Growth in Research and Usability Careers

Wrapping up 2007 and looking ahead to the future, a fitting article from U.S. News & World Report on growth career areas includes Usability/User Experience Specialist amongst its "31 Careers with Bright Futures".  The article provides a basic description, salary information and a day in the life, that actually summarizes user research in medical product design relatively accurately in layman's terms:

"You work for a medical device manufacturer that wants to develop a next-generation surgery tool called a laparoscopic laser. You attend a meeting with the CEO and representatives from marketing and finance, who are all debating the product's rough parameters. While you make suggestions and raise questions, for the most part you're a listener. You leave the room with a list of musts, maybes, and questions about the prospective product.

Next, you read up on the current generation of laparoscopic lasers and then observe three surgeons who are using them. You ask questions and take notes about what they like and dislike about it, and how they suggest it should be improved.

You write a report summarizing what you've learned. Then, engineers develop a prototype of the product that comes closest to meeting both the company's and the surgeons' desires.

You recruit and observe surgeons to use the prototype, again asking questions. You make recommendations for changes in the laser. The final product ends up incorporating only some of what you had hoped for, but you still feel a sense of pride for having helped ensure that the new laser will be more effective and pleasurable to use."

And speaking of careers, several recent related job postings have appeared including:

• Sr. Human Factors Researcher at Insight (North Carolina)
• Human Factors Practitioner at Continuum (Massachusetts)
• Multiple usability positions with Autodesk (California)

Thanks to all the readers in 2007 and have a happy and safe new year.