UX designers mock-up machines

Google
IJWg37

Go to company page Google

IJWg37
Oct 22, 2021 32 Comments

UX designers are you not sick of being thought of as mock-up machines ? Can no longer stomach this design-as-a-service model in organizations that have no basic understanding of the entire function, HCI as a discipline or how to engage beyond 'I need a mock' mentality

comments

Want to comment? LOG IN or SIGN UP
TOP 32 Comments
  • Google
    IJWg37

    Go to company page Google

    IJWg37
    OP
    why should design maturity of an org affect the definition of a senior-level open role when there is a design management chain responsible for appropriate leveling and 'should' be assigning level appropriate work ? I can't see this being an issue in engineering where the lack of 'maturity' of the entire org defines what a senior engineer's scope of work is . What interview questions would you suggest would be good to ask ?
    Oct 23, 2021 11
    • BD
      Sunavagun

      Go to company page BD

      Sunavagun
      Companies who think we're pretty pixel ninjas just think we're here to paste pixels have never had proper business strategy in the first place in my experience.
      Oct 25, 2021
    • Amazon
      TnzU10

      Go to company page Amazon

      TnzU10
      I agree with you BD. Half the time I feel as if I’m teaching product managers their job
      Oct 25, 2021
  • Google
    IJWg37

    Go to company page Google

    IJWg37
    OP
    I agree to a degree - in high visibility and high user impact work the mock-up can be a good tool to drive consensus and alignment, but I typically see when that's the case the decision making is not design led either and it's mostly about top down consensus regardless of what your data tells you or what your SME desires. UXD is then considered to be preparers of the work to drive others to make decisions and yes you are fortunate if every project you have worked on is high visibility and high user impact and drives business results .. I have had high visibility on low impact work and to me that doesn't feel like impact . I also had mock-up requests from engineering for their own 'book-keeping' of launched work , or mockup requests to cover up the fact that development is behind so let's scapegoat design .. or cover up of some other issue that cannot be easily fixed so let's go ask design to waste time and cover up the fact that we actually are not gonna solve any real issues. It's not fun anymore πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ maybe I'm just burned out
    Oct 24, 2021 1
    • Amazon / Design
      AISI08

      Go to company page Amazon Design

      AISI08
      What team are you on at Google? I need to know which to avoid 😸 this is really so different from my experience at Amazon. I won’t say it doesn’t happen but it’s not remotely the norm. Maybe I’m lucky.
      Oct 24, 2021
  • Even at Google??
    Oct 23, 2021 0
  • I'm just sick of working with incompetent developers, and how they lack some common sense. Like I literally have to spoon feed them and baby sit them all the time.

    It's sad that in this industry a UX Designer has to have skills and knowledge in several areas, but a developer is hired without even being tested on some UX knowledge.
    Oct 27, 2021 3
    • Amazon / Design
      AISI08

      Go to company page Amazon Design

      AISI08
      This is true too. It’s rare I work with a developer here that can produce something of actual quality. Actually, in 5 years, I don’t think it’s happened even once.
      Oct 27, 2021
    • Amazon
      saddo

      Go to company page Amazon

      saddo
      I wouldn’t generalise here too much - I’ve found this to vary so so much. Some developers have done really strange things where I assumed I didn’t need to call out things that seemed obvious/conventional, while some have proactively pushed things even further to improve in ways I couldn’t have foreseen - and I can trust to fill in any gaps with sensible design decisions. There’s a massive spectrum here.
      Oct 27, 2021
  • Google
    IJWg37

    Go to company page Google

    IJWg37
    OP
    yeah. Regardless of the reasons why the perceived value of designers is so poor, what individual designers can do better to get themselves out and having to be 'Cautious' during the interview process or try to prove their value by not 'sitting around', these issues ultimately lead to the UX function not actually executing on its intended function. and seems to be ok by leadership because ultimately UX isn't tied to any organizational goals besides just being a service team that's needed for others to execute on their goals . I am starting to lose respect of how UX is practiced after having worked for so many organizations already - it's far removed from the academic discipline of HCI - orgs I've worked for rarely ever provide design teams enough funding or resources to actually own or run ux-centered programs or initiatives and don't see why it's even necessary - and UX managers wanting to grow their teams so they can get promoted will sell you on rubbish that you don't ever have any means to accomplish and even in sophisticated teams the direction is to just 'give them what they want ' ( give product / engineering what they want in terms of a mock-up ). So this service model just fails the industry and I am no longer able to see the value of my own role when it's set up to be an added value service ( tactical execution of the same UI elements over and over again ) , and not a function that has ownership over anything or held to executing on organizational goals - ( my experience is not with Google)
    Oct 24, 2021 2
    • Truist
      Xeros0193

      Go to company page Truist

      Xeros0193
      I think the only solution is to become the leader you wish you had, as cheesy as it sounds. That’s my goal, anyway.

      Because you are right. UX is often set up to operate as a service that is run by toothless leadership that doesn’t want to give up the bags of money they’re being paid to do nothing while they pretend, both publicly and within the company, that they’re doing highly strategic work.

      I have had local success with just doing what I think makes sense and shifting my immediate team in the direction that I want to go in. But it requires work beyond focusing on getting designs ready for developers or organizing designers so that the PMs have a steady stream of wireframes coming in, and a lot of designers and design leaders, respectively, don’t want to do that.

      If you’re interviewing, I suggest being really clear about what you want and how you view design in your interviews. Most people won’t get it and will reject you, others won’t get it but will say they do, and a tiny amount will get it and will want you on their team.
      Oct 24, 2021
    • Amazon
      TnzU10

      Go to company page Amazon

      TnzU10
      Amen
      Oct 24, 2021