Design is a matter of life. My grandmother asked me once: “What is it that you do there all day, draw nice pictures?” Typically, designers get pretty frustrated when required to explain what design and its subcategories are. I took my grandmother’s question as a reminder that my passion cannot be taken for granted. It is worth explaining but a good story is better than a few trendy catchphrases.
For a while Design Thinking stormed the world; if I followed the trends so far right, Customer Journey is going to sweep into our lives and take us all on an exciting… journey; UI/UX started as cumbersome and unintelligible phrases that meant nothing to anyone, and are still creating jobs.
Storytelling comes in handy to clarify some of this confusion. I like using it anyway in sharing insights. What UX entails exists in every step we make. Just like design is a matter of life, UX is one of its lifelines. By employing this real-life story as a test case, I will try and make sense of events myself.
It was my first time with this bike-riding group.
Planning: Experience 1
“West coasters are a bit laid back,” is a regular thought that I have when trying to communicate with acquaintances. Maybe it’s not a unique west coast trait. It is an impression and I am not trying to be objective. I hate the idea of arriving early just to realize that everyone else knew the schedule changed. The invitation stated 9 am. In the discussion on Facebook, the group admin commented that the organizer said 10 am.
I tried to get in touch with both the organizer, via Facebook messenger and the group admin via text. Since no one responded I couldn’t even say anyone would be there at all. This is an experience related to human behavior, which is one of the most challenging any of us faces.
My choice is to stay home or experience the journey whatever it turns out to be. It’s the lower mainland, not the wilderness of a remote country. My user experience already involves a variety of technologies.
Tools: Experience 2
Since my phone does not have a data plan Facebook is useless on the go. The komoot app is installed on my phone, and the map is loaded. The other technology in use is my good old, somewhat reliable bicycle.
A while ago I replaced the rubber pads with disk brakes. That was a beautiful change. Recently I followed instructions on YouTube to adjust my front derailleur. Finally, I can switch gears all the way with the chain running smoothly. I don’t even use all of the gears for the short ride to the Skytrain yet, but we will get there.
Motion: Experience 3
I ride my bike to the 29th Ave Skytrain station, aiming to reach the gathering spot five to ten minutes earlier. I am not used to taking it on the Skytrain, so this is quite a joy to do now. I hop on the train that arrives on its way east. Few commuters occupy the car in this direction on a weekend morning. I take the time to figure out which way to place the bike so that there is enough room for anyone to move within and in and out.
My navigation habits are capable but allow for mistakes. Am I overconfident?
First mistake. Passing New West Central Skytrain station, I notice that I boarded Production Way/University, instead of King George. I get off in Sapperton and return to New West. Ever since I moved to Vancouver, I am still in awe of the Skytrain system. I wish it covered a lot more of the region, but what exists, is just fabulous. Whenever people talk about UX, I want to remind them of experiences such as this. Minus the occasional homeless, who rubs off the sleeping marks from between his toes. I hope he’s enjoying the concept of rapid transit as much as I do. As far as UX is concerned, my main concern was to hop off the train as soon as its door opened.
Smells are yet to be part of any app. We don’t have control over the environment an app will be used. We can try to inspire a pleasant experience with the interface. Pleasant could sometimes mean that the user doesn’t even feel that they are using it. That could very well be a designer’s best achievement.
Lifting the bike to go up and down the stairs between platforms is pretty challenging. I have two full bottles of water and a bike lock in my detachable bags. I am back on the platform facing east, waiting for the next King George train.
The technology of my bike intrigues me. The drivetrain, the steering mechanism, the seat, and the wheels all come out of unique production lines. The replacement tube I dropped into one of my side bags was joined by the compact pump, which I purchase some time ago and never used. If I’m taking a tube, at least I should give the pump a chance too. The experience of riding includes unforeseen events.
The longest I went on my bike so far was maybe 10 K. As I told the riding group in the chat, my fitness is reasonable. 60 K on mostly flat roads doesn’t sound too arduous. I reach our gathering spot a few minutes before the scheduled gathering. Or almost an hour after. As I half expected, there is no sign of the riding group. When there are no users, the experience is still there. I try texting again. I decide not to wait for too long.
Human Interaction: Experience 4
When I was four years old, my six years old brother was planning to go play baseball with his classmates. I asked them to wait for me as I was tying my shoes. They left without me, but I rushed out as soon as I noticed they were gone. I ran after them, crying “Wait for me….!” As soon as I reached them, I stopped, fainted, and fell backward. My screams could be heard all over the neighborhood. I was rushed to the hospital and a few stitches sealed the cut at the back of my skull.
What is the experience I am hoping for?
This is the question I ask myself, and this is how I fill in the gaps. I’m here for a bike ride. What I am immediately impressed with are the bike lanes. They are easy to notice and clearly marked. As much as I am disappointed with the dysfunctional communication with the Facebook group, I am most comfortable on my own. No need to worry about anyone but myself; the freedom to ride whichever way I decide; explore optional paths, or just be absolutely free to make my own choices: this is a time off to experience a very low-risk adventure!
And the app. The app I installed starts voicing commands. OK, for now, I mute it, but hey, it can be useful. Since I don’t have a mounting feature for my phone yet, I slide it into my pocket for quick access. Initially, I thought of relying on a few notes I took; just a list of streets I need to take turns into. But very quickly I realize the app provides much better directions. This alone improves my sense of UX immensely. What is it if not?
To be honest, the experience I am enjoying the most is the ride.
After gliding down long slopes and climbing a few uphill, I reach Fort Langley with the understanding that I am not even halfway. My muscles are starting to voice their opinion. I can’t argue with them. They are me. My fitness is reasonable, not good. Not great for this intermediate-level effort.
I’m in Fort Langley, after unintentionally taking a wrong turn and making a slight shortcut. I don’t think twice about having some ice cream at Mario’s.
A few years ago, I was here with my wife and then six-grade daughter. We played ‘elevators’ on the manhole placed between the two benches in front of the local Community Hall. My current diversion was enough for me to keep on pedaling to my next destination, the Krause Farm, on 248 St.
My mood was OK but my mind was constantly switching between trying to absorb the scenery and asking myself if this is ever going to end. I did pass a few riders though. How can I even complain!?
Am I really talking about UX?
Good question. My attention is continually directed toward tooling people for life. ‘Design’ evolved to become a term that is surrounded by derivatives. At one point in time, ‘Interaction’ was all the rave. ‘User Experience’ quickly became UX. Even on my leisurely weekend ride, I keep registering experiences that inform my design process. It is first and foremost an exploration of systems at my disposal.
Apart from my communication with others, I take note of the technologies involved. They relate to each other in a mesh-like enclosure. Paying attention to useful comparisons expands my insights. And it never ends.
But I am still somehow, about halfway through my journey. In Krause Farms, I lock my bike to a pole beside a tree in the parking lot. I stand in line for a refreshing berries milkshake and a corn pizza. Then I quickly browse through the touristy grocery shop and head back to the bike.
Reflection: Experience 5
Some people see me as passionate. They’re not wrong. However, inside, I feel mostly curious. I am switching from one experience to the other almost seamlessly. Maybe because my eyes are open and my mind is engaged. There is a flow whether I am aware of it or not. The world revolves around each of us metaphorically, and in essence, we are hardly moving. The moment our paths cross is our opportunity to engage. Then each of us is on our own again.
The flat tire waits patiently to make use of the spare tube. I even have plastic levers to help in separating the tire from the rim. A woman shares her experiences going to work in the past. She was always afraid of flat tires because she couldn’t change tubes. We exchanged a few jokes and I finish the fix.
The remainder of the way was uneventful, a bit boring with its urban landscape, but not close to being depressing.
About 15 k from my destination, I check what bus can take me to King George. I tried to text a bus stop’s code into Translink’s dedicated service. Sneaky, eh? However, that failed to show a response. My muscles were really complaining, but I kept on pushing gently. I knew I would survive.
A while later, maybe 6 k from my destination I saw people waiting by a stop. The look on their faces suggested a bus was approaching behind me. I looked back and indeed; it was the one to King George. The bike racks at the front of buses are ingenious. Again, this is all part of a system. One can take a bike for a ride and still complement the experience with the use of other modes of transit.
Summary
If there is any conclusion to this fragmented verbal documentation, I returned home happy to have embarked on this exercise. Each experience I had on this day can ignite memories from the past, thoughts about the present, and an outlook on the future.
- Planning allows me to provide structure to the unknown.
- Tools are functional helpers in executing my plan.
- Motion always gives a good sense of being alive
- Human Interaction is what we are all here for
- Reflection concludes many adventures for future reference
If you are creative too, you might find parts of this story personally relatable. If you are just curious, I hope I took you on a compelling journey.
The following is in no way trying to clarify. Just a preliminary mind map that covers the most I could from a simple half-day bike ride. Thanks for joining.
Some of my thoughts turn into graphics that I make into designs for POD (Print On Demand). If you have a phrase you’d like to suggest, feel free to give me a shout. You can do that by posting a comment or getting in touch through the contact link.
You can find my designs for POD on various platforms: Threadless: Redbubble: Etsy: Zazzle: Society6
Design is a Matter of Life 