Articles by Bill Schmidt
Bill Schmidt has been privileged to work a wide range of fascinating projects in the 25 years he has been a user experience professional, including aerospace, Department of Defense, utilities, and Fortune 100 ecommerce sites. He is currently working for NISC, a collective developing software for utility grids and telecommunications.
Eating Our Own Dog Food: A Metacognitive Analysis of UX Unicorns
A poll of UX professionals shows an increasing number identify as both designers and researchers while the industry complains of a decline in the depth in UX practice. This article takes an in-depth look at the metacognitive processes used in each role and the ways in which they conflict with each other, which may reduce the effectiveness of performance. [Read More]
Technology Moats: The Dark Pattern of Intentional Friction Barriers
Corporations desire to hear their customer complaints…or do they? We take a close look at ways companies use technology to raise the drawbridge on customers. Technology barriers exist for many reasons; some are good and some are bad. Automated customer service systems can speed up the support process for customers while cutting costs for businesses. But when they are designed to slow customers down, they risk becoming a "technology moat": an intentional obstacle to make customers think twice before proceeding. In this article, you will learn the difference between technology moats and dark patterns and how to spot them. [Read More]
