Dear Reader/Designer,
Perhaps you’ve missed me. Perhaps not. Regardless, I’ve missed you.
I have not written a post on uxdesign.com in many years. Why not?
These reasons:
1) I started this site (2002) partly because there was, then and for some subsequent years, too little relevant, valuable Ux content on the web, in my view. This is no longer the case and now quite the contrary.
2) The opportunity to contribute and share basic information and some insights of value, to those entering and advancing in the field of software design, remains strong in me still. Yet the volume of sources and content has become overwhelming as well. Adding more to our contemporary overabundance has held little interest for me.
3) I initially sought to grow it in to community destination. I still would love that. Yet, for better and worse, publishing a branded professional community website for Ux professionals seems a bit passé, since the advent of corporate mega content farms. The highbrow internet seems nearly dead. Long live the highbrow internet. For this and related reasons, partly touched on below, this motivator is mostly moot now. I wish it weren’t. Meanwhile I dabble in the shallow end at uxdesign.us.
4) The above combined with some welcomed professional stability allowed my energies to be directed to newer avocations. To a designer, life is design and design is life. And for a time the design of life subsumed the Ux part of my heart.
The occasional signal of any remaining relevance of my rumbling ramblings here have continued to taper down. I’m not proud of leaving uxdesign.com to languish. I’m continually mindful that is has withered. It deserves more and I know it, every day.
In recent years when meeting truly well known writers/publishers – celebrated “thought leaders” we have called them – in the Ux community I’ve sought advice on how this domain might better serve our community and the rapid growth of our discipline. I would share that I had never intended it to be merely a “blog”, and invite ideas or contribution. Not one useful suggestion. To my surprise also. The best known are, sometimes, known best from self interest.
I’ve never been a fan of celebrity in the world of design and designers. I’ve avoided it. I like to think I don’t have the ego for conspicuous self-promotion but admit it’s more likely a lack of self-confidence. Even so, everything should continually evolve and as long as http and ICAN exist this site should also. My career and self-confidence with them.
I don’t know today exactly what will become of uxdesign.com. But my attentions are returned to it now. It is here to help others – the central intent of any sincere Ux professional. I remain entirely open to collaboration to develop it for this purpose. Entirely! Yet may also consider that it remains mere “blog”, a bit longer. However much I’ve resisted that, if that’s what it will be it should be the best one it can be.
I look forward to your comments for any positive feedback and ideas I haven’t yet considered along these lines.
Thank you for being here!
Were that it was not so, that the highbrow internet is nearly dead.
It seems a shame that there is so much activity around frontend development and product management, but so little on UX beyond the advocacy of specific tools.