Voices of UX
Read the room: What UXers can learn from stand-up comedy
Jerry Seinfeld’s observational comedy meets user feedback.
Never in a million years did I expect that an interview with Jerry Seinfeld from 1983 would make me reflect on how I approach UXD, but nevertheless, that’s exactly what happened.
Judd Apatow’s book Sick in the Head (2014) features a compilation of interviews with some of the world’s most prolific and talented comedians. Some have referred to this book as a ‘bible’ of sorts for those who are interested in becoming a comedian. I begrudgingly admit that I am one of those people.
I have been a fan of comedy for as long as I can remember. It has always been a dream of mine to be a writer for a show like Saturday Night Live. And while clearly that hasn’t happened yet, I chose to read Apatow’s Sick in the Head with the intention of rekindling my old dream.
Spoiler: it didn’t inspire me to quit my job and pursue stand-up comedy full-time. But it did rewire the way I think about user experience. Stand-up comedy is a fascinating form of performance art, requiring composure, patience, observation, and empathy. In that sense, it’s not so different from UX. Both disciplines revolve around customer (or audience) experience — a comedian’s success relies on the audience’s enjoyment, just as the success of a UX designer relies on the user’s satisfaction.
But the similarities don’t stop there.
The power of comedy
I’ve been a comedy buff since I was a child. Some of my favorite memories growing up were watching Saturday Night Live (SNL) with my parents and older siblings. For those of you who aren’t familiar with SNL, it’s a sketch comedy show that’s been on the air since 1975. SNL is responsible for kick-starting the careers of some of the world’s most famous comedians, like Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Will Ferrel, and so many more.
Watching Saturday Night Live in my family, like many other families across the country, was a ritual. And while I’m forever grateful for SNL introducing me to the vast world of comedy and the art of comedic writing, my insatiable appetite for different types of comedy drove me to explore comedic styles.
In my early teens, my love for humor grew as I watched Stephen Colbert’s Colbert Report, Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, and various stand-up comedians. These shows and people have shaped my worldview. It also caused me to recognize the legitimate service comedy provides. The best comedy goes beyond enjoyment — it provokes thought.
Stand-up comedy is an excellent example of why user feedback is so important to UXD.
Initially, it was hard for me to admit that standup comedy shared qualities to anything — let alone UXD. In my mind stand up comedy was an enigma, but in reality, the qualities it shares with user experience design are undeniable.
An interview with Jerry Seinfeld from Judd Apatow’s novel, Sick in the Head, sparked these UX connections. The interview itself is hilarious and riveting, but I’d argue that it also offers a new way to approach user experience.
Presently Judd Apatow is a reputable writer, director, and movie producer. He is behind some of the most popular comedic films that have come out over the last decade such as Superbad, Bridesmaids, The Hangover, Anchorman, 40 year old Virgin, and many more. However, in 1983, when he began these interviews, Apatow was 15 years old, a member of his high school audiovisual (or AV) club, and a certifiable comedy-nerd. Apatow’s AV club produced a radio station that in turn offered him an outlet for him to further explore his interest in comedy through interviewing famous comedians.
Now, you may be wondering what wildly famous comedian would agree to being interviewed by an acne prone, (probably) smelly, nerdy 15 year old?
The answer: A lot more than you’d think
He managed to score interviews with the likes of Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Henny Youngman, Al Franken, Sandra Bernhard, and legendary comedy writer Alan Zweibel. And he did so by doing what teenagers do best: by not divulging the whole truth. Apatow explained that most people agreed to these interviews because they were expecting a professional journalist who represented a legitimate radio station.
Well... that is certainly not what happened.
In the Interview, Apatow and Seinfeld discuss the principles of observational comedy, how to build a routine, and how Jerry is able to adapt and connect with different audiences. One could say that the interview serves as a step-by-step guide on how to become a professional comic, but I’d argue that it also offers a unique perspective on user experience design.
Observational comedy is a style of comedy in which a comedian makes astute observations about everyday life. It’s a popular form of comedy, especially amongst standup comics, because of its relatability factor and simplistic nature. To this day, Jerry Seinfeld is known as the ‘king’ of observational comedy. Between his witty jokes and flawless delivery, his standup continues to set the standard for all comedians.
The success of comedians relies entirely on the audience’s enjoyment and is measured by laughter. In the interview, Seinfeld stated, “if it doesn’t get laughs, you’re not gonna get work, and you’re not gonna be a comedian. So the audience ultimately decides. It’s a very democratic system.”
For observational comics, talking about mundane topics like mowing the lawn, walking the dog, or even typical family dynamics have the potential to be funny… but they have equal potential to be boring. The only way to improve is by identifying the specific ways in which your routine is or isn’t connecting with a given audience.
Similarly, user experience design is a largely feedback driven occupation. Just as the success of a comedian is measured by the audience’s enjoyment, the success of a UX designer relies on the user’s experience (hopefully a positive experience). User feedback has the ability to provide a window into the user’s experience that can then be used to make specific and lasting improvements to products.
For example, you may find that what makes sense to you, may not make sense to a user or vice versa. A designer may overlook an element of a product’s UI, or assume (based on previous experiences) that it isn’t causing a user confusion or frustration, when in reality it is.
Bombing at various comedy clubs until you find out what works is the only way comedians improve. Likewise, getting (and responding to) negative feedback from users is one way UXers do.
No one gets a joke right the first time.
When you’re watching a comedian perform, it’s easy to assume that they didn’t have to put much effort into crafting their routine. While it can be argued that anyone can be funny, it takes a lot of commitment and dedication to become a successful comedian. Anyone can design a web page, anyone can make a joke, but it takes a certain set of skills to make either of them good.
Comedians create an experience for their audience that both appears natural and cohesive, is easy to follow, and meets (or exceeds) their expectations. These are all things that comedians must consider when they are building their routine.
There is so much thought and effort put into each individual joke and performance. In fact, it can take months or even years to craft the perfect performance. When making a routine, a comedian often compiles multiple jokes in a specific order. They are able to make a routine in which each joke builds on the last, or craft a performance so that even if a joke discusses a different topic, it is still cohesive and fluid with the others.
Apatow asks Seinfeld about his writing process and how he creates such successful sets. Jerry retorted by saying “trial and error,” he goes on to explain that writing jokes is one part of the formula, and the next is mastering the delivery.
How you deliver a joke is equally if not more important to the writing process because a comic is able to craft a specific delivery for each joke and each audience. This can be a very frustrating process, but this allows the comedian to use the audience’s reactions as a way to gauge whether or not a joke ‘works’ or if they still need to tinker with their wording and/or delivery.
A similar principle exists in UX; Where you deliver information is just as important as how you deliver it. If you place important information on a screen people typically just click through, and aren’t inclined to read information placed in the middle of a large group of text. Additionally, the order in which users see certain designs impacts their effectiveness. Establishing a content hierarchy that prioritizes important and frequently referenced information requires patience and a trial and error approach, but it is worth it.
In UX it’s unlikely that your first design will be your final one. And that’s perfectly okay — it’s even expected.
Oftentimes, if a user is giving you negative feedback, it means they’re invested enough in your product that they want to see it grow. And, while feedback doesn’t always come from a loyal user, almost all feedback is informative.
Negative user feedback should never be thought of as failure. Instead, view this as an opportunity to work collaboratively with your colleagues and users.
Take the opportunity to hear your customers’ assessments, take their needs and goals for the product into account, and you will produce efficient designs and strong relationships with your customers.
The direct feedback provided by user research studies allows a designer to identify specific or recurrent problems within a product’s UI, define the user’s objectives, and observe how the user interacts with the product. This can be accomplished through surveying, usability testing, or conducting interviews with users.
Learning and implementing changes from the user’s perspective is imperative to improving products and creating positive experiences for the users.
Performing for different audiences is an art form in itself.
In 1983 Jerry Seinfeld was in the prime of his career. He was rocking a perm-ish mullet hairstyle, was landing gigs in Atlantic City, and opening for late night shows and improv shows. He had “made it.”
The success of a comedian is based on the audience’s approval and is measured through laughter. In the interview Jerry states that as a comedian, the audience decides whether or not their work is successful.
Different audiences have different expectations. When approaching different audiences Jerry explained, “There’s a central core of what I do that pretty much works everywhere, and the only variable is the way I perform it.”
To further explain his point, Jerry compares the experiences of performing for the audience of an improv comedy show to being an opening act at a show in Atlantic city. People who attend improv shows expect comedy that isn’t surface level; They understand and respect the principles of comedy. Jerry explains, “if it’s an easy joke or an obvious joke, it’s less appealing to them than a really clever, original observation.”
He goes on to explain that the Atlantic city crowds were more accustomed to fundamental comedy (a setup followed by a punchline). His comedy is more intricate and therefore he found that the Atlantic City crowds struggled knowing when to laugh, and therefore lost interest. To combat this he makes his performances more ‘instructive’ so that the audience doesn’t have to pay much attention in order to know when to laugh. He adds this structure to his performance through using basic language, and by following the traditional structures of comedy.
Being able to perform the same routine for different audiences successfully is not an easy task, but it’s a concept UX designers know all too well.
It is a UX designer’s job to understand what the customer needs, and how those needs can be met. Approaching design through the principles of consistency and simplicity is necessary in order to provide the same level of satisfaction to a diverse user group, no matter their abilities or technical knowledge. This can be accomplished through using basic language, and uniform UI elements.
Additionally, curating an experience that provides consistent functionality across different product platforms will provoke continued user satisfaction and trust. For example, when it comes to problem solving within the UI, creating consistent solutions for similar problems.
However, I do want to emphasize that consistent and simplistic design does not mean “create the same design for every product.”
As a UX designer, understanding your audience is important. This means knowing when and how to make the same information understandable and engaging for different users. Some users are well versed in UX, or may have a deeper understanding of the technical aspect of the product than even yourself. Conversely, explaining familiar concepts in an unfamiliar way can be confusing for even the most technical users.
Instead, use simplistic and consistent design principles as a ‘core’ that can then be built off of depending on the users knowledge and individual needs.
As Jerry Seinfeld demonstrated in his interview, user feedback is crucial to creating a well rounded and valued product.
Instead of focusing on curating the perfect user experience fresh out of the starting gates, I encourage you to take a comedian’s approach and seek out feedback earlier rather than later. By doing so you have a greater opportunity to understand your customers needs and goals for the project, what problems that may have already run into, and can thus create a more tailored user experience.
So while you may not be a huge fan of comedy like myself, I think that we can all learn something from Jerry Seinfeld’s welcoming approach to receiving and utilizing feedback.
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