Pop Quiz
Which of the following statements do you agree with?
A) The ideal UX professional is classically a “left brained” individual, proficient in acute analytic thought.
B) The ideal UX professional clearly demonstrates the innovative spirit and aesthetic eye, characteristic of a “right brained” creative.
C) Both: The top UX professionals utilize their entire brain to think on both creative and analytic planes.
D) Neither: Like most career paths, those of UX professionals will soon become obsolete as robots absorb all occupational duties.
Ready?
If you selected “A” or “B”, you are in good company. Many professionals — designers, engineers and managers alike — ascribe to the notion that careers in user experience are best suited to a “certain type” of thinker. These proponents assert that either naturally aesthetic (“right brained”) or analytic (“left brained”) minds are better equipped to become successful UX professionals. However if you opted for option “C” than you, along with this blogger, reject the notion that the ideal UX professional possesses a particular neurological dominance.
As “C” suggests, there is a growing belief that the model UX professional is neither exclusively analytic nor creative. Instead a successful UX designer or researcher should be able to harness both sides of her brain in order to accurately combine user research, usability goals and the desired aesthetics into a cohesive and efficient design.
It is within the elusive multidisciplinary category, the so-called “unicorn mind”, that I exist.
As both a visual artist and a behavioral analyst, I openly refuse to accept the notion that success denotes adopting a split-brain mentality. It is likely this exact resolve that motivated me to obtain a dual degree in costume design and psychology from Columbia University last spring. And likewise, it is my multidisciplinary skill set that I cite as my premiere tool within my UX arsenal.
My background in the theatrical arts afforded me the platform to fine-tune my visual design, story telling and creative thinking skills. Most importantly, I have cultivated a strong penchant for collaboration, problem solving and the process of “developing, defining, designing, revising, and finalizing”. Furthermore, as a student of psychology my deep understanding of cognitive behavior has only served to strengthen my abilities as a designer. I understand how the human brain works on both a neurological and a behavioral level, and I therefore recognize how users interact with a visual display.
So, are you ready to change your answer to “C”?
No? Don’t worry, I’m not offended. Just stay tuned during the next ten weeks while I complete General Assembly’s User Experience Design Immersive Program and allow me to prove you wrong.
