UX TECH EXCHANGES (BUT MAKE THEM SPOOKY)
Part of what I do at the Software Engineering Institute is manage UX Tech Exchanges: monthly meetings/workshops/get-togethers about user experience, human-centered design, and design thinking. These are open to anyone and everyone at the SEI. The goal behind these is threefold:
Build excitement around these disciplines
Learn something new so we can innovate
Build a community — discuss obstacles, share stories, and have fun!
For anyone who knows me personally, they know that I love horror movies. And Halloween. So every October, I give a spooky-themed talk in the hopes of providing a bit of entertainment to our guests (and I admit selfishly for myself). Below are just 2 of the Halloween talks I’ve given.
Spooky Special: Usability Horroristics
We’ve talked about usability heuristics before. They’re pretty good broad rules of thumb on making products desirable and, well, usable. Now let’s dive into making experiences the exact opposite — from designing a haunted house to creating a plot for the next horror blockbuster.
Watch a video version of the slides (not a recording, this just includes the fun movie clips).
Tricks Not Treats: UX Dark Patterns
Dark patterns are tricks used in websites and apps that make you do things that you didn’t mean to, like buying or signing up for something. By the end of this talk, you’ll be a top-notch paranormal – er, dark pattern – investigator.
Watch the recording on the right.