Same Tools, Different Worksites: Switching Verticals in UX
Last year, we were fortunate to move into a 100-year-old house. Naturally several items in the old house needed (still need!) updates or improvements. Unfortunately we are only 30% handy with power tools. This has necessitated hiring contractors for various pieces of construction work.
One of the things we’ve learned when working with contractors for our home is how to separate “installers” from “craftspeople.”
Installers show up with a truck and a toolbox, and get to work. That work might not consider the entire house in context. But individual pieces of work get done, masterfully and efficiently.
Craftspeople show up with a truck and a toolbox, and ask lots of questions before getting to work. They walk around the house, and talk about a shared vision. They look at the structural engineer’s report. They view the house in broader context, and recommend courses of action. Even if that means not doing any work at all!
Note that though the tools are exactly the same, the outcomes are different. And those outcomes depend on whether the contractor approaches the worksite as just a material thing to be installed, or an improvement on the worksite as a whole.
The parallels to UX are abundant!
When I joined RingCentral 6 months ago with my own truck and toolbox, one of the things that appealed was the chance to make impact as part of a small but mighty team. Some old colleagues were surprised by my move, viewing it as a hard left career turn after 15 years in automotive. I didn’t see it that way, and still don’t. What I saw was a new and fascinating worksite. And it was already populated by a growing team of UX craftspeople.
My colleagues at RingCentral came from a wide range of worksites. Banking. Sportswear. FinTech. Health & medicine. Online commerce. Social psych research. Social media.
At each of those worksites, the tools for a successful UX practitioner are the same. This is not to say context is unimportant- far from it. But awareness of context, and the ability to adjust for it, are crucial. This ability to consider context or constraint separates installers from craftspeople in UX.
This is also not to say that installers are unimportant. Their efficient and masterful work is a key piece of a positive outcome. But are we installing one thing, or are we improving the house? Are we putting in a new water heater, or do we want to ensure that hot water is delivered to any sink or shower on demand? If it’s the latter, a house full of old, inefficient pipes could certainly challenge that outcome!
Here’s an example of context and constraint from a UX worksite: Distraction might be a somewhat desirable design consideration for commerce or social media, where gathering eyeballs and attention are important. But distraction might be an annoyance in other contexts. It might even have deadly outcomes in fields like automotive, medicine, or the military.
An installer must do the best job they can to deliver a quality product, and a craftsperson must understand the aspects of UX that the product might improve or harm. Acceptance of distraction is one characteristic of a worksite that affects the holistic outcome. As Jared Spool encourages design leaders to ask: “If we do a fantastic job delivering this product (or service or feature), how will we improve someone’s life?”
Skilled installers and craftspeople are both crucial to successful outcomes in home projects, and both start with the same trucks and toolboxes. An installer focuses on building the best thing possible, while a craftsperson considers the broader impact of an outcome on a homeowner’s life. These abilities apply to all successful UX installers and craftspeople, as well. Regardless of worksite.
