Icon Library

In the broadest of senses, an interface is the conjunction of means with which we can interact with any system, be that a complex shampoo dispenser, a brand new Macintosh or a cellphone. And this week’s guest is one of the rising stars in the field of user interface development in the world. Imagine him as a Joss Stone of UX design, (If we placed ourselves 6 years ago that is.) What most impressed me about Andrew when we met him was his wide range of interests beyond computing, like photography and music. This is a guy that has so much talent inside that it flows throughout his many different passions.

He is very well known for his web site UXBooth, where he and his pals reviewed submitted websites in a scale form 1 to 5 from their user experience. He was featured earlier this year as one of the 10 User interface Rockstars by “fuel your interface”.

A big fish indeed. So ladies and gentlemen, with no further ado, here it is: Andrew Maier.

1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How old are you? where did you study?

I’m a recently-turned 24-year-old who loves creating things. In my creations I try and champion simplicity, beauty, and purpose.  Along the same lines, I like helping people communicate who share these values.

I studied Discrete Mathematics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. I started in Computer Science but decided, after an internship, that I didn’t want to work in a cubicle in front of a computer all day (my the irony!).  After my internship, I branched out as much as I could: I dabbled in graphic design, music, photography, theatre, and eventually settled in mathematics.

Many people asked me why I chose mathematics. I like how abstract the “languages” of mathematics, music, and art are; like universal mediums. After reading the fantastic book Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, I was certain that I wanted to study all of these in as much detail as possible. I suppose that led me to design, by way of mathematics.

2. What is user interface design?

User Interface Design is a very multi-faceted discipline that aspires to create intuitive visual (and physical) representations of functional systems. In other words, everything that goes into how a user will manipulate a system.

To this end, designers can give users any of a number of controls to manipulate their system. Providing too many controls will overwhelm users. Providing too few will belie the complexity of the system.

The challenge, then, is to find a balance between allowing too much insight into the structure of the thing, while not obscuring it’s underlying functionality. This makes our discipline especially challenging. It’s the same for all designers. A good UI designer needs to understand both users and engineers, while also exhibiting a sense of aesthetics.

3. Why did you get interested in user experience development? was it circumstantial or did you pursue that kind of work from the beginning?

User Experience development seemed like common sense to me, before I knew it. I can’t understand how someone making a product that could potentially be used by millions of people would forego researching and designing for (even a subset of) those people.

I did my first User Experience work as a Ruby on Rails intern for an Atlanta startup called Event Seek. I had studied Computer Science (read: java) at Georgia Tech and figured that I could pick up a web programming language.

When I got into the grind of development, however, I realized that I could provide much more benefit to the co-founders if I focused my efforts on design.

It worked like this: I would have a conversation with the owners about the new feature they wanted to add. I would sketch these out. We would discuss. I would provide a rudimentary xhtml/css/js prototype. We would discuss. Then I would work with our developer to create the final solution. All throughout this process, I would get friends who weren’t designers to give me a reality check.

That was my first UX process, without knowing a thing about “proper” User Experience. Today, I know a lot more about how websites and web applications should be designed and architected.

The only thing I never got into at Event Seek was usability testing. I pitched the idea and even offered to do tests on the weekend, but we were always behind the eight ball, so to speak.

4. In terms of usability… Which OS do you think is closer to nirvana?

While I have my own preference, it really depends on the user––some people find command lines more intuitive than graphical interfaces. Whatever OS makes you most productive, that’s the one for you.

Personally, I prefer Apple’s OS X. They have done a fantastic job keeping up with what people want out of their computers. In addition to bundling things like iLife (and selling iWork at a very affordable price) they have Apple retail stores throughout the US. The retail stores make it super convenient to get advice or bring a machine in for repairs. In sum, the experience of being an Apple customer is  second to none.

In terms of pure Usability, though, Apple has its pros and cons; like any software company. I still wonder why their mighty mice suck so much. But then you have things like their iPhone OS, which really shines.

5. I understand you have a passion for photography… Would you turn it into a full time occupation, or is it just a side project for you?

In a “past life” I was an aspiring photographer. I worked one internship during college where I poured all of my money into camera gear. I bought a top-of-the-line digital camera, lenses, wacom pad, etc. I read books on photography and went on photo walks every other day. I took on clients, joined meetups, and did photo shoots for local theaters. Like UX today, I would eat sleep and breathe photography with a passion.

I applied to the Masters of Photography program at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and was accepted. Everything was coming up roses, but I never attended. Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons…

Part of me likes documentary photography, part of me likes artistic photography. I created and processed photographs to communicate, but I never felt like they served a purpose that helped people. I acknowledged that I was also really excited by web design and development. Growing up and watching the internet go from static sites with rainbow gifs to exciting applications like Facebook really inspired me that the internet can change, and can change lives.

I’ve resolved that a career as a photographer isn’t for me. I love taking pictures and sharing my point of view with people. I love discussing the “craft” of photography. I really like the mathematics behind studio lighting. But in the end, photography is a better hobby than a career. Once people are buying and selling your creativity, something that is altogether intangible, you’ll quickly burn out. I never want that to happen to something I’m passionate about.

6. “Fuel your interface” elevated you to the status of an interface Rockstar. How has that exposure affected your career? Are you really a rockstar?

Am I really a rockstar? Nah, I don’t play guitar that well, yet.

Honestly, I was shocked and awed to be included in that list alongside names like Lou Rosenfeld, Steven Krug, and Scott Jehl. I’ve read books by the first two and attended a conference with a presentation by Scott. Those guys really know their stuff. And while I’ve worked professionally as a UX/Interaction designer for some time, I’m smart enough to know there is plenty I don’t know.

The exposure from that list has definitely affected my career. I’ve received a lot of email from people interested in freelance work, but it’s hard to say what portion of it came from that article and what came from my blog, uxbooth.com. I’ve put a number of articles up there that have been well received. Because of how ubiquitous UX is, sharing and forming opinions *with* the community is the first step to doing something great.

I have always seen the web design/interaction design community as one of the most accepting (and at the same time discerning) communities out there. I appreciate the fact that I have earned their praise. However, that doesn’t mean I rest easy: it makes me want to work harder and learn more.

7. Why is the Hashrocket gig an important move for you? How does it differ from your own site UX booth?

Hashrocket is an awesome company. So, aside from that, I came to Hashrocket for a challenge. Having just worked for a startup in Atlanta, I really enjoyed the opportunity to create new kinds interactions, form the ground up. Too many freelance designers get into the business of theming blogs or ecommerce systems, etc. There’s only so many times you can design a shopping cart until it’s routine––and boredom is like creative kryptonite.

Hashrocket certainly challenges me. Not only is each project unique and different, there’s a wealth of design work that needs to be done. The more I lean about UX design, the more value I can offer to any given project. I like adding value.

My work at Hashrocket differs from my work on UX Booth significantly. UX Booth is and has always been a way for me (and the readers) to understand and discuss the intricate worlds of Usability and User Experience. It’s very easy to read books on these subjects and walk away feeling like only 20% of what you read is practical. That’s not a good feeling.

The articles and reviews that I write for UX Booth are informed by my real world experience. Just look at our first couple of reviews. We got slammed for being too subjective. After a couple of weekly status meetings, we established heuristics by which we reviewed websites, so that our reviews would be more objective.

I have grown as a UX professional as the blog itself has grown. When I have learned something interesting or solved a difficult problem, UX Booth is the first place I go. Likewise, I encourage our readers to do the same.

Therefore, the difference is rather simple: I cut my teeth on projects at Hashrocket and blog about it on UX Booth. And vice-versa. The work that I do, and the time that I spend at both Hashrocket and UX Booth, helps me become a better User Experience professional.

8. Command line or GUI?

Depends on the job. If I’m sketching out an interaction, I’d prefer a dry-erase board. If I’m designing an interface, Photoshop. If I’m writing front-end code, Textmate. If I’m committing to version control or ssh’ing into a server, then command line.

9. How do you imagine the interface of the future? Will we be moving our arms around in the air as Tom Cruise in Minority Report?

Interfaces are by their very definition a point where two different kinds of systems meet. So, do I think that we’ll be interacting with computers––as Tom Cruise did––more closely in the future. You betcha.

10. Can you give us any quick advice on how to improve Iconshock’s main website?

The site itself lacks focal points. The primary navigation doesn’t present itself as such, the headings are lower contrast (more grey) than the body copy, and there isn’t a sense of “space” throughout the design.

I would begin by addressing those things. Make the top navigation have some prominence, perhaps making the links white on a black background. Next, consider what parts of the page are the most important and use contrast and white space to draw eyes there.

I’d also suggest using a typographic grid. Look into the 960 grid or blueprint. They’re good starter grids.

Lastly, just to give my opinion here: this site looks like an advertisement more than an informational site, whereas I’m pretty sure you want to give visitors the impression that you’re a legitimate, upstanding company. Good design can go a long way towards impressing your users to that affect.