ux

The Importance of User Experience (UX) in Improving Healthcare in the US

Wacky Google Gemeni generated image of healthcare tools stuck to a computer screen.

The role of user experience (UX) design is crucial in healthcare. By focusing on patient experience, healthcare administrators, UX practitioners, and business leaders can drive significant improvements in healthcare delivery, leading to better patient outcomes and enhanced satisfaction. 

Current Role of UX in Healthcare

UX design is pivotal in making healthcare systems more intuitive and patient-friendly. However, many patients today encounter bad UX and cumbersome and outdated technologies that negatively impact their healthcare experience. Poorly designed scheduling software, minimal functionality in patient portals, and the reliance on hard copies for sharing medical information are just a few examples of these drawbacks.

Outdated technologies and cumbersome experiences in healthcare increase stress, delays, and dissatisfaction. They cause more work, missed appointments, misunderstanding of data, and fragmented care due to poor information sharing. This leads to unnecessary calls, emails, and visits, straining a stressed system.

Addressing these issues requires a concerted effort to modernize healthcare technologies with a focus on UX. By prioritizing user-friendly designs, healthcare organizations can ensure that patients have a smoother, more efficient, and more satisfying experience and reduce burden on their administrative staff.

Improving Patient Experience through UX

A well-designed UX can significantly enhance the patient experience by ensuring that digital health tools are accessible, easy to use, and tailored to individual needs. For example, telehealth platforms enable patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely, which has become especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. These platforms must be user-friendly to ensure that patients of all ages and technical proficiencies can navigate them without difficulty.

Another example is wearable health devices, which have revolutionized patient engagement by allowing users to monitor their health metrics continuously. These devices provide real-time data on heart rate, physical activity, and sleep patterns, enabling users to take proactive steps in managing their health. The user-friendly interfaces and seamless integration with smartphones make these devices accessible to a broad audience​.

Healthcare providers and healthcare systems need to seamlessly integrate with both telehealth and wearable technology if they are to effectively meet patients’ needs. 

AI is another area that offers healthcare an opportunity to seize the power of technology to meet patient needs, if we can create experiences patients will understand and use.

Challenges in Implementing UX in Healthcare

One of the significant challenges in healthcare UX is the misalignment of incentives between different stakeholders, such as healthcare providers, patients, and insurance companies. For example, healthcare leaders might prioritize cost-efficiency and data security, while patients might focus on ease of use and accessibility. Bridging these gaps requires ongoing communication as to the value of UX and the involvement of all stakeholders in the design process.

Moreover, regulatory constraints and the complexity of healthcare systems can pose additional challenges. Ensuring compliance with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) while designing user-friendly interfaces can be difficult. HIPAA mandates stringent data privacy and security measures, which must be meticulously incorporated into the user experience without compromising usability. Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of improved UX in healthcare make it a worthwhile investment​, one that can meet both regulatory obligations and patient needs​.

User diversity is another factor that can hinder the user experience if we don’t actively engage our patients in creating the experience. Healthcare users come from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of technical literacy. Designers need to accommodate users with different needs and abilities, including older adults, individuals with disabilities, and non-native English speakers. 

Involving Users in the UX Design Process

Involving users in the UX design process is crucial for creating effective healthcare solutions. User-centered design (UCD) principles emphasize the importance of understanding the needs, behaviors, and preferences of end-users through continuous research and feedback loops.

Conducting user research through methods such as interviews, surveys, and usability tests helps designers gain valuable insights into patient behaviors and pain points. For example, designing a telehealth platform that accommodates elderly patients' needs requires understanding their challenges with technology and addressing these through intuitive design features​​. When done correctly, these research activities are led by people who are skilled at UX and capable of handling sensitive topics with your patient population.

Creating feedback loops with patients and their families ensures that healthcare solutions are continually improved based on real-world use. Regularly collecting and analyzing feedback helps identify issues early and make iterative improvements​. Many companies with digital products establish a Voice of Customer program that provides the product teams with constant user feedback. Healthcare organizations should explore these same types of programs with a focus on how their digital experience is meeting patient needs.

Collaboration Strategies for UX Practitioners and Business Leaders

To drive meaningful change, UX practitioners and business leaders must collaborate closely. User research forms the bedrock of this collaborative effort. UX practitioners, with their expertise in understanding human behavior and user experience, can design and execute research studies that capture the voices and experiences of patients and healthcare providers alike. This research can uncover pain points, identify unmet needs, and reveal opportunities for improvement.

The synergy between UX practitioners and business leaders, coupled with a patient-centric approach and the power of AI and machine learning, holds immense promise for transforming healthcare. By working together, these stakeholders can design healthcare solutions that are not only effective and efficient but also compassionate and human-centered. This collaborative approach has the potential to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered, leading to better outcomes for patients and a more sustainable healthcare system.

While every situation will have unique aspects, there are some high level recommendations for developing this collaboration, including establishing clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders involved in the collaborative approach, and Provide training and education to healthcare professionals on collaborative practices.

Conclusion

The importance of UX in healthcare cannot be overstated. By focusing on creating intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly digital health tools, UX practitioners can play a vital role in transforming the patient experience. Healthcare leaders must recognize the value of UX and invest the resources to involve users in the process of designing healthcare experiences and support its implementation. Together, they can create a healthcare system that is not only more efficient but also more compassionate and responsive to the needs of its users. UX plays a crucial role in improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Current UX in healthcare is often inadequate, leading to poor experiences. A well-designed UX can significantly enhance the patient experience. User-centered design principles, collaboration, and AI hold promise for transforming healthcare.

From Zoo-X to U-X: My UX Career Origin Story

Photo credit: Flickr user BurgersZoo 

 

 

I’m a UX Research Director. People contact me via email or LinkedIn asking how to break into UX. I’ve also spoken on a lot of podcasts. Often, podcasters ask me to share my career origin story with their audience. This article will explain how I found myself working in a UX career.

TLDR Summary – I went to school. I worked in a jail. I went to more school. I did research in museums and zoos. I went to more school. I worked more as a researcher. A colleague/friend referred me to a digital design firm. Intuitive Company hired me. I had the right work and education experiences. I knew the right people at the right time. You can do this too. But it isn't easy.

The Beginning

I didn’t grow up interested in design. I wasn’t skilled at creating things. I never built Lego castles. I didn’t draw up blueprints time machines. What I have always been, is curious. I love to learn. I love to read. I love to understand things and make sense of the world around me.

My mother encouraged me to read and write. She bought me journals and scrap books. She told me I should record my experiences. I didn’t do a great job of this. Eventually I realized a passion for writing. I wrote short stories and poetry in high school. Sometimes I shared what I wrote with others. I always held high regard for published authors. I wrongly assumed they were rich and famous.

I wanted to own a business, be a journalist, and write a book when I grew up. I knew I’d be filthy rich.

My Education and Work Experience

I can’t separate my work and education experience. I had three children during the course of earning my bachelor’s degree. I worked throughout college.

I Went to School

I didn’t take any art or design courses in high school. I didn’t take any art or design courses in college. I studied people and learning. I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Education from The Ohio State University (OSU). You have to use the word “The”. It’s part of The name. I intended to teach middle school language arts or social studies.

My course load focused on people, communication, and learning. I took classes in anthropology, education, psychology, and sociology. I also took courses in comparative studies, history, human development, and social work. I learned how people tick, from a textbook perspective.

I Worked In a Jail

I worked at county jails as a jailer for a total of three years. I had other jobs, but jailer is the most relevant. Why’s that? I learned how people tick, from a real life perspective.

As a jailer I learned and practiced:

  • Observation – my job required me to observe and record my surroundings. I conducted inmate head counts hourly. I searched bunks and rooms. I watched common spaces for signs of trouble. I kept a written log of all activity during my shift.
  •  Interviewing – I was a booking officer. I interviewed each person committed to jail during my shift. I had to learn why the person was arrested. I evaluated their personal and health information. I told them how things went in general population. I also interviewed inmates on a daily basis. Inmate insight was key to running a smooth experience.
  • UX – I didn’t know it at the time, but I was responsible for the UX of the inmates. As a jailer, I determined the frequency of outdoor activities. I scheduled trips to the library. I coordinated other activities we engaged in. I made sure everyone ate and received medical care when needed. I helped maintain a safe and clean environment. Bad UX meant trouble. Bad UX might mean violence.
  • Respecting others – I learned the easiest way to receive respect is to give respect. Inmates were still people. Their punishment was to serve time. I was not responsible for inflicting more punishment. I was responsible for making sure they served their sentence. (Apply this to UX – your job is to respect users, not inflict extra punishment.

I got a PhD and did a lot of Research

I developed a passion to learn more about how the natural environment impacts learning. I knew I wanted to continue in school. I wanted to research how people communicate about the environment. OSU accepted me into a PhD program as I completed my master’s degree.

I enjoyed getting my PhD. I studied how people interpret communication about the environment and environmental issues. I had a hands-on PhD program. I conducted dozens of studies in settings like natural history museums, science centers, and zoos. I took courses in psychology, public policy, organizational studies, and many research methods courses.

Literature reviews are a critical piece of PhD-level research papers. I conducted many literature reviews on psychological topics. I became familiar with research on influence, persuasion, and behavior change. Three key areas of psychology.

I studied people visiting informal learning settings for my PhD research. I worked with visitors to natural history museums, science centers, and zoos. I conducted interviews. I administered pen and paper surveys. I observed and tracked people interacting with exhibits. I analyzed qualitative and quantitative data.

I took on side projects with my PhD advisor. We worked with local informal learning organizations to study their visitors. The Columbus Museum of Art hired me as a visitor services researcher while I was in school. I conducted dozens of studies for the Museum.

These experiences taught me to go beyond research and data analysis. I had to make the findings relevant to people uninterested in the academic aspect of research. I learned to translate the application of research findings to practitioners. I loved doing this.

I did more work as a researcher

I took a job as a researcher with the Institute for Learning innovation (ILI). ILI no longer exists. ILI was a leader in research and evaluation in informal learning settings. I was conducting research with people for my job and my PhD program.

I graduated with proficiency in common social science research methods: content analysis, focus groups, interviewing, surveying, observation, and tracking. I was skilled at key components of research projects:

  • Working with clients and other researchers
  • Identifying research questions
  • Identifying methods to answer research questions
  • Developing the research protocol
  • Gaining Institutional Review Board approval of research
  • Recruiting participants (often in public spaces)
  • Collecting data
  • Analyzing data
  • Making recommendations
  • Reporting findings and recommendations to academics, clients, and peers

I had four years of studying and conducting research when I earned my PhD. I also had four years of work experience as a researcher. I knew how to interact with clients, colleagues, and research participants.

I Kept Working as a Researcher

I continued with ILI after graduating. Later, I left to take a job as a Social Sciences Researcher for the State of Ohio. I conducted research and evaluation on federally funded traffic safety and criminal justice programs. I continued gaining experience in key research methods. I evaluated the effectiveness of programs designed for people. I wrote reports for an audience of policy makers and practitioners.

I met People and Stayed in Touch

During college I made connections with people who would be my research peers for the rest of my career. I met Jes Koepfler while working at ILI. She was a super star with ambition, talent, and intelligence. Jes left ILI, but she made a great impact on me. Jes started her own research consultancy in Philadelphia. We stayed in touch over time.

I reached out to Jes a few years later. I was looking for side projects. Jes told me she had a client that needed more researchers. She said it was a user-focused digital design firm. I had no idea what that meant. She was talking about Intuitive Company (IC).

I’m offered a job as a UX Researcher

Jes put me in touch with the right people at IC. IC took me on as a contractor. They offered me a full-time position a few months later. I still had no clue what UX was. But I knew damn-well what research was. I accepted the job. My fiancé and I moved from Columbus to Philadelphia.

I made sense of it all

I immediately realized how my experience was relevant to UX. I saw the connection between what I had studied in the physical world and what I was working on in the digital world. I didn’t understand the terminology of design and UX. But I quickly learned all that. I saw how psychology plays a role in design. I started writing about this. I also found sobriety. I wrote a lot more and published Design for the Mind. IC promoted me to my position as a director.

Words of Advice

What? You didn’t ask for my advice. I know. Here it is anyway.

Maintain bridges - My story highlights the importance of making and maintaining connections. I would have never known about IC if Jes hadn’t recommended them to me. IC wouldn’t have given me a chance if Jes hadn’t referred me. You never know where your colleagues are going to end up. Keep in touch.

Look for non-obvious opportunities – I had no idea how close visitor experience and user experience align. I wasn’t aware the principles of psychology I learned in school would apply to work in UX. Looking back, I see the relevance in projects I completed.

I worked with the Cincinnati Zoo. The National Science Foundation gave them money to add computer kiosks to some exhibit spaces. I tested design prototypes and did usability testing. But we called it front-end evaluation. Same tasks, different terms.

I worked with the Jacksonville Zoo. The National Science Foundation gave them money to develop a smartphone app. I stood in the Zoo and observed people interacting with the exhibits (contextual inquiry). I asked them to use a prototype of the app. I came up with design recommendations based on the research. At that time, I’d never heard the term user experience.

I set up a computer kiosk in the Columbus Museum of Art’s lobby. I asked visitors to navigate the Museum’s website to complete tasks. This is usability testing. At the time, I called it a website study.

I suggest looking at museums, zoos, and non-profit organizations for UX-type roles. They might call it something different like exhibit design or visitor research. Use this experience to hone your UX skills and create connections.

I see a lot of parallels between my past and present work. Apparently, others have also transitioned from museums to UX. I hope my experience provides insight into ways to get into UX. Please share any advice or experience you have with getting into a UX position.

The UX of Alcohol Abuse: Reflections on a Year of Sobriety — July 2016 Update

It has been one year since Model View Culture published my article critiquing the design/technology culture promoting alcohol use. A lot has changed in a year. A lot has stayed the same. This post contains the original article published July 2015, with an additional update to reflect on some of my growth and learning over the past year.

November 2013

I went back to the cooler to grab another ice-cold beer. If I hurried, I would be able to slam this down and then pump a cup of the higher ABV beer from the keg before the next speaker started. I was at a small event, but doubted anyone would notice I had gone back for sixths; or was it sevenths? Who cares? Hopefully other people were enjoying as much alcohol as I was. There was probably a 12-pack worth of beer for each person at the event. Plus, I had done such a good job not drinking all day at work. I showed up to the UX meetup sober! I deserved this.

April 2014

“My name is Victor, and I’m an alcoholic.”

I felt hollow as the words left my mouth. It was nothing like the profound moment of realization I had expected; no heavenly display of angels emerged to lift my heavy heart, no cheering from the throngs of other anonymous alcoholics. Just the same emptiness I felt seconds before making a claim I had only heard on TV shows and movies; a joke in group introductions.

I didn’t know if I was an alcoholic.

There were a lot of things I did know. I knew I drank until I blacked out up to four times a week, and had been doing so for the past year. I knew my relationship with my fiancé was a mess. I knew I had no money in savings, that I spent more money on alcohol than I did on clothes, food, or anything else. I knew I was suffering constant anxiety and heartburn. I knew I felt I was failing at life, personally and professionally. I knew I had seen the second counselor in as many days, the same response: “I can’t work with you until you agree to stop drinking.”

I knew if you asked me what was good in my life I would have only one thing to say: I was working with A List Apart to publish an article. I woke up everyday hoping for a status update from my editor. I loved writing. I obsessed over it in the rare moments when I wasn’t obsessing over when I could get drunk again. When I was drunk, I would think about how I was going to write a book someday. Maybe the next day.

I bought into the myth of alcohol-fueled creativity; I was fully invested in a refrigerator full of it, but greatness remained elusive. Where was the brilliant drunk author inside of me? I would feel inspired to create somewhere around drink two or three; not once did I stop there. At drink four and more I would feel angry, regretful, sad, sick, tired. None of those feelings conducive to creativity.

This happened almost every day.

There are far fewer drunks creating brilliant works than we are led to believe.

Sitting in front of the second counselor, a stern bald man a foot taller than me, I realized none of these assholes were going to give me what I was paying them for: to tell me I could keep drinking and find a way to make the rest of my life OK again.

I was done. I had to be.

I wanted the life I couldn’t find at the bottom of a bottle.

July 2015

I have over one full year of sobriety; not a single slip, not a drop of alcohol. I wake up confident. I signed a book deal, a life-long goal. I have published over 15 articles on UX research and strategy. I have presented at a number of professional conferences and UX organization events.

I have purchased a house and have a savings account deeper than it has been in a decade. Best of all, I have married the woman who was my fiancé when I was a drunk piece of shit, and we now have a beautiful daughter on her way towards shattering glass ceilings.

Am I an alcoholic? I still don’t know. I’m not interested in finding out.

Alcohol As Culture

I am sharing my story so others like me might be encouraged to seek help, and our field might better support those of us susceptible to abusing alcohol live a fuller and healthier life. Digital design and tech in general has a culture of promoting alcohol use, and we all stand to benefit from proactively addressing the issue of alcohol abuse.

I fully support those who are capable of having a drink or two and calling it quits having the right to do so. But the reason I am writing about this is to bring attention to the less pleasant side of a culture that includes easy access to alcohol, and encourages drinking as a means of socializing, staying later at work, and attending pseudo-leisure events where work is frequently discussed. There are a number of us (the CDC estimates 1 in 6 Americans binge drink 4 or more times a month) that are not very good at holding back once we choose to imbibe. For us, these opportunities to engage in drinking turn into obsessions that lead to self destruction, financially and physically, harming our family and friends, and relegating us to a shadowy world, keeping our drinking a guarded secret from all but our closest confidants… unless something terrible happens that makes it all public.

For us, there is nothing positive that comes from having easy access to a drink.

Should you (the you of digital design fields) care? I want to argue that the answer is yes. As a field, we should care about reducing the incidence of alcohol abuse so that we remain as productive and healthy a population as possible. When we highlight the availability of alcohol as a main attraction to our events, or as major workplace perks, we risk becoming a field of self-affirming caricatures — a flock of bearded white dudes holding our growlers of craft beer, getting cool points where our stuffy business or government clients tend to lose them. Doesn’t “Your work sounds just like Google!” simply translate to: “You have ping-pong tables and beer at your work! Wow!”?

As individuals, we should care about ourselves and the 1 in 6 individuals we work with that might be prone to binge drinking at any or every event they attend. These are the individuals we will have to pretend we didn’t see reaching for that 7th drink when we find out they drove home later that night and crashed their cars. These are the individuals we will be consoling when they lose their families due to drunken foolishness. If you don’t give a fuck about the human side of the equation, the CDC estimates excessive drinking costs America 225 billion dollars in crime, medical care, and lost productivity annually. And as alcohol is frequently used to facilitate sexual assault, we need to think critically about our culture of alcohol and its role in widespread harassment and abuse against marginalized people in our community.

I have seen acts of kindness from my colleagues that make my heart swell, so I know that many of you care deeply about the health and safety of your colleagues and their families. I’m not asking you to put a lock on the beer fridge at work, or to dump out the bottles of champagne kept on hand for a new client celebration.

I am saying that if you are going to have a culture that includes, and to some extent deifies alcohol, you need to take responsibility for the side effects that come with that culture. That includes providing a safe environment for all of your employees, and the family members greeting them when they will stagger home drunk.

I am asking you to keep an open mind, and engage in a healthy dialogue around reducing the number of individuals in our field that have or will suffer from situations similar to myself. I promise there are many others like me among our ranks, or that will be joining us in years to come.

Ways For Design Firms To Support Sobriety And Reduce The Occurrence Of Alcohol Abuse

There are many things that digital design focused firms (or all firms) can do to help staff members prone to abusing alcohol, and those who are alcoholics, recovering alcoholics, or sober, to have a safer, more supportive and more welcoming environment, with more choices and agency. I urge you to get creative with the opportunities and have fun with it. Much like what is said about including accessibility in your design, it doesn’t have to be extra work to make your culture sober-friendly, and it will improve everyone’s experience as a byproduct.

Hold events at places other than bars — consider venues that don’t serve alcohol, particularly if you are holding an event that is during work hours. When you focus on alcohol as the main activity, such as meeting in a bar, it becomes a barrier to participation for those hoping to refrain from alcohol. On the other hand, removing alcohol as the focal point presents opportunities for everyone — those who wish to stay sober and engage in the activity alone, and those wishing to participate in the activity and drink alcohol.

I have experienced some of the most meaningful connections with, and learning about, my coworkers at company sponsored events not held at bars:

  • Volunteering at a Habitat for Humanity site — side by side with my colleagues, we worked as a crew to assist with constructing homes. I learned more about teamwork and my colleagues’ talents and quirks than I ever would have sitting in a bar.
  • Softball — while alcohol is available to those who choose to drink, the focus of our team is to lose by as few runs as possible. I have learned a lot about the competitive nature of my colleagues, gotten moderate amounts of exercise, and gotten to recap experiences that never included hitting the beer cooler five times or more.

Some other ideas for staff activities that remove the focus from alcohol include:

  • Everything other than sitting at a bar
  • Lunch or dinner at a restaurant known for more than their beer selection
  • Playing board games as teams
  • Staff curated and juried art shows
  • Video game tournaments
  • Trust falls, trust falls, trust falls

Talk responsibility — Make responsible things like having a designated driver a standard topic of conversation. Some individuals might find it easier to say they are a designated driver as a reason for not drinking at an event serving alcohol. Don’t harass the person choosing not to take a drink at an event; do the opposite and discourage anyone from driving. Holding an after hours drinking-focused event? Provide roundtrip cab, Lyft, Uber, bus, or train fare for every person attending. Yup, it is your responsibility.

Offer health insurance and EAPs — Offer insurance that covers substance abuse counseling and treatment and look into providing an employee assistance program for staff seeking help. Make sure your employees are aware of these benefits and how to use them. According to the LA Times, confidentiality and short term counseling are inherent parts of any EAP; however, only 4 to 6% of people with access to an EAP use their program due to lack of awareness of the associated benefits and the guarantee of confidentiality.

Support employees that express they have an issue — Consider allowing staff to have a flexible schedule if they come in late after a morning support group meeting, or want to attend a support meeting mid-day. There are support meetings throughout the day in most cities. If you know your employee is trying to do a meeting every day, make sure they prioritize that in their schedule. You benefit from having a productive and healthy workforce. Don’t treat staff differently if they choose not to attend an event held at a bar, and don’t expect a response to the question “Why aren’t you drinking?”

I did not make my employer aware of my issue. I did let some of my colleagues know that I was struggling personally and that I was seeking ways to improve myself. I knew that if I told my employer I would be supported, but I was afraid of having stigma attached to my potential to grow in the field. So, if someone on your staff tells you they have a problem, don’t ever assume it was easy for them to do so. I have a year of success and a stockpile of accomplishments under my belt, and writing this article with the knowledge my colleagues will read it causes mini-panic attacks with each keystroke. However, I know that celebrating my sobriety is worthless if I don’t turn around and try to give back to those suffering in silence.

Do not accept alcohol abuse as the norm — It isn’t a joke if Jenny is always drinking beer at noon and working on her fourth by the end of the day. It is sign of trouble. We often tell jokes and recount stories that seem to reflect the good times associated with getting shit-faced. These stories become company lore, and eventually take on a life of their own. Young, impressionable staff might see the smiles on senior staff faces as they recount “the guy that puked on the dancefloor” story, and misinterpret this as admiration for such an act. In reality, we all look back and say that guy was pretty embarrassing, and if we were that guy, we are thankful we are still here to recount the story.

It is OK to tell someone you think they’ve had enough to drink at a company event. It is OK to tell someone it is embarrassing to you and to your company when they act drunkenly foolish in public. It isn’t cutting loose or blowing off steam. Really. It isn’t. If you wouldn’t want your staff engaging in a behavior in front of the board of directors of your biggest client, you shouldn’t accept it in front of friends and family at the company picnic.

I’m not asking you to babysit your staff or to take away everyone’s fun because some of us can’t get with the program and have a good time. The above suggestions will help set the tone among your staff that we aren’t all cookie cutter in our ability to handle alcohol, and that is OK. We need to diversify our image of who we are in design and tech fields, and this includes looking at sobriety as a healthy option that is just as logical as vegetarianism.

Ways For The Field To Support Sobriety And Reduce The Occurrence Of Alcohol Abuse

I believe there are many ways our field can reduce alcohol abuse. I am keenly aware of the effort our conferences and professional groups go through to make it known drinking alcohol (usually for free) will be a part of an event. Unfortunately, as vice-chair of a local organization, I have not been practicing what I preach here. Many of our events include alcohol, though not copious amounts per capita. I have tweeted, even since being sober, that we offer free alcohol at our events. I take responsibility for this, and will not do so again in the future. I want to set a better example moving forward. I believe we only reduce the diversity we say we are striving to achieve when we host events and put out calls for folks to attend just because we have free alcohol.

Here are some tips for what I’d like to see more of in the future from design focused conferences, organizations, and publications:

Talk about it — Maybe as a part of Geek Mental Help Week. This year we saw a convergence of some of the major publications in UX and digital design to support increasing exposure of mental illness issues in our field. I think alcohol and other drug abuse are mental health issues that need to be part of the discussion. We should strive to make these topics a real part of the dialogue of our field. You’d be surprised who suffers from mental illness; you’d be surprised who abuses alcohol. Let’s learn more about each other in an atmosphere of safety and acceptance.

Support groups — We should have support meetings as options at conferences, rather than relegating issues of alcohol abuse to the shadows. If this isn’t an option, conferences should publish a list of venues and times for local AA and other support group meetings. I see that some conferences are doing this already, and I applaud that. I am also aware that onsite support is a standing practice among other fields where high stress and powerful positions often go hand in hand with excessive drinking. Proactively addressing the issue is not a sign of weakness.

Provide sober options — Follow the five tips Kara Sowles provides for including non-alcoholic drinks at events. Provide opportunities where alcohol is not the focus, or at least provide decent soft drinks at events. I’m a huge fan of ice-cold flavored seltzer water. Have some on hand if I’m going to be around.

Give recognition — Promote companies providing EAPs and decent mental health coverage for their employees. One way we can accomplish this is by publicly acknowledging the efforts of specific organizations making strides towards providing staff with access to these essential elements for reducing alcohol abuse. Perhaps we can create an award for the most inclusive organization or workplace that provides a holistically healthy experience for their staff, and include considerations for reducing alcohol abuse as part of the criteria.

My Clearly Placed Call To Action Button

 

Please don’t mistake this for a story about how I’ve overcome adversity and am now holier than thou. I’m not, or else I would have named this article “How I beat alcohol abuse and you can too.” If this article bothers you, you are reading it wrong. I’m not telling anyone that can handle it not to drink. I am telling you to stop drinking if you can’t handle it.

If you have a problem with that, I completely understand. I was in your position not that long ago.

I’m not perfect. I still think about drinking when I’m in a bar and catch a whiff of spilled beer, or while the lady sitting next to me on the plane as I type this is drinking her Baileys and coffee. And when I think about drinking, I’m still thinking about 10 beers or a bathtub full of Baileys. I, personally, cannot have just one drink. And that is one of my biggest takeaways from the AA meetings I attended: I’ll never have the second drink if I don’t take the first. I hold onto that dearly when I experience a craving.

Take this piece for what I want it to be, a cautionary tale to individuals and organizations, a call to action to be more proactive against alcohol abuse, and the start of a dialogue within our community. Alcohol (and other drug) abuse hurts our image, hurts our bottom line, and hurts our colleagues and their families. We need to address this issue as seriously as we tackle the functionality and usability of the products we design.

Finally, if you are struggling or think someone else is struggling with alcohol, but are afraid to start this conversation with your employer, feel free to pass this article along and let me do the initial talking for you. You won’t regret starting a responsible dialogue. Below I have listed some additional resources for help and for some facts on alcohol abuse. If all else fails, send me an email or tweet. Take care.

July 2017 Update

 I have continued growing in my thinking on the issue of tech’s culture promoting alcohol use. I have also maintained my sobriety for over two years.

Two New Takeaways

I have come to two major conclusions based on my experiences since the initial publication of The UX of Alcohol Abuse. When it comes to the culture of promoting alcohol use in tech:

  1. Those promoting alcohol use at work and events are not doing so with malicious intent. It’s about awareness. If you don’t have any issue with alcohol, you might not have an awareness others do. Once you learn that others feel excluded in cultures promoting alcohol, you have the obligation to respond in an appropriate way. We need to continue to work hard to raise awareness and move towards the most inclusive culture as possible in design and tech fields.
  2. If we are going to promote the use of alcohol at work and events, it is our obligation to ensure the safety of those choosing not to drink alcohol, as well as those choosing to drink alcohol. We do this through enforcing policies that prevent people from getting drunk and belligerent, by offering company paid rides home or hotel stays if someone over consumes, and by clearly communicating our expectations of appropriate behavior in our written and verbal communication.

Personal Growth

I wanted to share some personal updates since the initial publication of The UX of Alcohol abuse last July.

I was overwhelmed with the positive response I received to the article. Readers widely shared it over social media. The New York Times NYT NOW app picked up and distributed the article. I received a lot of reader email. Some folks told me they supported my effort and congratulated me on my sobriety. Others told me I had done a good job describing the situation. Someone suggested the article should be required reading for anyone accepting a position in Silicon Valley. Perhaps most exciting personally, an editor from Vox.com reached out to commission a follow up article on the same topic.

Many people reached out to tell me they too were unhappy with tech’s culture focusing on alcohol consumption. However, unlike me, these people were not alcohol abusers. These people had many other reasons to avoid situations where alcohol use was promoted. Personal reasons: medications that don’t mix with alcohol, pregnancy, past experiences of abuse at the hand of an alcoholic, and much more. I learned much more than I had anticipated. 

I realized with the many other reasons people stay away from alcohol I had to go beyond my focus of telling the story of an alcohol abuser. I needed to find and share solutions that would apply to anyone choosing not to drink. On that note, I wrote an article for a Philly tech news site expanding my thoughts on what we can do to make tech events more inclusive to all attendees. I continue to challenge myself to find ways to contribute not only awareness of the problem of a culture promoting alcohol use, but solutions.

I’ve started speaking at conferences and events about shifting the culture promoting alcohol use. I spoke at my workplace, Alterconf in Minneapolis, and Drexel university. I have been accepted to speak on at Big Design Dallas and will speak to the the DC UXPA group in September. I’m also on a panel that is a larger effort to raise awareness around issues of inclusion (or exclusion) in tech for PANMA, a local Philly organization.

Others are also spreading the message of alcohol creating a toxic culture in tech. Sarah Jane Coffey published a highly recommended article on the use of alcohol in startups, and the uncomfortable position workers who don’t drink are in. Tim Allen and others contribute with conference presentations on addressing the culture of alcohol in tech. I hope these and similar efforts are well received and we are able to keep moving the conversation forward.

Oh yeah - I also published, Design for the Mind, a book on applying principles of psychology to design. As one podcaster stated, the book is a physical manifestation of my success with sobriety. You can use the code 39yocco to get 39% off if you purchase the book through my publisher here.

Resources

Originally published at modelviewculture.com.