February 2012
1 post
Maximizing UX via roles devoid of UX: My Career...
Not everyone who studies/reads/graduates with a degree in user experience (UX) or a “related discipline” will practice in their daily jobs. This isn’t a judgement or an opinion, but a inconvenient truth that I am not immune to. In the past, I’ve blogged about occasional conflicts of interest between the few that promote the innate value of UX and the many that seek mastery of UX. Specifically, I...
December 2011
3 posts
Report summaries can damage more than they inform
Disclaimer: I’m a skeptic, sometimes against things I’ve studied or mastered. Nothing is left out of the scrutiny crosshairs.
Jakob Nielsen recently released Kindle Fire Usability Findings, which is a report that speaks to the results of user testing and the summary of the user experience of Amazon’s Kindle Fire mobile device. Summary: I shook my head because it seems to be an...
November 2011
2 posts
There is no Santa (UX Truth Serum)
Do you remember when someone told you that there was no Santa Clause or that there was no such thing as the Easter bunny? Over the last 8 months, I’ve experienced my very own ‘There’s no Santa’ (truth) moment with regard to UX in general, specifically the perception of the value UX brings to business. Over the last few years, I’ve read a few books and blogs by UX enthusiasts and followed...
My Head/Heart vs PSU
The most important goal for me right now is to find a way to provide for my wife and my children. I’ve always imagined that the signs of my success would labeled with the silent absence of distress on any of their faces. To protect myself in the future, I applied to one graduate school, namely in the Masters of Business Administration program in order to gain formal experience and skill in...
July 2011
4 posts
June 2011
5 posts
Book Review: Seductive Interaction Design
Seductive Interaction Design: Creating Playful, Fun, and Effective User Experiences Pages: 240 Number of Chapters: 25 Author: Stephen P. Anderson (@stephenanderson) Available from Amazon.com
Chapter 1 - Why Seductive Interactions? Chapter 2 - Why Aesthetics? Chapter 3 - Are You Easily Understood? Chapter 4 - Are You Attractive? Chapter 5 - Who Do You Remind People Of? Chapter 6 - When...
Knowing IS half the battle
I have something to admit….
I had NO IDEA what I was doing in life, but now I’m getting better at living it…
I’m a father, a husband, a mobile application architect, a musician, a gamer, a native Atlantan, and an only child. A few months ago, my wife and I were blessed with twin boys (Benjamin and Sebastian) and I love them with all my heart. Needless to say, that is a lot to juggle....
May 2011
3 posts
April 2011
2 posts
I'm not a UX Designer either....
According to Whitney Hess (@whitneyhess) I’m not a UX designer and a lot of people that claim that they are, really aren’t. I’m a mobile/web architect, a UX advocate, and a HCI practitioner. I thought I wanted to be a UX Designer, however, UX has somewhat turned into a turf war where words like ‘honor’ and ‘passion’ are being used by legitimates and illegitimates are politely asked to stop...
Why I gave up on UX...
For the last few years, I’ve attempted to transcend the technical in favor of the abstract. I started as a web designer, moved on to programming interactive web sites, and then mobile applications. I realized early on that UX was important and prudence demanded that I learn as much as I could to ensure that whatever I built or designed produced a memorable and enjoyable experience. I’ve purchased...
February 2011
3 posts
Is UCD Useless?
Recently, I found a Fact Company article entitled ‘User-Led Innovation Can’t Create Breakthroughs; Just Ask Apple and Ikea’ (Link: http://d.pr/2o1q).The author, Martin Skibsted, states that “Great brands lead users, not the other way around”. Using IKEA and Apple as well-known examples, Skibsted asked both design teams about their opinion on user centered design (UCD) within their...
1 tag
1 tag
Website Recomposition
It’s been a while since I updated compoundj.com with some meaningful content and after thinking very carefully about the direction I wanted to go in, I’ve decided to use tumblr as my service provider. I want to engage with my audience more on topics that range from video games to user experience and information architecture. I also want to expand the perception of myself beyond just a...