ModevUX 2015: The State of UX
ModevUX: A two-day conference loaded with workshops and sessions on technology and design, focused on user experience (UX), was held at the Artisphere in Arlington, VA earlier this week. The event brought in tech giants from Capital One and Facebook to discuss the future of UX. GSS attended the event last year, and we just knew we couldn’t miss this year!
Designing Ecosystems, Not Just Apps
Steven Hoober, author of “Designing Mobile Interfaces,” led the workshop on how to develop successful apps. Often, he said, people get too caught up in building the app and not providing a meaningful service.
The audience divided into teams to discuss a product to build. Steven told us not to focus on what type of technology we’d make, like an app or wearable, but how the product solves problems.
Our idea was to design a wearable that monitors the elderly’s vitals, medication application and GPS location. The product would create a clear, immediate line of communication between the elderly and caregivers.
After deciding on the problem, we translated what the product is in non-technical language. Specifically, we wrote down the needs, goals, behaviors and solutions involved in the ecosystem of the product.
Then, we wrote them on Post-It notes and stuck them onto a paper pad to make sure there was no overlap.
There was no way we could complete a two-day project in three hours — or on an empty stomach — so we stopped the project there and took lunch.
Cupcakes! Oh, glorious cupcakes!
Not just any cupcakes. (Mini) Georgetown Cupcake cupcakes! Each sponsor table had its own flavor with its company logo as decorative candy. ModevUX, you slay me with your cavity-inducing creativity.
I did a cupcake tasting, because why not? The best flavor goes to the peanut butter and chocolate from the Arlington-sponsored table.
Our Global, Mobile UX Lessons From the 1.4 Billion People in China
Steve Guengerich, co-founder of Appconomy, spoke on UX in China, and his experiences integrating his company into this vastly different country across the world.
Guengerich noted, it’s all about finding the right way to communicate your company’s message to your audience. “Don’t just translate the message — adapt it for the culture and region.”
For example, you won’t find most US apps or social media platforms in China. Facebook and Google, in fact, are illegal.
Logging into Facebook in China can be easy with a VPN, even though it’s technically illegal. The bigger problem stems from posting content then the government deleting those posts. “It’s a real cat and mouse game,” he added.
What is popular in China is the texting WeChat app, which Steve compared to an “800-pound gorilla.” Making an app that’s more similar to WeChat than Facebook would resonate more with users in China.
Personal Development for Professionals
For the final workshop of the day, ModevUX ended with words of wisdom from life coach Gordon Montgomery.
Gordon invited a member from the audience to find their life purpose. At first I thought it was a little rushed and gimmicky.
But the four questions he asked dug deep:
- What are the traits of someone you admire?
- What are you awesome at?
- What is your passion?
- What are the things and people you’re grateful for?
Being mindful of these traits will help find your life purpose, Montgomery promises.
I might not have found my life purpose at ModevUX, but I did find the happy hour waiting for me afterward. And really, what more could you ask for at the end of a daylong conference?
What Really Matters: The GSS Analytics Report
Using our comprehensive analytics reporting software — BrandWatch — we analyzed important engagement factors for ModevUX on social media.
Here’s what we found:
There was a slight majority of men over women discussing the event. Not surprisingly, most of the professionals were in the software and IT field. More people listed fine arts as their interest than technology. Interesting.
Check out the topic comparisons by gender: Women like the business model, men like the workshops. There’s probably an argument to be made about “thinkers” and “doers” here, but we’re not taking sides!
Also interesting was #meerkat being the most popular hashtag, right after #modevux and #ux.
The most mentioned tweeters were @gomodev, @jmspool and @abby_the_ia.
And the tweeter with the most impact goes to Georgetown Cupcake (@GTownCupcake). Shocker, right? #wholovescupcakes #welovecupcakes
By: Karmen Fox
