Author: whysel

I answer questions about UX, Information Architecture and other topics on Quora. A selection of these answers will be reposted on Medium with occasional, minor editing for clarity. I took a break in from posting in January. Following are selected questions I answered in March.

Is it useful/worth getting an MFA in Communication Design to become a UX designer in the USA after years of internet industry experience in China?

March 17, 2018

In the USA, a MFA is often a minimum requirement for teaching the arts full time in higher education. Many programs require a PhD. There are many successful UX designers with master level degrees in film, psychology, media/communications, digital design, business, library science and other disciplines. Salary surveys do show greater earning power for those with masters level education. But I would agree with the other answers here that experience outweighs the degree, particularly for entering the field.

If you do choose to pursue masters level education, look for a program that provides hands on project work or practicum training. Many boot camp programs specialize in helping students develop a portfolio, but you should have a clear understanding of the reputation of the program in the city where you want to work as they vary greatly and can be expensive.

Update (05/27/2018): Another consideration to think about is that, as a foreign national, having a degree from a known US institution could be an advantage. But because it is such a large investment, it would make sense to do research to see if it makes a huge difference in salary and employability.

Is the BCS Foundation certificate in user experience recognized in the USA?

March 4, 2018

I had never heard of this certificate either, but it doesn’t mean that it has no value. There are numerous certification programs in the US and throughout the world. Some have more name recognition than others and depending on the reputation could be a plus. It could be of interest to a hiring manager if you are transitioning from another field, because it would demonstrate a commitment to learning the basics. It can also give you confidence in understanding the tools and practices of the field. If you are considering a certicate in lieu of a degree, that would be another story. Many if not most junior level UX positions require at least an undergraduate degree and some work experience.

Here’s where it gets kind of fun. Really, there is no UX certificate that is a definitive, required program in the US. While there are competing programs out there, many are expensive, meant for higher level employees or are competitive and have very limited seating and availability. There are tons of other programs at universities, boot camps, conferences, one day workshops and even books, online classes, videos and tutorials.

Pick what works best for you:

Do you like a classroom where you can meet with a real instructor and other students to work on group projects?

Would a virtual setting with a real instructor and real student partners be OK?

Or are you fine with picking up a book or watching video tutorials by yourself? If so, pick a tool that looks fun and do their tutorials.

Either way, read books and blogs to get familiar with UX concepts and strategies. Medium has a lot of good UX content. Also check out the content libraries at User Interface Engineering, Interaction Design Foundation or UXMatters.com. Rosenfeld Media is a good source of UX books. New Riders from Peachpit Press also has many good titles like Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think. Be sure to join a meetup or Slack group that discusses UX or the tools you like and see what people are doing with it. Look at people’s portfolios and read their stories.

Then write your story. A good UX Designer is a good story teller. Think about why you want to be in this field. What have you observed in your life that could be part of that story? What is your own user journey like? What have you noticed that could be designed better? What pain points do you wish you could fix? Show through these stories how you think through these problems from the user perspective.

It’s that time of year again: Open enrollment for marketplace health plans, and the choices are no less daunting this year. If you recall last year, Decision Fish published an article, Health Insurance Enrollment: A Superhuman Decision in which we noted that people tend to respond to the choice and information overload presented by this type of decision with (biased) short-cuts (heuristics), procrastination and a general feeling of unhappiness.

This year’s decision is exacerbated by a much shorter enrollment period and uncertainty regarding subsidies the government would make available to insurance companies, which in turn led companies to price their plans without a clear picture of the actual costs. Insurers are passing along that uncertainty to subscribers in the form of much higher premiums. In our case, our current plan has been eliminated and the closest plan for 2018 is going to be about $600 more per month in premiums, albeit with a slightly lower deductible.

If you are purchasing a health insurance plan for 2018 through a State or Federal marketplace, open enrollment is November 1 to December 31 in most areas. Where we live in New York, enrollment was extended with a start date of November 16.

The NY State of Health marketplace websites lists 23 companies and 48 pages of plans. At ten plans per page, that’s nearly 500 options. If you are purchasing a family plan with a subsidy, your choices narrow to seven pages, but that is still 70 plans to review.

For most people a much shortened period, compared with last year, as well as additional barriers such as mandatory maintenance of the Federal Healthcare.gov site on most Sundays during the enrollment period, means subscribers have less time to evaluate an increasingly complex set of services and much more chance of succumbing to cognitive biases that can impair an optimal choice.

So, how does one make an effective choice?

We recommend following a similar process outlined in last year’s article. We were somewhat gratified that our 2017 plan was discontinued as it likely mean we picked one that favored subscribers. But even if it hadn’t been eliminated it makes sense to re-evaluate our situation based on our expectation of upcoming expenses.

Consider changes in your personal and family makeup, such as a new job, new baby or a child entering college that can affect your coverage needs. As can reaching the age 50 bump which means fun new tests or treatment (colonoscopy, anyone?) or reaching an age where Medicare becomes available.

Given the uncertainty of the healthcare market and the uncertainty of our own earnings for 2018, we selected the least expensive plan that will cover all of the likely procedures and doctor visits we expect for the new year. This frees up funds that we can invest or have on hand for emergencies and allows us to afford an occasional out of network visit, if needed.

Best of health to you in 2018!

I answer questions about UX, Information Architecture and other topics on Quora. A selection of these answers will be reposted on Medium with occasional, minor editing for clarity. Following are selected questions I answered in November.

What are the best, most credible, and reliable online resources for accessibility and UX/UI best practices?

Answered November 26, 2017

Because federal websites in the US are required to design to strict accessibility rules, Usability.gov is an excellent resource. Simple layout with best practices for accessibility. The Interaction Design Foundation has Accessibility resources (What is Accessibility?) that are more international in scope.

An expert in accessibility that I follow is Whitney Quesenbery. She wrote a book on accessible design for Rosenfeld Media and is a frequent contributor at UX Matters (Whitney Quesenbery).

What salary should I expect to discuss as a UX designer with a PhD plus eight years experience?

Answered November 16, 2017

I believe it depends on the role. Most of the positions I’ve seen that require a PhD tend to be more quantitative or have a data science component where a PhD would indicate competence. These positions pay higher salaries because of the quantitative requirement. For positions that’s do not have a heavily quantitative role, subject matter expertise or teaching experience from a PhD program could qualify you for higher pay or a more senior role.

There are several salary surveys which may indicate a base salary for UX designers with various degrees. These should give you a starting point.

Comparably

IA Institute Salary & Skills Research

UXPA 2016 Salary Survey Results