我们似乎每周都听到坏消息，金融、技术、手机制造等领域的企业要么在裁员，要么在等待政府的经济援助以度过金融风暴。这引发了一些持续的效应，产品部门在缩减规模，购买能力下降，大众趋于观望性消费。

是的，改变正在发生。

但在这个变化频发的时期，仍然存在着很多极好的机会。

我们都有责任去探索如何自我改造，让自己具备更强的社会责任感，以更好的方式去旅行、交易、交流、设计、建造、共同在地球上生活。

作为用户体验的专业人员，我们不但是变化的一部分，还应当将积极的变化带入到我们的工作中。

这意味着什么呢？这意味着我们都需要让自己进入一个持续的自我改进循环。我们要怎样做到这个呢？这里有一些主意：

* 参加当地的可用性和设计活动，您可以访问：http://www.upachina.org/userfriendly2009/en/index.html#  http://www.usability.com.hk/events.htm

* 和当地的团体组织交流，看他们在进行什么用户体验工作；

* 组织内需要更有效的用户体验的销售方式，您可以访问： http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2008/10/selling-ux.php

* 撰写文章，和当地的团体以及国际团体分享知识，您可以访问： http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/upa_publications/index.html

* 参加行业外的团体，看看哪些地方自己需要帮助；

* 参加国际会议，开拓自己的思维，您可以访问： http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/conference/2009/, http://interaction09.ixda.org/, http://www.uie.com/events/, http://www.adaptivepath.com/events/

* 和自己的队友交流，和其它的产品团队、技术团队、市场团队交流，寻找合作的方式，做到全盘化！ http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/bringing-holistic

* 多读多学，让自己始终处于潮流的最前端，并和团队以及管理人员分享

* 看看网站设计和网站的用户体验，探索如何在人们的生活中以及人们和物体的交互方面进行用户体验的改善；

* 加入领导团队学习，您可以访问： http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/upa_publications/upa_voice/volumes/2009/february/upa2-new-horizon.html

如此这般，是不是可以听听我的建议呢？

有的时候，我们在用户体验团体里可以听到一些信息：http://www.apogeehk.com/articles/Conducting_Your_Own_Research_Dont_Wait_for_Permission.html

  * 我们太晚才被邀请执行用户研究以此来协助设计；

  * 我们没能售出用户研究的价值和好处；

  * 商业并没有预先投资用户研究；

  * 我们缺少数据来分享体验，推销用户研究需求；

  * 我们没有足够的机会来执行用户研究；

  * 因为我们没有数据，我们不能给出“战略性的开端”

在项目中，我们也不同程度地体验过这些，所以我们决定了一个做用户研究的方式，就是亲自去做，不要等到得到了允许才做。

最好是进行讨论……

有的时候，做研究最有价值的部分就是讨论，当所有的研究目标放在一起的时候，你的假设会受到质疑，你可以发现一开始你没有考虑到的东西。

对于客户的产品范围，也未必一定得有个限制，你可以考虑其它的主意，当你和目标用户在一起的时候你还可以多挖掘问题。

然后接下来是什么呢？

一些积极的想法适用于用户体验的所有角色：设计师、用户研究员、管理者等。为了有一个积极的变化，我们需要改变我们的行为.

我们全部人必须一起工作！

参考文献：

* 连接文化，改变组织：用户体验的从业者是改变的原动力http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2007/01/connecting-cultures-changing-organizations-the-user-experience-practitioner-as-change-agent.php

* 交互作用09：行为作为媒介，搜寻IxD摇滚明星 http://www.core77.com/blog/events/interaction_09_behavior_as_the_medium_and_the_search_for_ixd_rockstars_12578.asp

* 做你自己的研究，不要等得到允许了才开始做； http://www.apogeehk.com/articles/Conducting_Your_Own_Research_Dont_Wait_for_Permission.html

* 和UC Berkeley的Haas商业学校的Sara Beckman讨论设计的价值；http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/essays/archives/001049.php

* 设计中坚持全局认知； http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/bringing-holistic

* 在困难的经济形式下求兴盛：丑陋婴儿和圣牛的故事。

http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/02/thriving-in-a-difficult-economy-a-tale-of-ugly-babies-and-sacred-cows.php

英文原文：

It seems like we are hearing about bad news almost weekly, as companies in various sectors like finance, technology and the automobile manufacturing (to name a few) cut back staff or look for financial help from Government to assist weather the economic storm. This has some "run on" effect as product departments are downsized with economies buying less and watching spending.

Yes change is happening.

But in times of change there are also wonderful opportunities.

We all have a responsibility to look at how to reinvent ourselves and be more socially responsible as we look at better ways to: travel, transact, communicate, design, build and live together on planet earth.

As User Experience professionals, we also have an opportunity to not only be a part of that change, but to help make the "positive change" happen through our work.

So what does that mean? It means we all need to be on a "constant cycle of self improvement". How can I do that? Well ... here are some ideas: -

* Attend local Usability and Design events - http://www.upachina.org/userfriendly2009/en/index.html# and http://www.usability.com.hk/events.htm

* Speak to your local community to see what kind of UX work they are doing in their organizations

* Find ways to sell UX more effectively in your organizations - http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2008/10/selling-ux.php

* Write articles and share your knowledge with your local community and international community - http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/upa_publications/index.html

* Join groups from outside your industry to see where they need help (yes volunteer your time!)

* Attend international conferences to help expand your thinking - http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/conference/2009/, http://interaction09.ixda.org/, http://www.uie.com/events/, http://www.adaptivepath.com/events/

* Reach out to your teammates, to people in other product teams/technology teams/marketing teams and find ways to collaborate - Be holistic! - http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/bringing-holistic

* Read, Read, Read & Learn, Learn, Learn - keep on top of the "latest trends" and use this as an opportunity to share with your team and management

* Look beyond web design and web UX and explore other ways you can improve the UX across other people's lives and interactions with objects

* Join leadership teams and learn - http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/upa_publications/upa_voice/volumes/2009/february/upa2-new-horizon.html

So why don't they listen to me?

Sometimes we hear the following in the UX community: (See - http://www.apogeehk.com/articles/Conducting_Your_Own_Research_Dont_Wait_for_Permission.html )

  * We are not invited to conduct user research early enough to help inform design

  * We cannot sell the value and benefits of user research

  * The business does not invest in user research up front

  * We don't have the data to share or experience to help sell the need for user research

  * We don't get enough opportunities to conduct user research

  * And ... Because we don't have the data, we can't inform "strategic initiatives"

We have also experienced this in varying degrees in our project work, so we decided one way to do user research was to go and do it ourselves. Don't wait for Permission!

The best part is having the discussion...

Sometimes one of the best parts of doing your own research is the discussion itself. Being able to challenge your assumptions and discover things you may not have been looking for in the first place when you put together the research goals.

You also don't necessarily have the constraints of a client project scope; so you can entertain other ideas and explore questions when you are in the field with your target users.

So what's ahead ...

Some positive thinking can be applied to all roles that make up the User Experience - Designer, User Researcher and Manager (to name a few). We need to change our behaviors in order to create POSITIVE change.

We must all work together!

References:-

* Connecting Cultures, Changing Organizations: The User Experience Practitioner As Change Agent - http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2007/01/connecting-cultures-changing-organizations-the-user-experience-practitioner-as-change-agent.php

* Interaction 09: Behavior as the medium, and the search for IxD rockstars - http://www.core77.com/blog/events/interaction_09_behavior_as_the_medium_and_the_search_for_ixd_rockstars_12578.asp

* Conducting Your Own Research - Don't Wait for Permission - http://www.apogeehk.com/articles/Conducting_Your_Own_Research_Dont_Wait_for_Permission.html

* Strategic Numbers: Discussing the Value of Design with Sara Beckman of Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley - http://www.adaptivepath.com/ideas/essays/archives/001049.php

* Bringing Holistic Awareness to Your Design - http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/bringing-holistic

* Thriving in a Difficult Economy: A Tale of Ugly Babies and Sacred Cows - http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/02/thriving-in-a-difficult-economy-a-tale-of-ugly-babies-and-sacred-cows.php