Keynote presentation delivered at the EvolveUX 2016 conference, June 14-16 2016, San Francisco CA.

1. THE UNICORN IS DEAD
Soft Skills Trump Drumpf Coding Skills
Paul Sherman

2. Deconstruct the UX
unicorn.
Identify critical soft skills
for user experience
practitioners.
Discuss how we can
better formalize and train
soft skills in our industry.
2
OBJECTIVES
http://bit.ly/1XYnfL0

3. Deconstruct the UX
unicorn.
Identify critical soft skills
for user experience
practitioners.
Discuss how we can
better formalize and train
soft skills in our industry.
Marvel at rainbow-
pooping unicorns.
3
OBJECTIVES
http://bit.ly/1XYnfL0

4. Trained as an aviation human
factors researcher.
I’ve built small and large UX
teams.
Teach at Kent State’s UXD
program.
Provide user experience research
and design consulting.
4
ME

5. 5
I’m also a Pixar plot device.

6. The Current UX Landscape
6

7. Everything is awesome!
Source: UXPA 2014 International Salary Survey
7
Median User Experience Practitioner Salary 2005 - 2014

8. Source: The Creative Group 2016 Salary Survey
8
Make it rain! Woo!

9. 53K+ jobs
on LinkedIn!
9

10. So…what’s the catch?
10

11. We still
struggle
for a seat
at the
grownup
table.
11
http://bit.ly/1VVJAqx

12. SOME TYPICAL SCENARIOS
“We need better UX…how long will it
take to fix the product by the next
release?”
“What? There’s no time to do that
much research!”
12

13. SOME TYPICAL SCENARIOS
“Do we really need a UX researcher?”
“We should use that headcount for
another developer.”
13

14. SOME TYPICAL SCENARIOS
“Talk to sales.”
“They know what the customer
wants.”
14

15. Check out this
job posting…
15
Company: [ REDACTED ]
Location: [ REDACTED ]
Job Title: Senior UI/UX Consultant
Job Description:
Iteratively prototype and build clean and intuitive user interfaces.
Optimize frontend CSS performance and stay on top of latest techniques.
Build and test complex multi-tiered Web Apps and UI Framework Components.
Support technical lead with creating clean, organized code in an easily enhanced and maintained structure.
Active support and participation from design to screen layout.
Maintain a high level of unit and integration test coverage across projects to catch and prevent feature regressions.
Practice and encourage adoption of agile development methodologies.
Maintain user-interface and design patterns with live style guides to establish site-wide UX consistency.
Ensure implementations follow web standards, accessibility, and usability best practices.
Utilize responsive web design techniques to mitigate cross-browser and cross-device inconsistencies.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
6+ years of experience with Strong Front End UI/UX skills in a corporate environment.
Knowledgeable in information architecture, human computer interaction, and usability design principles.
Ability to create logos and graphics for websites, proposals, and marketing materials.
Creativity and ability to work with others on iterative design.
Experience completing mockups and wireframing.
Experience with usability/user feedback test design and execution for mockups, prototypes, pre-release
functionality, and production systems.
Understanding of UX principles. Experience with typography, layout, and color theory.

16. 16
“Experience with
usability / user
feedback test design
and execution for
mockups,
prototypes, pre-
release functionality,
and production
systems.”
RESEARCH

17. 17
“Experience
completing
mockups and
wireframing.”
“Ability to create
logos and graphics
for websites,
proposals, and
marketing
materials.”
RESEARCH DESIGN

18. 18
“Iteratively prototype
and build clean and
intuitive user interfaces.”
“Optimize frontend CSS
performance and stay
on top of latest
techniques.”
“Build and test complex
multi-tiered Web Apps
and UI Framework
Components.”
RESEARCH DESIGN DEVELOP

19. 19
“Maintain a high
level of unit and
integration test
coverage across
projects to catch
and prevent
feature
regressions.”
RESEARCH DESIGN DEVELOP TEST

20. 20
“Maintain user-interface and design patterns with live
style guides to establish site-wide UX consistency.”
“Support technical lead with creating clean, organized
code in an easily enhanced and maintained structure.”
RESEARCH DESIGN DEVELOP TEST
STANDARDIZE & MAINTAIN

21. 21
RESEARCH DESIGN DEVELOP TEST
“Practice and encourage adoption of agile
development methodologies.”
“Creativity and ability to work with others on
iterative design.”
EVANGELIZE AGILE & PLAY NICE
STANDARDIZE & MAINTAIN

22. This isn’t just a unicorn…
22

23. This unicorn poops rainbows, puppies, and sunshine.
http://bit.ly/1sCUlT4

24. UX Unicorn
24

25. UX Unicorn
25

26. Have you seen similar job posts?
26

27. UX Competency Areas
27

28. User
research
Information
architecture
Content
strategy
Interaction
design
Visual
design
Front end
development
Adapted from Patrick Neeman. Hunting Unicorns: What Makes An Effective UX Practitioner. http://bit.ly/1U4HVKI
28

29. User
research
Information
architecture
Content
strategy
Interaction
design
Visual
design
Front end
dev
Typical UX skill
set groupings
29

30. Information
architecture
Content
strategy
Interaction
design
Visual
design
Maybe you’ve
seen this…
Front end
dev
User
research
30

31. User
research
Information
architecture
Interaction
design
Visual
design
I’ve even
seen this
Content
strategy
Front end
dev
31

32. Soft skills
User
research
Information
architecture
Content
strategy
Interaction
design
Visual
design
Front end
development
32

33. User
research
Information
architecture
Content
strategy
Interaction
design
Visual
design
Front end
development
Soft skills
33

34. Effective communication
A focus on problem-solving, learning, and personal
improvement
Ability to work effectively in teams
Self-motivation, initiative and good judgment
SOFT SKILLS CONSIST OF…
Irena Grugulis & Steven Vincent. “Whose Skill Is It Anyway? ‘Soft’ Skills and Polarization.” Work Employment &
Society, December 2009, Vol. 23, No. 4 597-615. 34

35. Empathic
Curious
Systematic
Pragmatic
PEOPLE WITH SOFT SKILLS ARE…
Patrick Neeman. Hunting Unicorns: What Makes An Effective UX Practitioner. http://bit.ly/1U4HVKI
Fearless
Self-aware
Articulate
Passionate
35

36. “Businesses have always needed people
who can bridge the gaps between
functional areas. There are those people
– I call them the ‘natural liaisons’ – who
have always existed between camps.”
“They bridge the gulf between groups,
enable communication between them,
and understand the frustrations they feel.”
“A certain quality often brings them to the
role, whatever their job title happens to
be.”
THE NATURAL LIAISON
Adam Polansky, 2006. Changing Perceptions: Getting
The Business To Value User-Centred Design Processes. 36
http://bit.ly/1U4HVKI

37. Identify people’s
emotions and
aspirations.
Communicate the
information to product
and development.
Design solutions that
successfully engage
emotional needs and
aspirations.
IT TAKES SOFT SKILLS TO…
Kelly Goto, Beyond Usability: Adaptive and Assistive Technology. UXPA 2016 Keynote Address.
37

38. You want evidence?
Because I have some.
38

39. My question:
“What should UX practitioners be learning to be
successful?”
39

40. 40
COMMUNICATION
INFLUENCE
COLLABORATION JUDGEMENT
INITIATIVE
EMPATHY

41. “Researchers and designers need to work on how they
present their research findings and designs in a compelling
way that inspires the rest of the team to act on them.”
- Kit Unger, Director of UX, Smartsheet
41
COMMUNICATION
INFLUENCE

42. “Economy of information. Being understood is more important
than using all your big-kid words and buzz-words.”
“All your deliverables need to be usable for your team and
stakeholders.”
- Adam Polansky, UX Strategist, Bottle Rocket Studios
42
COMMUNICATION
INFLUENCE

43. “That 40-page usability study report that you got a 4.0 on at
school won't be useful for (or read by) most companies.”
“Your work must always have something that can be acted
upon by your client / team.”
- Rebecca Destello, Senior UX Researcher, Atlas Informatics
43
COMMUNICATION
INFLUENCE

44. “How to influence executives to give you funding for the
team / goals.”
- Wendy McKibben Spies, Director of Engineering Strategy, Microsoft
44
COMMUNICATION
INFLUENCE

45. “The concept of ‘that's not my job’ deserves a Batman-
slapping-Robin kind of reply.
The product's success IS your job. And if that means you
need to stay late with the developers, so be it.”
- John Athayde, VP Design, Cargosense
45
COLLABORATION

46. 46

47. “Dive in to understand the business needs as well as user
needs.”
- Patrick Neeman, whisky aficionado / troublemaker
47
COLLABORATION

48. “That synthesis and analysis are not the same thing, they are
actually the opposite of each other.”
“Rigorous analysis (take apart / deconstruct) and synthesis
(put back together / reconstruct) methods make or break a
good researcher.”
- Kelly Goto, Principal, Goto Research
48
JUDGEMENT
INITIATIVE

49. “Critical thinking, scaffolding hypotheses and assumptions,
interpreting insights.”
- Ha Phan, Principal Designer, GoPro
“Critical thinking and the art of taking [criticism].”
- Rachel Nabors, web animation expert
49
JUDGEMENT
INITIATIVE

50. “Grit.”
- Amy Chenault, Experience Architect, IBM
50
JUDGEMENT
INITIATIVE

51. “Learn about the technologies that your designs will be
implemented in.”
“You should have a conceptual understanding of HTML, CSS,
Javascript, jQuery, or whatever technology stack the
development team is using.”
- Anonymous (no not /that/ Anonymous)
51
EMPATHY

52. “Apply your UX skills (and that famous ‘empathy’) to your co-
workers, especially those who are not designers.”
- Christian Crumlish, Head of Product, 7 Cups
52
EMPATHY

53. No one said “learn to write production HTML/CSS
and Javascript.”
Nor did they say “learn Sketch or tool X.”
53
COLLABORATION JUDGEMENT
INITIATIVE
EMPATHYCOMMUNICATION
INFLUENCE

54. Can Soft Skills Be Taught?
54

55. “[Natural liaisons] bridge the gulf between groups, enable
communication between them, and understand the
frustrations they feel.”
“A certain quality often brings them to the role, whatever their
job title happens to be.”
ARE NATURAL LIAISONS BORN THAT WAY?
55

56. Soft skill interventions work.
56

57. 57
In 1989: 40 fatal commercial aviation accidents.
In 2014: 9 accidents.
http://www.planecrashinfo.com/cause.htm

58. More than 2/3 of crashes
were due to “pilot error.”
Analysis of flight deck
recordings from crashes
revealed that junior officers
often knew something was
wrong, but didn’t speak up.
Commercial pilots were
taught that the captain was
never to be questioned.
BACK IN THE MID-1980’S…
http://bit.ly/2617bJb 58

59. Pilots were taught new ways of working
together that reflected these ideas:
Human error is inevitable. The captain is
not always right!
Junior officers have a duty to speak up if
they think something is wrong.
Crews should cross-check each other
and question each other’s assumptions.
Crews should debrief and critique after
each flight.
Soft skills
}
STARTING AROUND 1990…
59

60. The results speak for themselves.
60

61. These same techniques have also been
successfully deployed in medicine.
Have you noticed that each caregiver now asks
you your name and why you’re there?
61

62. How Do We Evolve UX To
Focus On Soft Skills?
62

63. IT’S (INTER) PERSONAL… AND ORGANIZATIONAL
63

64. What sub-cultures exist in
your organizations?
Where are the leverage
points?
Who are the leverage
points?
64
UX
YOU’RE A UX CHANGE AGENT

65. START THE UX SOFT SKILLS REVOLUTION
65
Say no to the unicorn.

66. START THE UX SOFT SKILLS REVOLUTION
66
Say no to the unicorn.
Start - or join - the soft skills training conversation in your organization.

67. START THE UX SOFT SKILLS REVOLUTION
67
Say no to the unicorn.
Start - or join - the soft skills training conversation in your organization.
Hire people who can communicate, collaborate, influence, and show
good judgement.

68. START THE UX SOFT SKILLS REVOLUTION
68
Say no to the unicorn.
Start - or join - the soft skills training conversation in your organization.
Hire people who can communicate, collaborate, influence, and show
good judgement.
Set goals for and measure demonstration of these skills.

69. START THE UX SOFT SKILLS REVOLUTION
69
Last and not least…
Teach soft skills to UX students at the beginning of
their careers.

70. 70
We’re at the very beginning of this journey.
http://bit.ly/1OsEYXk

71. Paul Sherman
paul@shermanux.com
@pjsherman
Get this presentation:
www.slideshare.net/PaulSherman
71
http://bit.ly/1Ubw7M9