Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

For an industry that prides itself on being experts in valuing and understanding people, the UX Industry needs to pause and acknowledge how much they talk about empathy and human-centered design in comparison to how little they talk about the challenging personal work necessary to achieve it. In order to be truly human-centered and empathy-driven in our work, we need to own our ethical and professional responsibility for the experiences we create and the detriment that can follow if we fail to address the role of bias, privilege, and shame in the experience we help create. In this talk, Vivianne shares what she believes to be the UX Industry’s Achilles Heel, how it creates a culture of apathy, and practical ways to grow professionally and personally. Dr. Brene Brown once said, “You have comfort and you have courage, but you can’t have both at the same time. Choose.” By the end of this discussion, participants will no longer be able to sit on the side lines of this critical conversation. Instead, they will find themselves pursuing courage over comfort in both the professional and personal space of their lives.