…many students from HCI programs don’t emerge well trained in experimental design, statistics, methods for consumer research, content analysis, or ethnography. These gaps in their research skills limit them when it comes to opportunities in other influential business roles, including promotions beyond the usability function.
– Lynn Cherny, Interactions 2007
This just scares me.
This quote, the final paragraph of the article, is the proper frame of context:
We can’t just talk about the importance of good design. If we don’t create good design, user experience and product innovation won’t be coming from us, but from someone on the engineering team. And we’ll be lucky to be asked to evaluate it.
– Lynn Cherny, Interactions 2007
Hi Boon,
Since you’re a student, you’ve got plenty of time to get in some relevant courses! You’ll definitely be more job-competitive with some business background, and it will enable you to talk to product management and execs in “their language” a bit better. I recommend doing something on market research techniques, and if you can, something on business plans – especially angled towards new products.
But the bigger gist of my article is that the HCI world needs to focus more on design, and less on critique and abstract research. With a software development background, you’re in pretty good shape; you won’t be scared to talk technical or to make prototypes. Take some courses in visual design, a skillset many of us don’t have, which will make you very valuable indeed.
All the best,
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
First of all, thanks for your reply! I was delightfully surprised to receive a comment from the author herself.
I am in total agreement with your stance re: your article and comment. Design is one of those things I haven’t quite grasped after 4 years in engineering school and another 5 years in software practice. And it’s not about drawing pretty pictures or being good at Photoshop and Illustrator (all of which I think I can do).
I’m currently reading Bill Buxton’s Sketching User Experiences, which offer very good glimpses about what proper design looks like. A very engaging read (will post a book review soon), but to echo what you said – I realize there are other, many more aspects like market reserach and business plans that bring value to the table.
p.s. your article was a “recommended read” for our module in Design Tools and Techniques – that’s how I came across it