I’ve always seen the importance in User Experience (UX) but I found it a bit hard to find out where to start with really getting to know the practice and apply it in my work. As a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) associate in a role of Digital Marketing Executive at Salford Business School I took the next step to get myself more familiar with UX and here is how I did it!
What is UX? You might have heard about UX before but what does it really mean? UX is short for User Experience, UX is defined in many ways but the wider remit is to be focused on enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product.
UX as a topic includes the traditional Human Computer Interaction (HCI) discipline but it is taking it further to all aspects of engagement of a user with a product or a service. Therefore it could involve the development of a garden bench, a website or a mobile device – all these areas are considered from User Experience perspective.
To get a bit more background on another KTP between Salford Business School and Sigma that focuses solely on the User Experience – watch a talk by the Salford and Sigma KTP team.
User Experience professionals work hard to find trends in user’s interactions. For example on websites, in order to find problems they can make changes to ensure that the site is accessible to their current and a wider audience. They also focus on creating a digital environment which creates positive emotions, so that users will return to their site.
Ladies That UX
So, how can you get involved if you are also interested in UX? I first heard about the meet up group Ladies That UX on Twitter last year and really admired their open membership policy:
“If you’re inquisitive, enthusiastic and interested in making the world a better place for users, you’re one of us”
During a gap in my studies towards an MSc in Marketing, I decided it was time to get involved by offering them a helping hand with their PR.
Ladies that UX was started by cofounders Lizzie Dyson and Georgie Bottomley in Manchester and has now been embraced in 27 cities worldwide in just a year and a half. During my time with Ladies That UX, I have met many women in technology who are doing fantastic work but are still struggling with the equality gap between men and women in the industry.
Ladies, The Gap in the UX Market
Women were constantly approaching Ladies That UX offering to speak, yet other conference organisers would claim to have struggled to find women who are able to talk. This gap in the market made us realise there was an opening in the market and that’s where Talk UX, the first UX conference to have a female only line up was created.
Working with Ladies That UX and Talk UX has taught me a great deal about user experience as I’ve had the chance get to know people from a variety of backgrounds in technology, but more than anything it has taught me that everyone should take the chance to showcase the work they are most proud of and sharing your skills with others is invaluable.
Talk UX Manchester
Talk UX will be taking place on the 5th of March 2015 as part of Women’s History Month at Manchester Town Hall. If you are looking to meet, learn about UX and collaborate within an open environment, please do come along.
Ladies that UX also hold monthly meet ups in Manchester, which anyone is welcome to come to – the event listings can be found on our EventBrite page.
Want to learn more?
If you would like to talk to me about my experience at Ladies That UX, Talk UX, would just like to get more information about my experience as both a staff member and student at Salford Business School, please feel free to contact me via e-mail.