Explaining UX to My Sister
What I said to someone who had no idea what “UX design” is
A few weeks ago, I was talking to my younger sister about careers.
Me: “…So that’s when I decided I’d like to focus on becoming a UX designer rather than staying in front-end development.”
Sister: “Well, what is UX?”
Me: *generic textbook definition of usability and user focused design*
Sister: “So… a web designer?”
Me: “Well, not exactly. I think what you mean is a UI designer. They definitely work hand-in-hand but focus on different aspects of the same story. Ya know?”
Sister: “But there are enough templates out there for me to make a website so what is the point?”
Me: …
Considering I’ve recently only surrounded myself with people who know or understand UX, I was taken aback by this comment.
Posts, conversations, and comments from friends “in tech” and industry professionals made me foolishly think most people could innately understand the value and reason for working on the user experience. I sat on one end of the phone pausing to consider her words and to truly think about how my chosen career path is relevant and useful.
