Audience Experience

Hey! Random research question. In the Tech Field of Usability, corporations focus on things to enhance the UX, i.e. making a "buy" button bigger, etc. I'm on the lookout for designs of online & real life processes that show BAD UX, i.e. "refugee status" is difficult & time consuming. There are SO many smaller examples of this that perpetuate racism, classism, etc. This can apply to orgs that have GOOD intentions but fail in their follow through. Starbucks offers free college to their workers, but only SELECT college, not a more convenient college program for the workers-like their local community college or an aspirational university which they might actually get accepted into.

Writing something up on that topic!!

Economic analysis of NYC's current takeover by the 1%. It used to be the land of Patti Smith, but now she tells all the artists to find a new city. Joseph Steiglitz ( and his book :"Rewriting the Rules of the American Economy") is on Leonard Lopate's WNYC show right now.  The US has the highest level of income inequality, it's the rules & policies which are systematically creating these conditions.  He's saying that the idea of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, the "American Dream" is dead.  And not because of the ideas we market to ourselves or the politics we cling to.  It happens little by little, because of laws and bills that are designed to protect Market Power (see the simple concept of "Perfect Competition"). The same concepts can apply to theater. " Ladies & Gentlemen, Lower Your Prices? "! The article discusses why theaters raise prices. They do, and scare away exactly the audiences they are looking f

Theater as a matter of witnessing things. We witness each other's choices. Each other's children and spouses. What things are successful DNS which arent. We arrived at dinner in 2 separate cars. The children were starving. We, grown ups, ordered. The kids who came late with a father who didn't prioritize them, sat waiting, and he only thought to order when the grownup food arrived.

I came across the following post: http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/7/28/theatre-saved-my-life-from-depression-it-can-save-others-too And am aware of the positive effects of theater in general, but am recently becoming more aware of the larger pattern that it seems to create. I've noticed positive effects & strange parallels in sports, military, computers and social health in the elderly.  I think this is something that can be further explored across many disciplines. Furthermore, I think that the general perception is about "theater people", with all the accompanying stereotypes of qualities of being dramatic or theatrical.  In actuality, the population is more of a collaborative effort, requiring several different personality types to interact consistently to produce a live event. The art is often a byproduct of the larger psychological experience.  The "Art", in fact, is based on the altruistic notion of creating an experience for strange

This past month, I had an opportunity to interact and be part of a sale of a used car.  My mother, almost 75, was having too many electrical issues with her car (from 1998) and wanted something newer.  She had in mind a budget of $10k and wanted an exterior keypad and power windows, and a few other minor things.  And it had to be red. I walked in wanting all of the above PLUS the idea that my mother would be taken care of.  Not too much to ask, just a little extra hand-holding.  A VERY nice plus was the salesman inviting over a manager who spoke PORTUGUESE.  It is my mother's native language and helped immensely in the moment of making the sale.  He also worked out a deal which helped too. We found what was essentially the perfect car and purchased it from Herb Chambers, a large used car dealership, which offered a full checkup on the car.  She had 5 days to return it outright and a 30 day offer to switch cars to another of equal value. The salesman was nice, if not fully attentive

Ok, that's a bit of a grand/grandiose title. But it's what I want to transition this into. Looking at the best of UX techniques, and Economic theory, with some creative vision of possibilities, I think I can set forth in text, what I can envision for the world. (Of course, this is all too easy to write when I know that nobody is paying attention) "Thought Leader" was one of the many fake/aspirational titles that we were all supposed to have on our resumes.  "Building your own brand" seemed the natural next step.    But where was the actual substance? Anyone can give advice, but when does it actually become useful?  Where do you find context? Vin Scelsa, the best DJ in NYC (or anywhere) has just retired tonight.  He was able to thread together songs into ideas, into whole evenings of delight.  An obscure talent indeed.  And nobody else has it. And the world is now poorer for having lost him.  A problem to be solved. How to keep his voice/his sho

For those who have a stake in the idea that young black men are being gunned down on a regular basis, the world (finally) has video, lots of videos, to prove the injustice. But what happens when peaceful protests cross the line into violence & property destruction? THAT is what gets people's attention (i.e. front page headlines on the Baltimore Sun).   This article questions who got the report right, and yet it seems like the newspapers and the prevailing stereotypes are the ones who will be writing history. Using the word "riot" to describe a few isolated incidents is a cue for those who know about the "Race Riots" of 1967, especially those in Detroit .  Note that when sports fans cause destruction, it is only called a "riot" as a joke . Note how this narrative develops.  It is easier for the headlines to pick up on the stereotypes, and not the groundbreaking events.  2 opposing gangs unite at the protests?  Wha?? Just when the story of #b

UX is about establishing AND following through on Creator Intent. "Well, it's supposed to work like . . ."              Yes, but DOES it? "The system is designed to update automatically and check in with current situations and  . . ."              Yes, but does it work with the Back Button?              Or at least admit it doesn't, so the user knows what to expect?) I can't tell you how many times I hear the Marketing people tell a potential customer that things are supposed to work one way, but it doesn't and/or was never designed to.  Sometimes those are BRILLIANT ideas and SHOULD be communicated to the Design team. If the company is lucky and connects both departments together.  Most times, it is a matter of little white lies. "The product will work like ______"               When the Developers actually get around to fixing the bug.               When I share my idea with people inside the company. --Signed, Your Fri

Gathering ideas with my coconspirator!!