Originally presented at Digital Summit Dallas in Dec 2014, this deck details how lessons from Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do philosophy can be applied in UX design... and in life. Based on the Uxmag.com article I wrote of the same name.

1. UX -The Bruce Lee WayUX -The Bruce Lee Way
Joseph Dickerson
@josephdickerson

2. Hello!

3. • 2 years at Microsoft
• Author of two UX books

6. So, what does Bruce Lee have to do
with UX Design? Quite a lot…
But first, let’s define our terms.

8. What is UX?
User experience (UX or UE) involves a person’s emotions about using a
particular product, system or service. User experience highlights the
experiential, affective, meaningful and valuable aspects of human-computer
interaction and product ownership. Additionally, it includes a person’s
perceptions of the practical aspects such as utility, ease of use and efficiency
of the system. User experience is subjective in nature because it is about
individual perception and thought with respect to the system. User experience
is dynamic as it is constantly modified over time due to changing
circumstances and new innovations

10. What is UX?
ISO 9241-210[1] defines user experience as:
“A person’s perceptions and responses that result from the use or
anticipated use of a product, system or service.”

11. “I invented the term ‘user experience’ because I
thought human interface and usability were too
narrow. I wanted to cover all aspects of the
person’s experience with the system including
industrial design, graphics, the interface, the
physical interaction, and the manual.”
- Don Norman

14. Walt Disney

15. Bruce Lee Image

18. (UX) Lessons
from Bruce Lee

19. “Expose yourself to various
conditions and learn … Absorb
what is useful, discard what is not,
add what is uniquely your own.”

20. Understand your users and
customers –
do research, embed yourself into
their workplaces – Absorb and learn

21. “It’s not the daily increase, but daily
decrease. Hack away at the
unessential.”

22. Stripping away the unnecessary
elements allows users to focus on
the task at hand
Provide the appropriate amount of
complexity - no more, no less

23. Simple
Is
Hard

25. “Awareness is without choice,
without demand, without anxiety; In
that state of mind, there is
perception.”

26. Be aware of context and
surroundings - thinking about where
and how people use technology
Designing without awareness is
awareness is designing the dark

29. “If your cup is full, you cannot fill it.
So first, empty your cup.”

30. While there are standard patterns
and best practices, every design
project is different
Step away from your
preconceptions, and engage with an
open mind

32. Follow a proper design process, but
don’t be dogmatic about it
Be flexible, and approach each
design project within the confines
that exist

33. “Mistakes are always forgivable, if
one has the courage to admit them.”

34. Usability testing is a key part of user
experience design - Failure will
happen
Understand what “good” failure is

35. "Those who are unaware they are
walking in darkness will never seek
the light."

36. Users are not designers - when you
ask them "what do you want it to
do?" they often look at you like you
have a third eye
Users can't see outside of
themselves

38. “Know the difference between a
catastrophe and an inconvenience. To
realize that it’s just an inconvenience, that
it is not a catastrophe, but just an
unpleasantness, is part of coming into your
own, part of waking up.”

39. We must be aware of the specific design
problems we are solving, and focus our
energies appropriately
Spend the right time working on the right
problem, and try to identify the core things
that need solving: The “catastrophes”

42. Thanks!
Joseph Dickerson
@josephdickerson