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15 Signs You Work in UX

by Pamela Gay , 01.11.2012

Have you ever found yourself scrutinizing the wording and diagrams in instruction manuals? Do friends ask you for help figuring out how to work a device and your first impulse is to ask, “how do you think it should work?” Prognosis: you’re probably a UX researcher with a keen eye for detail.

The UX consultants at GfK crafted a list of tell-tale signs that you work in UX:

1. You’re totally comfortable around one-way mirrors
2. Redesigning a call center application sounds like fun to you
3. Your spice rack is organized by frequency of use and is within arms-reach of the stovetop
4. You enjoy responding to questions with questions
5. You wear a point-of-view camera when you go to the supermarket
6. You take time to explain signage and labeling shortcomings to store clerks and airport attendants
7. You rage at ambiguously designed traffic signals
8. You actually read the manuals of things you buy, but only to look for errors and mistakes
9. You can’t use any interactive device without analyzing its interface
10. You still cannot explain your job in one sentence to your grandma
11. To you, card sorting is not a poker trick
12. You are immediately tempted to write an expert review whenever confronted with a weird check-out process
13. Your mom is a persona
14. A horrible user experience causes you physical pain
15. You encounter online surveys while browsing the web and automatically start making screenshots

Researchers, what other “signs” would you add to this list? And no, you may not answer that question with another question…