok (even GOOD) to be different.
Photo
:
Zoos
Victoria
(Australia)

46. plan + make + purpose
[ Have a ]
[ something ]
[ on ]

47. What will they remember you for?
[…] Invent something, develop a
unique skill… — it creates a talking
point.
Chris Arnold

48. [Insert picture for title vs. interest story]
Photo
:
Morgan
Burton

49. That’s Not My Name!
- Old me: conforms to social definition
- shift_Me: makes new form from actual definition
“What do we call you?”
Who actually cares?!

50. TL;DL
Focus on what you DO (function over definition)
Create your legacy
…because labels don’t matter.

51. The Prestige-ish Realization
[PLAN + MAKE]
I have all these ideas in my head:
- Better process
- Better interfaces
- Better systems
- Better tools
[PURPOSE]
AND I’m learning new things!
…wait a second.

52. 5.
ACCEPTANCE
“I’m (not) a designer. And so are(n’t) you.”

53. Put it all together
- Define it
- Break conventions/boundaries
- Bring your experience to new ideas/concepts
- Create your title by what you DO
You are (not) a designer.

54. ENDOSTORY
[KIND
OF].

55. What’s In This For Me?
We need MORE divergent thinkers from EVERY field
- More differences = different design
- By creating with purpose, you embody design
- Innovate + create

56. shift_ EVERYTHING.
• Mind [PLAN IT]
• Body [MAKE IT]
• Purpose [CHANGE IT]

57. Accept no one’s definition of life;
define yourself.
Harvey Fierstein

58. The [Actual] End.

59. Thank You!
Tweet me @morgan_kb
Link me /morgan.k.burton
On the web morgankb.com
morgan.burton@gmail.com
#nolabels#notdesign