UX and CXOs
I sometimes have a difficult time explaining what exactly it is I do. I’m not a technichal developer, I’m not a creative, but I have some background in each. I work on social media, software applications, email, mobile, corporate websites and microsites and more. I build strategy documents, creative briefs, brand specifications, content strategies, user flows, site maps, wireframes, motion storyboards, design languages, user interface specifications and lead others to do them as well. I focus on the cumulative marketing, strategy and execution details of software experiences.
Try explaining that at a party. 8-)
Although some of my past job titles have had “producer” or “interactive strategy” in them, I’ve mostly felt that “customer experience” or “user experience” was the most accurate way to describe my expertise and contributions. The problem there is that few people understood that terminology or what it meant.
According to this article on MediaPost the title of Chief Experience Officer, “CXO” and other “experience-related” titles are becoming more common, at least at some service firms.
I’ve started to run into more “UX leads” and “UX designers” lately too… I think it’s a good evolution of the field. By dedicating a role/title to it, it gives the actual user’s experience the importance it deserves in the business structure!
Does your organization focus enough on the user experience to have roles/titles dedicated to it?
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Good post.
Though, in my experience, UX is still a term that mostly people in the field know.
I used to work at a very big company filled with every type of engineer out there. So when I would go to functions inside of the company, and even outside of the company, I would get the question “What type of engineer are you?”. Having to explain myself as more of a designer/UX type became an uphill battle and ultimately they would surrender the question and move on.
So I started to get hip to these people. They get engineers. So whenever asked “What do you do/What type of engineer are you?”, I just say that I am an Experience Engineer.
I have been saying that for a while now, and there is less of a confusion as to what I do.
It also sounds cool.
:)