ux

Canadian Tech and IT Jobs in 2018 from Randstad

Randstad Canada sent me an email update today titled “Boost your job search in 2018”, in which they included data on Tech and IT related jobs within Canada. Randstad is one of the many staffing agencies in Toronto and they share this data every year, along with the salary range for different roles categorized by Canadian cities which helps job-seekers in tweaking your job search outlook. What surprised me was the absence of any designer/creative role in software development, so where did they go wrong? They have information for UX/UI job seekers on their website which is not part of the 2018 report though, and I have blogged about my hiring methodology to stress upon the importance of getting creative designers onboard for any product development lifecycle.

The UX Design Collective released The State of the UX in 2018 survey in which they have spoken widely about various global UX career trends and one of the key lessons was the rightful transformation of the UX Designer into ‘Product Designer’ in 2018.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]This shift from UX Design to Product Design is only accelerating in 2018. As our role and responsibilities grow inside our companies, understanding more about business and design strategy becomes inevitable.[/perfectpullquote]

Could it be that Randstad ignored this trend of UX Design vs Product Design? If the report mentions tech as “one of Canada’s best job sectors” then digital products could be the driving force behind it and generally, creative design skills should rank higher in demand on par with programmers. I believe it’s a matter of perspectives, and that Randstad got too involved in pursuing “IT/Tech” as an exclusive developer’s domain while keeping the strategic/creative angle outside its purview. Only they could tell why, but 2018 is the time to give the creative (product) designers a fair handshake!

Source: Best Tech and IT Jobs in Canada in 2018 by Randstad Canada

Why You Should Be Embracing ‘Inclusive Design’

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, promoted by the United Nations since 1992 as an understanding of disability issues and to mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities. I find this an excellent opportunity to reflect on the choices we make as designers of the modern digital revolution in embracing inclusive design for our products.

Product companies are increasingly aiming for an equitable relationship with its diversified customer segments. Designers in the ‘customer experience’ and ‘user experience’ field whose primary focus was streamlining user-interactions would have to accommodate a strategic-level thought process in incorporating a 360-degree outlook which includes a product’s physical & environmental aspects besides UI. For design professionals, therefore, the boundary between ‘industrial design’ and ‘experience design’ has blurred exponentially as customers evolve and companies remain committed to delivering business value.

As a consultant, I am involved in the framing of a viable design strategy for digital systems and applications, and it becomes imperative that I acknowledge the ambiguity of connecting the product goals with user needs and make amends in advocating a design which is inclusive for all. In more specific terms, that means integrating a systems design that reaches out to the masses by helping them achieve their objectives regardless of the physical and mental hurdles. In the words of the legendary Steve Jobs lies vital clues for designers in approaching products from the context of an ‘inclusive design’ which is engaging.

“Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it’s this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”

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Understanding The Scope of Lean UCD Methodology

from Using the User-Centered Design (UCD) and Human-Centered Design (HCD) Methodologies, this is an attempt to capture the meaning and to introduce the ‘Lean UCD’ framework.

As a consultant and architect, I’m privileged to be using both the User-Centered Design UCD) or Human-Centered Design (HCD) frameworks in complex projects, and it’s natural to have pondered over the difference between the two. These frameworks have helped me set aside deep-rooted biases and bring empathy into product designs which the end-users were delighted to use. I did write about the difference between Usability vs UX some time ago, though I always wanted to present a third approach to this methodology called Lead UCD that I predominantly use in the context of reactive product design strategy, in that, I’ve to strategize upon a user-friendly product within limited time and budget and with no prior knowledge of its background is critical. The challenge would be judging user behavior patterns purely based on cynical user data.

While bringing a user-centric focus on the problems individuals & teams often consider several frameworks to reach a consensus on the design in collaboration with cross-functional leads particularly in the guidance of a UCD expert. So what would be a better framework to follow – UCD, HCD or a Lean UCD? Read on.

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