I’m on vacation.
I’m not on a big boat on a warm Caribbean ocean or careening headlong up and down the world’s largest wooden roller coaster or drinking wine in the Napa Valley. (What is wrong with me!??) I’m on a nearly mandatory “stay-cation” all by myself (not even my dog is home today) which while on the surface doesn’t sound so wonderful, it turns out is exactly what I needed.
While sitting on a stump this morning drinking coffee and looking toward my beehives I discovered a deeper “why” in my life and watched a bunch of pieces fall into place. I’m not the smartest person in the room, and I’m not particularly “good” at this, but I love philosophy. I always have and I probably always will. That isn’t really a new revelation, but it hit me in a new way this morning – especially as it applies to user experience design.
My answer (not “the” answer) to the question what is philosophy is simple. Philosophy asks questions to gain wisdom, primarily the question “why”. Simple, yes. Easy, no. Philosophers asks this question over and over again – not at the same level so as to become inane and annoying, but deeper and deeper, ever probing. Philosophy is not a difficult subject, it is a terrifying subject. A great philosopher questions our deepest held beliefs, most of which we ourselves haven’t thought or dared to ask. Simple, yes. Easy, no. The pursuit of philosophy requires curiosity and courage. Mostly courage.
So does UX design.
In the course of all of the probing we do as UX designers, we are ultimately asking the question, “why are you here”? Secondarily we are asking “what are you doing for others” and “are you currently successful”? Can you step outside of yourself and ask real end-users what they need and watch them use your site? Those are all terrifying questions and they are the source, I believe, of all resistance to UX design interventions.
So read a UX book and it will say the primary characteristic of a UX designer is empathy and I don’t disagree. But don’t neglect the secondary characteristic: Courage. Fear is the “thing” you need to overcome and then help your clients overcome it as well.