Challis Hodge’s UXblog

I sent the following comment to Beth Mazur at IDblog after reading an entry that described a distinction between so called “information designers” and “experience designers”.

“Quick comment: … I definitely think information architects and information designers are necessarily a sub group. Not a separate group. FWIW.”

Beth Mazur then responded on IDblog.

I quickly amended this diagram to illustrate my view on experience design/user experience (ED/UX). First let me say that if it were left up to me I would eliminate the term. But it�s not! That said, I think there are a number of problems in the current discussions about ED/UX. First, the term is being used to describe a range of things from skills to roles to processes to departments (See diagram marked with blue stars). It can�t be all of these things. Frankly I think ED/UX has arisen as a catch phrase to describe the latest challenges we face in designing products and services for people. It is the �new design�. I don�t think it�s the �new Design� because there are a number of disciplines, roles and skills needed that must come from outside the traditional Design disciplines.

In the above diagram I am describing a segment of a user-centered business, specifically the Internet channel. I believe the only practical and useful way to talk about ED/UX is at �level 2� where I�ve labeled it �Experience Design: Community of Practice� (EDCP). In this model I�ve also left room for some areas of strategy and technology to fall outside the EDCP although I believe ultimately as the customer-centric perspective is forced up to the highest levels, entire enterprises will necessarily be customer (user) focused. I believe differentiation and competitive advantage will leave businesses no other choice.

So yes, I do see information design/information architecture as a member of the EDCP–a sub group if you will.

To summarize, I don’t feel that experience design stands up as a discipline or even role at the level of information design. If experience design is happening at level 2 and not just limited to design and research then it stands that all of the disciplines or roles in level 3 are experience designers.