Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgp-9pgciZ8 For the closing keynote presentation for UXPA2015 in beautiful Coronado, I break it to the attendees and UXers everywhere that they can not be happy. I'm sorry.

1. C O N D O L E N C E S O N
Y O U R U X C A R E E R
Q U E S T I O N A B L E C H O I C E S

2. – M I L I S S A
“UXers are masochists.”

3. WAY B A C K

4. B E G I N N I N G O F T I M E
1 9 9 5

5. I W O R K E D H E R E

6. H E R E
O R R A T H E R

7. 1 5 Y E A R S O F R E - O R G S

8. “ W H AT T H E # & $ ^ ! I S U I ? ”
– M Y N E W M A N A G E R / E X E C U T I V E

9. “ W H AT I S U I ? ” I N T H E D R A W E R
A N E M P T Y
C A R D B O A R D B O X U N D E R
T H E D E S K
&

10. W E E X P L A I N
O U R R O L E T O
T H E W O R L D

11. # T R U T H
D AV E G R AY, 2 0 1 4

12. W E H AV E C O M P L A I N T S

13. – E V E RY U X D E S I G N E R E V E R
“Developers don't follow instructions.”

14. – E V E RY U X D E S I G N E R E V E R
“Product is prescribing design solutions instead of
stating requirements.”

15. – E V E RY U X R E S E A R C H E R E V E R
“ The testing is too late to have an impact on the
shipped product.”

16. – E V E RY U X R E S E A R C H E R E V E R
“ The team is dictating methodology or script
instead of stating goals for testing.”

17. U G H . U X I S H A R D .

18. W W W. N N G R O U P. C O M / R E P O R T S / U S E R - E X P E R I E N C E -
C A R E E R S
“People who said they were unsatisfied usually
mentioned reasons related to their current
company or role, not about the work itself. In fact
many were unhappy because they didn’t get
to do enough UX or they weren’t able to be
as effective as they would like to be.”

19. – M I L I S S A , R I G H T N O W.
“See? I told you. UXers are masochists.”

20. – S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T
W W W. N N G R O U P. C O M / R E P O R T S / U S E R - E X P E R I E N C E -
C A R E E R S
“Everything I needed to know in UX design I
learned by playing Dungeons and Dragons.”

21. S O LV I N G T H E P R O B L E M S
O F U X T H R O U G H O R G
W E ’ R E T RY I N G

22. D E S I G N , P R O D U C T &
E N G I N E E R I N G A R E P E E R S

23. B U S I N E S S I S C H A N G I N G
M E A N W H I L E …

25. D E S I G N I S T H E D A R L I N G
O F B U S I N E S S

26. U X I S T H E D A R L I N G O F
D E S I G N

28. U X C A N N O T E X I S T
W I T H O U T R E S E A R C H

30. P R O B L E M S AT T H E T O P

31. – M A R I A G I U D I C E + C H R I S T O P H E R I R E L A N D
R I S E O F T H E D E O
“… design leaders usually possess characteristics,
behaviors, and mindsets that enable them to excel
in unpredictable, fast-moving, and value-charged
conditions.”

33. L E A H B U L E Y

34. A N D T H E N , T H I S
H A P P E N E D :

37. W E C A N B E H A P P Y
N O W, R I G H T ?

38. No.

39. – R U S S W I L S O N . L I K E , Y E S T E R D AY
“Empathy. Tenacity …and some other stuff.”

40. T O C R E AT E S O L U T I O N S W E
M U S T F O C U S O N P R O B L E M S

41. P R O B L E M S A R E
E V E RY W H E R E

42. C A R E E R A D VA N C E M E N T =
F O C U S O N B I G G E R P R O B L E M S

43. W E H AV E N O C H O I C E ,
B U T W E H AV E A C H A N C E

44. Y O U R G I F T / C U R S E C A N F I X
M O R E T H A N Y O U T H I N K

45. # F O C U S
D AV E G R AY, 2 0 1 4

46. – S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T
W W W. N N G R O U P. C O M / R E P O R T S / U S E R - E X P E R I E N C E -
C A R E E R S
“I get to make people’s lives better by using
less frustrating products, it’s an intellectual
challenge, and it’s a niche that continues to have
more demand than supply"

47. – S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T
W W W. N N G R O U P. C O M / R E P O R T S / U S E R - E X P E R I E N C E -
C A R E E R S
“I feel that my work means something.“

48. – S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T
W W W. N N G R O U P. C O M / R E P O R T S / U S E R - E X P E R I E N C E -
C A R E E R S
“I know my work helps people.“

49. – S U R V E Y R E S P O N D E N T
W W W. N N G R O U P. C O M / R E P O R T S / U S E R - E X P E R I E N C E -
C A R E E R S
“Best thing I ever did.”

50. M I L I S S A TA R Q U I N I
@ M I L I S S A
Thank you