Log in to like this post! ISTA 2015 Recap | Time for Software to Grow Up Kevin Richardson, Ph.D. / Friday, January 15, 2016 On 19 November, 2015 I spoke at the Innovations in Software Technologies and Automation (ISTA) conference in Sofia, Bulgaria. My presentation, “Design, Usability and Complex Systems”, centered on the notion that people (developers, business owners, the general public) believe that software is somehow “special” and exempt from the notion that everything should be well-designed. The Role of UX This, of course, couldn’t be further from the truth. Our role, the role of UX, needs to be one of showing people – users and developers alike - a better way. Within existing software development processes, UX works to discover not only what users want but also what they need and to then coordinate these “requirements” with business requirements and technological constraints. Within the UX Design process software evolves, not simply into an ever-increasing list of features and functions, but into applications that improve peoples’ lives in ways they could not have requested. Interested in more? Take a look at my presentation, peruse my blogs or follow me on Twitter @khr_ux. --------------------------------------------------------- Kevin Richardson has been working in the area of user experience for 25 years. With a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, he has deep experience across business verticals. On the weekends, you can find Kevin on his motorcycle, racing for Infragistics Racing.