Category: Review

Well 2015 was an interesting year to say the least. I won’t go into the funding stuff, it’s easy to read up, the results of which we merged or absorbed by (but definitely co-branded) with CSIRO. NICTA is now Data61.

I worked really hard this year at ensuring user experience is understood and utilised to the best of our capacity, especially with the potential increase in demand from the merger. And the business is undergoing the inevitable restructuring that happens so there has been a lot of opportunity to take advantage of to get things off on the right footing for 2016.

But the really exciting thing for me, is the impact on the User Experience team. We’ve now grown to 8 and are in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.

There has been an massive increase of our expertise and time in early stage (discovery and exploration) work with external clients. This has been satisfying, resulting from a lot of evangelising and demonstration of capability and probably also the general interest init from the market. While a lot of work has been for Federal and State government, also included are banking and the energy industries. These activities are also great strategic partnership starters and it’s assisted forming some solid relationships with key partners.

My team are a diverse and flexible bunch and I can only admire them as they teach me so much and deliver so consistently.

Some of our projects go for several years and roll over each year but in total, old and new projects we worked on 27 projects:

• 5 platforms
• 7 early stage and discovery
• 8 products for clients
• 7 products for spinouts/internal startups.

On these projects plus others, we:

• surveyed 173 users
• interviewed 76 users
• ran 49 usability tests
• facilitated 23 “Discovery” workshops with 414 attendees
• ran 1 “Exploration” workshop with 12 participants

Things I learnt this year:

• UX design is not the same across every organisation, so don’t apologise for doing things differently if it’s how your business needs to be served.
• Design leadership is best treated as it’s own design problem/opportunity. Ultimately we all need to figure this stuff on our own. The number of people in your wider professional circle that you can rely on for council (or even just returning a message) is a lot smaller than you think.
• In the same way a client would go to a particular design agency for a certain kind of job, each designer in a team has their own special skills suitable for certain projects, client needs and team dynamic.
• UX needs champions within business development and engineering to gain traction. Keep an eye out for them, chat with them, learn from them.
• Preparation needs patience … a future state proposal can take a long time to bear fruit… and don’t expect it to be the fruit that was on the label.
• Definitions of success are best reviewed in terms of outcomes, not entirely the originally proposed steps or operational requirements.

I have experienced several moments of career death and rebirth. Those feelings that get mistaken for dead ends, where the frustration feels overwhelming or something happens that deeply disappoints and you start looking for a new job.

At the close of my second year at NICTA I have felt these moments a few times.

The first was a frustration of “not being listened” to. On complaining to my husband (my only true confidente)  he reminded me that perhaps this was only a perception (which was true, I was focussing on the ones who didn’t, not the many who did)  but that also I have a habit of throwing too much at people and expecting them to just grasp it. I needed to be realistic and patient and do things in smaller slower pieces. He, as usual, was wise and right.

Second was a severe feeling of redundancy because my projects seemed to drag on for ages, while other project of just a single developer and no designer got built and out into the light in what felt like less time. I wondered if I was adding bloat or secretly disliked for complicating things? Again I complained to my husband and he was gentle but also asked me if maybe I was being egocentric. He most likely offered a lot of suggestions but that was the one I heard. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to examine this realistically and recognised this was indeed true. I was remembered that its not unusual for projects to take years and then lucky if they get built anything like they have been designed. I had come from 10years in media where everything I did got built, fast and to an enormous audience. I had also worked on some very high profile products that launched with a lot of publicity and now that was no longer normal I was struggling with feeling valid.

Third, NICTA had a funding scare after the change of federal government. I panicked and started looking for new roles. I discovered the idea of leaving NICTA was immensely depressing. So I withdrew from the two applications I had started on and found a space of faith and would stay with NICTA and trust that faith, and regardless of the outcome I would be ok.  This was extremely freeing and very clearing. And, it turns out to be ok as the funding is secure and NICTA is moving in very exciting directions as a result.

Fourth, was my delve into, and subsequent distancing from the start up community. I truly believe UX is really important for startups but found no-one wanted to know. Eric Ries was preaching pieces of ux practises in his BCM methodology so “entrepreneurs” figured they either didn’t need it or know it all. UX as a frame of mind for these folks seems the most appropriate to their needs and good luck to them. Besides its mainly all luck anyway and while some quality UX would benefit them, its not a magical formula and they are really gambling again very high odds.

Late last year I was in an offsite were the researchers as well as developers were not only talking about the users but were challenging each other about what kinds of users, and presented information drawn from their interactions with them! I barely had to speak all day. For a moment I felt robbed of my job… but then what better evidence of two years of explaining, reframing, coaching, guiding, presenting and creating can you asked for?

Regularly overhear researchers discussing interaction design or user needs. It comes up without prompting in meetings and talking to our customers is now understood as neccessary.

UX as a frame of mind is emerging holistically within the NICTA culture and this a wonderfully new kind of validation I hadn’t expected.

I have also successfully lobbied for a second designer and we have a great collaboration space now. Our department director is extremely progressive and supportive. Working with researchers who genuinely love to learn and share what they know and are so unaffected by how smart they are has been a rare gift.

My husband has been and continues to be a great listener, has insight into me I don’t have and is an amazing grounding force. Once my ego and fear was removed (and maintained to continually) I am now having a great time and look forward to the next 12 months.