Pablo Cúbico – Every Pixel Hurts

He heard it on the internet.

Is there even such a thing as open source ux? How can we open up the processes of design to open source.

Pablo bravely goes on to define what UX is. Obviously, it’s about the user. UX is the experience a user has while using a product. It can be measured, it can be improved and it can be developed and designed.

Then there is also good user experience, like with swimming flippers: symbiotic, prosthetic, uninterrupted, continuous.

  • UX itself is not a process, but it is an attribute of your product. UX design is a process.
  • UX is not (just) beauty
  • UX is not (just) UI. Visual, interaction design, user testing, performance, etc.
  • UX is not: dropping in an asset library and Bam: UX!

Open source UX sucks, why?

  • Only few designers participate
  • No clear path for contribution
  • Developers don’t know where to start
  • Disconnected lone rangers
  • (Visual) style differences
  • “Can I haz” feature requests
  • Everyone is a designer
  • Customise all the things
  • No proper tools
  • No T-shaped devs/designer hybrids
  • Code health (messy front end code)
  • No room for you
  • No visibility
  • Assumptions, assumptions
  • Resistance to change

Getting involved is mostly a social thing

  • Invite yourself to the party
  • Identify some measurable problems
  • Do some work to show your expertise
  • Be bold, we can always do less
  • Be humble
  • Start small