Solving Problems in a Creative Way. That's What We Do...

How is it, that there are so many User Experience Designers out there, and still, most of the people don’t know WTF we do?

Yesterday, I had the privilege to stand in-front of 90 5th grade pupils, and shed some light on my amazing profession.

It wasn’t just about explaining UX — it’s shouting about what an awesome career choice this is, inspiring the students to ask questions, solve problems and most importantly be creative.

So where do you start? When I asked if anyone ever heard of UX, only my own daughter raised her hand 😅.

Thanks to a colleague from WE Women Experience, I found a single article about Teaching UX Design to Teens (https://lnkd.in/dXb-egxR) and took some great insights from it. Inspired by this article, I stripped our role right back and thought about three basic things we do:

1- We design things which are easy and fun to use.

I started by showing examples from there everyday life, in which they engage with user experience- physical and digital. First bad experiences and then good… For the grand finale I used “WhatsApp” which they all know, and highlighted how easy it is to use and understand without any help or guide books.

2- We are problem solvers.

I shared with the kids an “experiment” described in the article above. The writer gave the pupils 30 seconds to design a doorbell on a post it. The majority of the solutions were some sort of shape (rectangle, square or if they’re feeling adventurous a flower) with a button in the middle. She then repeated the activity but this time she presented the mission as a problem needed to be solved: 30 seconds to design a way to know someone is at the door.

I showed them how in the second part of this experiment the students have been much more creative and came up with loads of different ideas.

*In one of the classes I performed this as an activity, and the outcomes were amazing!

The conclusion was- As UX Designers, it’s our job to understand the real problem and come up with creative ideas, The doorbell was already a solution, and not the problem itself…

3- We understand and represent who we are designing for.

I shared another example from the article and asked the kids what would they buy as a present for my mother. After few generic answers, I asked them - but what if you wanted to get her the best present for her? The students told me they would ask her about her hobbies, speak to her family or friends, or speak to other people her age to understand what she really likes.

I then explained that this is exactly the point- As UX Designers, it’s our job to represent and design for the people who will use the product.

To summarize, it was an amazing experience for me. I found joy in seeing their “wheels” moving… understanding, being creative. Solving problems in a creative way is something everyone can benefit from. Hope I gave those kids a taste of that.