Of the seven teams at the Digital Corps, the UX Team, or User Experience Team, is often the one students from other disciplines have the least amount of background knowledge about. However, our UX Team plays an integral role in nearly every project we do here, and they take care of some of the most important steps of projects that are just getting started. 

So, what is user experience? It’s a broad term that encompasses a lot, but the general definition of UX, according to the Interaction Design Foundation, is “the process design teams use to create products that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users.” While this is not to be confused with our Design Team, there tends to be some overlap between design and UX, particularly when UX Team members work on prototypes and mockups of apps and websites that our design team eventually turns into finalized products. 

Although, if you ask long-time UX Team Lead, Stuart Sipahigil, for the definition of UX, you’ll find that the term can be defined on an even broader scale. 

“Nearly everything that happens to us is an experience. In our case at the Digital Corps, an experience can generally be defined as the interaction between a human and a computer, whether that be in an app or on a website.” 

At the start of a typical project, the User Experience Team gets to work right away on researching the audience that will ultimately consume the product, and finding out what their behaviors are. This will come in handy later when the the website or app is being made, as the UX Team can anticipate possible problems or struggles the audience may have and address them before the product is even launched. 

Raegen Robb, UX Team Graduate Assistant who serves as Stuart’s second in command, defines user experience as ‘human-centered problem solving’, which is an accurate way to put things, as it’s exceedingly important for UXers to never lose sight of the target audience and their needs. Raegen’s grad school program, Emerging Media Design and Development, has UX and usability as one of its core tenants, and doing research projects prompted her to join the Digital Corps to keep doing the same thing. 

An interest in doing research is where the UX journey began for many members of our current team. For sophomore apprentice Emily Otero, this was the case. “I started in this field as it felt similar to graphic design, but also involved research, which is always something I have been fascinated with,” Emily said. 

Studying user behavior is also a point of interest for those on the team, especially for sophomore specialist Chloe Burnett. “My interest in UX comes from how behavioral it is, as you end up looking at problems very psychologically, which is interesting as that’s not the first thought you would have when approaching the tech field,” Chloe said.

A day in the life of a UXer can involve many things from research, setting up usability tests to gain data, and making web/app prototypes (or ‘wireframes’). The work done by the UX team serves as a framework for our remaining teams to move forward with the project. 

“I enjoy bridging the gap between research and design, and making sure that designs are functional first,” said junior UX Specialist Sydney Chappell, who’s been with the Corps since her freshman year. “In UX, we look at problems from every single angle and put ourselves in the shoes of the users.”  

Seeing the positive impact their work has on users and making a real impact tends to be one of the best parts of the job for our team. For sophomore apprentice Jaiden Shortt, this rings true. “I enjoy having the ability to control the narrative, and to do good by making things easier and more accessible to people,” Jaiden said. “I specifically like interactive designs, and adding interaction to things that are typically static.”  

Christian Johnson, a junior Apprentice, has a similar sentiment. “My favorite thing about working in UX is seeing the end result, and that people are happy when using the product,” he said. 

The Corps is the perfect environment for a UX team to thrive as cross-team collaboration is a major part of our process. We are constantly sharing viewpoints across teams, and this bounty of different perspectives is helpful for UXers. Senior Apprentice Angeles Marin finds particular value in this.

“Cross-team collaboration is important when it comes to getting insight on our users, and sometimes people on other teams have different opinions on what the user might think, which is super important for us to consider. As a computer science major, I write code, so I can see the perspective of both UX and development. This also allows me to see the implications of the things I create, and the actual impact it has on users.” 

Although younger generations are becoming increasingly comfortable with navigating tech spaces on their own, user experience work is vital as our world becomes more and more reliant on technology.  

Even when making an app or website that might be seemingly straightforward for those working in technology, you can’t assume all of your users will have the same amount of prior knowledge about your product. 

For senior UX Specialist, Jake Klug, he enjoys the challenge. “I like being able to pull apart things that seem simple or straightforward, and finding out what problems there may be. It is really rewarding for me as it helps with every other step of the process.” Jake said. This idea highlights the importance of UX, as the more work that is done early in a project, the easier it is to get things done down the line. 

Because of the User Experience Team, the Corps is able to reach project deadlines and confidently deliver a final product that is fully functional for the target audience. While it’s true that having stunning designs, perfect copy, and professional videos are all important parts of the work we do here, all of these things can only thrive if the product is functional. 

And thanks to our User Experience Team, that is always the case!