I’ve noticed that topics I might write about here, I ended up writing on Quora. (Actually Atanasio noticed it, but still, the point is the same.) Hmm, not sure where that is going.
An interesting question about how designers deal with frustration. Here is my answer:
I take the product I design very personally. If it’s bad, it’s my fault, regardless of other people. I take responsibility as head of UX even though I can not manage or influence all of the parts of the customer experience. It’s my job to TRY and influence them, to TRY and design something that inspires people, to TRY and collaborate, convince, cajole, inspire, flatter, politic or do whatever I can to whoever it takes to get a great experience for the user. If I fail, it’s my fault.
Of course, I fail lots of times. The question is: How do I deal with it? I feel it in my guts and it makes me miserable when it happens. Of course, when the design has a good user experience, I feel wonderful. Usually it’s a mix of the two.
Life is a glorious mixture of horrible pain and beautiful miracles. I wouldn’t take my frustration away any sooner than I would take my enjoyment away. I’ll leave you with a quote from Captain Kirk from Star Trek, The Final Frontier.
Damn it, Bones, you’re a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can’t be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They’re the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don’t want my pain taken away! I need my pain!
I wish everyone took their jobs this personally. I think we would have better products and services if we did.
One reply on “The UX of Frustration”
“It’s my job to TRY and influence them, to TRY and design something that inspires people, to TRY and collaborate, convince, cajole, inspire, flatter, politic or do whatever I can to whoever it takes to get a great experience for the user. If I fail, it’s my fault.”
This is wonderful! You’ve summed up exactly how I feel about things. 🙁 Unfortunately for me, it means I feel that I’ve failed a lot. =/
Especially around cajoling, flattering, and politicking to get things done. One of the things they certainly don’t tell you in design school is that … design is the simple part.