"The Decline in Quality and Redundancy of UX Teams" - Dr. Nick Fine

DesignOps Aligned - Podcast Show

"The Decline in Quality and Redundancy of UX Teams" - Act 01 - Scene 6 - Dr. Nick Fine

The current state of the UX industry is characterized by a lack of standardization and a high signal-to-noise ratio. Many newcomers are drawn to something that is sold as UX but isn't truly UX. This has led to teams being made redundant and the quality of UX practices being declined. The industry has also seen an influx of product managers who try to do everything themselves, leading to a lack of trust and respect for UX professionals. Additionally, there is a growing issue of ageism and discrimination in the field, with experienced UX practitioners being overlooked in favour of juniors. To address these challenges, there is a need for a more scientific and evidence-driven approach to UX, as well as a focus on critical thinking and the transfer of knowledge from senior UX professionals to younger practitioners. The conversation explores the distinction between UX and UI design, the evolution of the UXUI field, the challenges of building good products, and the importance of process and research in portfolios.

Takeaways:

• The UX industry lacks standardization and has a high signal-to-noise ratio.
• Newcomers are drawn to something that is sold as UX but isn't truly UX.
• There is a decline in the quality of UX practices, making teams redundant.
• There is a lack of trust and respect for UX professionals, mainly from product managers.
• Ageism and discrimination are prevalent in the field, with experienced UX practitioners being overlooked.
• A more scientific and evidence-driven approach to UX and a focus on critical thinking and knowledge transfer are needed. UX and UI are distinct disciplines with different skill sets.
• The UXUI field has evolved from a focus on interaction design to a focus on high-fidelity visual design.
• The industry has forgotten how to build good products, and committees and false notions of agile are to blame
• Portfolios should showcase the process, thinking, and involvement in creating the work.
• Advocating for UX principles and demonstrating the ability to generate valid insight quickly are important in portfolios.
• The conversation highlights the need for more vocal advocates for user-centric UX.

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Kapitler

1. The Lack of Standardization and Signal-to-Noise Ratio in the UX Industry (00:00:00)

2. The Challenge of Differentiating True UX from Misleading Practices (00:05:06)

3. The Lack of Trust and Respect for UX Professionals (00:10:28)

4. Addressing Ageism and Discrimination in the UX Field (00:13:49)

5. The Decline in Quality and Redundancy of UX Teams (00:16:33)

6. The Need for a Scientific and Evidence-Driven Approach to UX (00:21:30)

7. The Distinction Between UX and UI Design (00:32:15)

8. The Evolution of the UXUI Field (00:35:28)

9. Challenges in Building Good Products (00:38:45)

10. The Importance of Process and Research in Portfolios (00:43:13)

11. The Impact of Committees and False Notions of Agile (00:46:41)

12. Advocating for User-Centric UX (00:53:05)