My Journey into UX

In 2011, my journey into user experience design began unexpectedly when an executive placed an iPad on my desk and challenged me with a simple directive: "Find a way to make this a valuable tool in our bank branches." 

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With a background as a 6-sigma blackbelt, I naturally gravitated towards applying my skills to this new challenge. Employing the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve, control), I began crafting content that my Sales and Marketing partners believed would revolutionize our image, turning us from a conventional bank into a cutting-edge financial partner. It didn't take long to realize the anticipated impact was not easily achieved.

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Despite the allure of the technology and the initial enthusiasm from our staff at the prospect of pulling out an iPad during customer interactions, within three months, only a mere 1% of devices remained in active use. Both employees and customers had experimented with the tools but ultimately abandoned them due to a lack of perceived value.

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Having fallen short of the original objective to make the iPad a valuable asset, I conducted a Hail-MAry Google search: "How do I get people to use my app?" That search led me to a revelatory discovery – the Design Thinking process. This methodology, encompassing Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test, marked a profound departure from our previous approach. Rather than dictating what the tool should be, it emphasized understanding the user and their motivations. What is the motivation of a visit to a bank branch and how can the iPad make that motivation a reality?

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Over the subsequent three months, I immersed myself in the principles of Design Thinking, guiding my team (sometimes with reluctance) through empathy mapping, conducting interviews with diverse individuals at shopping malls, and crafting prototypes using PowerPoint, followed by rigorous testing with more mall patrons.

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Three months later, we relaunched the iPad program, and this time, we witnessed a significant uptick with a 10% repeat usage rate. In that moment, I became a fervent advocate for user experience design. Since then, my journey has been marked by a profound evolution in my understanding and application of user experience design principles, as evidenced by the projects showcased on this site.

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Feel free to explore further. If you have any inquiries, don't hesitate to reach out – I could talk about this stuff all day.