UI Designer, UX Designer… pretty much the same, right? If you’re in the UI/UX field, I highly recommend reading Peter Merholz’s short essay before listing ‘UX Designer’ on your CV.
While I fully agree with Peter’s definition, I do have concerns about the actual role of a UX Designer as described in his essay. The way it’s outlined, a UX Designer seems to become a “Tzar of Design & Production”—not only deeply involved but managing every part of the process. Even Steve Jobs wasn’t that hands-on in every detail.
According to the Essay, the Role of a UX Designer Includes:
- User Insights – Agreed.
- Ideation and Concept Generation – Absolutely.
- Experience Strategy and Vision – I’d phrase it as Experience Vision and Strategy Overview.
- Experience Planning, Team Facilitation – This is where things get tricky. A UX Designer is not a Development Manager, Project Manager, Team Lead, or Agile Coach all in one. Trying to take over a development team could lead to disastrous results.
- Oversight and Coordination – Yes, but oversight should dominate over coordination.
IMHO, Peter is quite accurate in defining UX in theory, but the job description of a UX Designer should be carefully framed to avoid overlapping with Project Management and Team Leadership. A UX Designer plays a critical role as a visionary but should avoid micromanagement. A good UX Designer is a team driver, not someone responsible for every single aspect of execution.