This summer we worked with IS Helpline, Student Induction and Student Systems to improve our digital provision for new students.

The University provides access for staff and students to a wealth of online learning through Lynda.com. I’ve been working my way through much of the UX provision and can strongly recommend a playlist I compiled of sessions by Chris Nodder.

Last month, I presented a session at the annual UX Scotland conference. It was a great honour to appear on the same programme as people with a world-wide reputation in the field such as Jared Spool and Dana Chisnell. In this post, I’ve included my slides and a transcript of what I said.

I had an opportunity to attend a masterclass held by Gerry McGovern, the pioneer of top tasks — a key user research tool used by our team for ten years.

This week we ran our first event to showcase the work of the pilot User Experience Service and associated areas like EdGEL and strategy development. At this session I wanted to try a different approach, encouraging dialogue about our work-in-progress, rather than one-way dissemination.

When we edit and structure web content, words are important. But having an understanding of why we’re doing it underpins everything.

I’ve recently been learning about an approach to marketing and product management strategy called ‘Jobs to be done’. It seems an excellent way to bring business and user goals into alignment, and one to explore further in our thinking about product development.

I’m in the middle of reading the new book by Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden: Sense and Respond. I’ve finding it pretty inspirational and yesterday at our Web Publishers Community session a short webinar on the topic prompted some interesting conversation.

I’ve been accepted as a contributor at this year’s UX Scotland conference, happening at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh from 7 to 9 June 2017.

A programme of projects centered around user experience (UX) are now up and running, providing new processes, services and training to key University-wide initiatives.