If you understand the pain points and where your user will potentially leave your product, you know how to solve the biggest problems you have. The mood map consists in identifying the key steps an user will take in your system, site, app, etc… and associate emotions on it.

For example, if your system starts with a long form in a mobile phone, there is already stress associated to this step, so you can add a red and frustrated face on this key step. It means you need to pay a lot of attention and try your best to make this process as easy as possible, helping them to go through it. If after the form your user will win a beautiful and expensive gift (that never happens) so you can associate a crazy smile face with it.

Understanding the key points of your system, understanding the emotions it may cause in your users and trying to be as friendly as possible is what a good UX can contribute to the success of the user journey.

Hendrix knew how to bring experience to his songs. You don’t just listen to his music, you feel it. He is also an innovator, an inventor and one the most creative minds in the history of the entertainment industry.

His product was not ‘more of the same’, he was bold and creative enough to do it in his own way. He played with the guitar in the opposite side and even though nobody believed he could sing he did it and it worked. Is this courage or what?

He understood better than anyone that creating a product was not enough, he created an experience, a way of enjoying and being happy just by listening to his creations. It was not a common product, it was not made to be unnoticed or just to be one more song on the radio. It was made to shock, to amaze or to hate, why not.

All these qualities can be implied in a description of a great UX designer, someone that creates amazing products for people to enjoy, brave enough to suggest innovative solutions, passionate with the result, always hoping to create the new greatest song ever!

I feel things are about to change, it started already actually. There is a common sense about how to approach projects right now that is just changing the game. Small pieces at a time. No more waterfall model, it just doesn’t work.  No more separation between  design and development as two different phases. More tests, user tests, bug tests, design tests.

It is obvious that it is better for any client to spend less money upfront, test their product, get real feedback and then enhance it. It’s better to understand if the idea was really great faster and cheaper, right? It also gives the opportunity to produce more small projects than a huge white elephant.

For the client less risk, for the producer the possibility of long term relationship, continuous work, more creativity, more success cases. Everybody wins! But….nothing is perfect, clients will need to change how they see their digital projects. They will even need to change how they organize their budgets.They will need to trust more in their partners.

All these changes are coming specially with the influence of mobile projects. The MVP (Minimal Viable Product) has been proven to be the smarter way to build success products, and it is changing how companies and clients are looking at new projects. Be prepared, it’s real.

What do you think about that?

UX is a creative practice, no doubt. Our deliverable by essence is a creative approach to a problem. We propose, suggest, test, we are wrong sometimes, very fell times :) but the most important: we need to pursue innovation!

We are responsible and accountable for various success factors in a project, don’t hide yourself, don’t pretend you were not part of that direction when it is proven wrong. Show that without your wrong decision the correct one would probably never appear.

UX people need to master brainstorm sections, ideation meetings and discovery phases. This is the best way to influence and be part of the most creative discussions. A lot of people associate the term creative just to design work, but the innovative thinking should come from the UX studies. Actually there is no such a thing as UX phase, UX is the result, UX is the success measure.

If your work is not innovative and exciting by nature, if your routine is not full of creative decisions, you should be aware that a better world exists outside your company. And if that’s the case I have no question that something is very wrong with the way you are doing your work.

Soccer and UX, two worlds sharing the same difficulties and joys. Each player has his role in the scheme, each creative has its place in the team. Egos, collaboration, controversy, fast decisions and especially the unpredictable moves are the beauty of being part of the game.

There is no easy route, everything is result of sweat and dedication. Waking up early and sleeping late, coaching and training, learning new movements and repeating over and over what is essential. Searching everyday what no one had done before. Being bold.

There is always the leader, the guy who gives the instructions, influence the team’s work, change strategies when necessary, always with one objective: win games. Observe the skills already developed and the others to make the player a star. And the most important, be a partner in the victories and defeats. Take critical decisions with energy and if necessary, change players that does not fit in the scheme anymore, those who are no longer playing for the team, but for himself.

In any team we need a solid defense, consistent results from people that is not expected disconcerting plays, but is extremely reliable and face any challenge seriously. There is also the midfield, it could seems like they are just numbers, may seem unnecessary, but has a fundamental role in the organization and distribution of the game.

The team must achieve balance between offense and defense, highly skilled and talented professionals, who sometimes go beyond creativity, like the offense player who loses several chances, but when he finally scores, it is with beauty and originality.

When the club no longer believes in his leaders speech, strategies and tactics, you know how sports works, if not I will tell you, it will be their last game.