5 Things I Learned as a UX Student Assistant
I have been a UX student assistant on the UX team at the University of Arizona Libraries for 3 years now, and the list of things I have learned since I started is basically endless. Usually student assistants come and go after a year or so. Because my graduation was delayed, I got to stay on the UX team longer than expected. Having my graduation delayed for 2 years actually turned out to be one of the best things that’s happened to me, as it refined my love for UX and allowed me to stay on a team I love very dearly.
As my time here at the University of Arizona comes to an end, I thought I would reflect on all the things I have learned since I started as a UX student assistant in April 2021.
Here are some of the themes that stuck out to me the most:
Empathy is the Greatest Tool You Can Have
Users come from a large array of backgrounds, goals, and perceptions. Try to make your UX as inclusive as possible! It’s really easy to think about what you think is best and just prioritize that. However, you never really know what your users truly want unless you ask them. You must do your due diligence and give your users a voice.
Working at the library has helped me understand this because most of our users are stressed-out college students — why would they want to go 3 page levels deep to find information about when we are open or booking a study room? This was something we had in mind when we were redesigning the library’s homepage and had to decide what to prioritize. I learned it’s important to know users’ top tasks to be able to create a streamlined and pleasant experience for all users.
Never Make Assumptions
Remember that you are not the user. It’s so easy to think about what you would do if you were the user, especially if you are the creator of the design they are using. Designs and content are made with the intent of the best user experience, but that doesn’t mean users will actually find it useful as intended. This is why extensive user testing is important, as it shows the gaps in your own bias and perspective!
I can’t even count the times now when we have had to iterate on ideas and designs we originally had because our findings form usability testing surprised us. It’s critical to keep an open mind and not take critiques personally. It can be disappointing to not flesh out an idea that you thought was amazing, but the end goal is always to make things the best they can be for the user.
Include Edge Cases
Sometimes, it can be easy to ignore edge cases, but you must remember that behind edge cases are real people! Edge cases usually come up in conversations about accessibility, but they exist in all sorts of facets within UX. Edge cases can include users who use assistive technology to use websites and products. You must design and craft products that accommodate them so they can access the information. Considering edge cases helps make designs accessible for all users, not just those using assistive technology. It’s important to always prevent and address barriers to access.
One way I learned about edge cases was when we were improving how users book a study room. I learned the type of device being used can impact the user experience. Our team found that the room reservation platform did not work on devices with smaller screens, like an iPhone 5 or older smartphones. Finding this edge case informed our design solutions and helped us create a page that everyone could use!
Good UX is Usually Never Noticeable
Whenever we notice UX, it’s typically when it’s unfavorable. A page that isn’t useful, a menu that takes forever to find what you are looking for, a search engine that doesn’t return what you put in — the list goes on. Good UX should be seamless. It should be intuitive for the user. It’s like the notion: Don’t make me think!
When I was working on redesigning the first iteration of the Health Sciences Library website, the users had to become “power users” just to accomplish simple goals. This meant they had to memorize the long and frustrating paths to find the information that they needed, or bookmark every page they would visit frequently. When we opened slots for user interviews, the influx of people who wanted to tell us their gripes with the site was something the team had never run into before. This taught me that site functionality should always have the goal of making the experience be intuitive and efficient so users don’t have to depend on lengthy workarounds.
Be Patient!!
Sometimes projects and studies don’t follow the timelines you had in mind. That’s ok! I’ve learned to trust the process. Although it can be disappointing to not meet initial expectations, it is important to let your work unfold naturally because you can miss important discoveries if you rush the process.
A way to itch the scratch of processes taking a long time is to break them into more doable chunks. I think a common barrier to progress is having problems that are too big to tackle all in one piece. When I first started at the University of Arizona Libraries, our big website redesign project was in its beginning stages. As I finish my role here after three long years, it still hasn’t finished! However, I have been a part of so many amazing smaller projects that have helped us make progress on that larger project, and I have learned so much from all of the people I have collaborated with over the years. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A Journey of Constant Learning
In conclusion, my time as a UX student assistant has been a journey of constant learning, filled with invaluable lessons about user experience. As I move forward in my career, I’ll carry these lessons with me, always striving to create user experiences that are seamless, intuitive, and inclusive.
