Project Takeaways
At first glance, my interview with my chosen Subject Matter Expert was less fruitful than I had thought it would be. I had assumed that a long-time user like Jeff would have many pain points on his mind. But learning there were not many overt problems facing his workflow and his ability to teach it to others helped me refocus on looking for opportunities that the users may not be thinking of because they’ve been ingrained into their Mental Model of the system.
In my design education, I felt that I should always be looking for some grand “EUREKA!” moment, where I came up with an idea that challenged preconceptions and yet was functionally brilliant. However, in cases like this where a design can be optimized simply I feel a very practical and empowering fulfillment.
I regret not having the opportunity to user test in this case, but it is always important to have a plan for how to do so for future opportunities.
Austin Van Scoik 