Rebranding Usability Creates Confusion and Hiring Unskilled UX/UCD Staff
Companies hiring usability employees are not hiring skilled workers trained in all the skills necessary to perform the job properly. In fact, the industry itself has fractured into pieces. Some companies have taken advantage of this fracturing and segmenting of skills by rebranding the work and selling it as if it is something brand new, when it is not. Unless management level employees know the difference between practical skills, methodologies and the long list of skills and knowledge necessary for usability and user centered design, they end up hiring someone with one tiny area of experience such as the ability to create mockups in Photoshop. The role that usability plays in any software application or web site affects both the front…
What Does It Mean to Have a Website?
For as many years as I’ve written about website design and marketing topics, and worked on websites from corporate to small startup, the most glaring finding is that website ownership is misunderstood. In fact, I would go so far as to say that some website owners do not want to know what having a website means. For some people, having their own website is like getting a brochure printed up. Others want content such as services, products and a blog but once the content is on the website, they believe the job is finished. A company considering hiring web design help knows the ins and outs of website design and marketing and more importantly, have skilled staff trained to know…
How Much Does It Cost To Have a Website?
More people want their own website today than ever before. The first question they ask is “How much does it cost to have a website?” It depends on the type of website, who it is for and whether or not you want it built properly. The Education of a Website Owner I’ve never met a prospective client who understands what it means to create, own, promote and maintain a website. A Typical Meeting When I meet with someone interested in starting a website, it soon becomes clear they have no idea what they are asking for. Here is an example of a typical conversation: Me – “What kind of website do you want?” They – “I want to sell my products…
First Responders in Tech Included Women
Response to my recent writings resulted in confusion and messages of support from several first responders in tech who shifted gears, while still quietly working in their fields. Yesterday I announced on Facebook that I shut down three of my websites forever. It felt like I had put a pet to sleep. I wanted to cry. I removed that status because, in the age of communication not communicate, the perception was that I left the building. So firstly, I did not abandon my 21 year career in an industry that still produces “95 Women Who Influenced the SEO Industry. I put to rest three websites, one my old brand, but I still have three more websites. Two of the sites are where I conduct…
