UX or P.I. sweetheart?
I’ll be the first to admit that being a UXer can be a tough gig. It’s like being a detective, but instead of hunting down people killers, we’re tracking down efficacy killers. Every project is like a murder scene, and it’s our job to piece together the clues and figure out what really happened. It’s not a job for the faint of heart — some days it feels like I’m one step away from a bullet in the head. But you know what? It’s worth it. When we finally crack the case and deliver a user experience that truly works, there’s no feeling like it. It’s what keeps me coming back for more, even when the stakes are high and the danger is real. All I need is a cup of joe, some smokes and a heater; just in case.
The similarities between a project and a murder scene has always struck me, especially as the lead detective (UXer) on the case.
- If it all goes right we get called to the murder scene by the person who found the body (Sales or accounts teams)
- We arrive on the scene first so no one condemns the wrong person based on emotion or assumption. Witch-hunts are still common place if your face don’t fit, see? We make sure no one disturbs or contaminates the evidence (we stop them going straight to a solution without research).
- We identify the body and we look for the cause of death (problem statement validation)
- We examine the scene of the crime for evidence (discovery/research — collect data on the business, technology and needs).
- We speak to witnesses (user interviews) — “just the facts ma’am”
- We speak with the relatives (stakeholder interviews) — “Where were you when this happened?”
- We look for the murderer and the murder weapon (broken processes or broken user journeys etc)
- We gather evidence.
- We look for motives (root cause, not superficial symptoms — so we can solve the right problem)
- We eliminate suspects by validating their alibis until we get to the most likely suspects (prioritised thematic insights)
- The we take our evidence and interrogate the suspects. We put them in a line up and have the witnesses point out the one they recognise to prove who did it (usability testing)
- We present our evidence and proof to the court/Judge (stakeholder) and the jury (project team) decide on the sentence (how best to solve the problem technically)
- Justice prevails.
- Case closed.
Another day in this stinking cesspool and I’m still breathing. Maybe tomorrow my luck dries up and Lady Luck will give me the kiss of death; then I’ll be taking a permanent dirt-nap, but hey, that’s the life I chose when I became a UXer.
I thrive on cracking skulls and cracking cases — call it solving client problems if you want to sugarcoat it, but I call it like it is. I ask for forgiveness not permission.
