As UX designers, we seek to relate to our users through empathy and understanding. But what about ourselves? What happens when we take the processes and tools we use in our work in product design and apply them to our lives? In this lively talk, Paul McAleer shares his story. He'll take you through each phase of the iterative, ongoing project that is his life: research (gathering input from stakeholders), strategy (coming up with an overall goal and plan), execution/experimentation, and getting feedback. You'll get tips and tricks on paying attention to your own needs, how to encourage a good critique, and other practical tools that can get you started on designing your life and yourself.

1. Design
Better Living Through
Paul McAleer

2. @paulmcaleer ● @Rightpoint ● @DesigningYou
Hello Portland!

3. Apply design thinking to your
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@paulmcaleer
life

4. A case study for a very large project
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@paulmcaleer

5. Kickoff & observations
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@paulmcaleer

6. Stakeholder interviews
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@paulmcaleer

7. It was
@paulmcaleer
emotional.

8. Here are the findings.
@paulmcaleer

9. Fear! Powerlessness! No goals!
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@paulmcaleer

10. It’s real talk o’clock.
Credit to @redsesame and @wilto for “real talk o’clock”
@paulmcaleer
The project is me.

11. My stakeholders
@paulmcaleer

12. fear
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@paulmcaleer
The was real.

13. What if…?Research Strategy Execution Feedback
@paulmcaleer

14. We're
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@paulmcaleer
remixesof everything we encounter.

15. Research Strategy Execution Feedback

16. Some rights reserved by Smaku
DRIVERS
MIND
BODY
Research
@paulmcaleer

17. I was
@paulmcaleer
afraida lot.

18. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Not choosing to do something is
actually a design choice.
@paulmcaleer
Research

19. Some rights reserved by padsbrother
Runners are
@paulmcaleer
assholesand I'm one too.
Research

20. Research
2007 2008
2013
2015
@paulmcaleer

21. Research
@paulmcaleer
Father, husband, designer, runner, writer, reader,
podcaster, TV watcher, coffee nerd, budding beer fan,
foodie in training, reality show watcher, tech geek,
Trekker (Trekkie?), Whovian, grammar snob, Oxford
comma fan, musician, music fan, geek, nerd, guy, cis
male, somewhat masculine, thinker, worrier, optimist,
baker, planner, spontaneous, creative, smart, sharp, mild
fashionista, punnerer, humorist, karaoke fan….

22. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Your life is a story
(yep, I just stole that from Donna Lichaw)
@paulmcaleer
Research

23. Let's try something
@paulmcaleer
for a moment.
together
Research

24. Your body language
@paulmcaleer
who you are
shapes
Research
@amyjccuddy

25. Noticing what I was doing
@paulmcaleer
Research

26. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Breathing
@paulmcaleer
Research

27. Research Strategy Execution Feedback

28. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Strategy
Make small plans.
Be open in every moment.
@paulmcaleer

29. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Things that are not perfect:
1. Technology
2. Your brain (sorry)
@paulmcaleer
😕
Strategy

30. Some rights reserved by Ignatio Palomo Duarte
Let it all out and define your vision
@paulmcaleer
Strategy

31. Some rights reserved by James Gordon
Set your
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intentions
Strategy

32. Some rights reserved by Dustin Quasar
“I have found that a true intention is
enduring, flexible, and
communicates personal
values.”
@paulmcaleer
@jessclively
Strategy

35. Research Strategy Execution Feedback

36. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Do stuff that
@paulmcaleer
Execution
matters

37. Align your projects with your goals;
align your goals with your intentions
Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
@paulmcaleer
Execution

38. Some rights reserved by David Melchor Diaz
Make things small
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Execution

39. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer
Make things visible
@paulmcaleer
Execution

40. Don’t get too hung up on tools
(but feel free to geek out a bit if that’s your thing)
@paulmcaleer
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Execution

41. Research Strategy Execution Feedback

42. “You can't connect the dots
looking forward; you can
only connect them looking
backwards.”
Feedback

43. Some rights reserved by Natesh Ramasamy
Look for patterns
@paulmcaleer
Feedback

44. Copyright 2015 Paul McAleer

45. Some rights reserved by Andreas Wetterberg
Be selective and
don’t let feedback run you
@paulmcaleer
Feedback

46. @paulmcaleer
Feedback

47. The results

48. My interface has improved

49. My architecture is more flexible

50. Experiments will fail and
that will hurt

51. This is not finished and
will never be finished
(one might say… a neverending story)

52. Design
your life

53. Research Strategy Execution Feedback

54. Be the
change agentin your life

55. Thanks!
@paulmcaleer
@Rightpoint
@DesigningYou
Newsletter, blog, hilarity:
paulmcaleer.com