It’s been far too long since I kept up with my blog. However, this space is going to be the new home of reflective journal entries while I take a User Experience Design (UXD) course as part of my pursuit of a MA in Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State. What is UXD, you might ask? Follow along for the next several weeks and find out!
Week 1:
As I look back on the last week of learning, I’m struck by how much I already use many of these concepts in my daily work, particularly as I update the Glauser School of Music’s website and in my graphic designs. The concept of User Centered Design has become increasingly at the forefront of my work and decisions. It’s helped to refresh my eyes and see design issues I didn’t think of as issues before. However, until this class I hadn’t really understood the difference between User Interaction and User Experience. They’re used so interchangeably that I didn’t have a clear definition. While both are necessary to create a great design, the focus in UX on how users feel over how users use it (UI) is very interesting. I think, primarily, I’ve made more use of UI, particularly on the website, without regard to “feeling“.
As someone who isn’t directly specializing the field of UX, I found the User Experience Team Kit to be of significant interest as look toward the future of my career. I know that technology will only to continue to evolve and, as I enter into marketing/director of marketing/communication roles or my own firm, I want to be well-prepared to lead the organizations through it. So often, nonprofit arts and educational institutions lag far behind corporations in this space due to funds and/or lack of knowledge. It’s invalable for me to know the process, the parts of the team, and costs so I can make the best decision possible while also making a string case for the necessity of the work. Overall, It’s going to be interesting to dive into thinking about these things in a new, refreshing way.
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