"We believe that the industry has made great strides over the last two to three years and that many experienced individuals and teams of experts have emerged in the professional services area that are more than capable of filling the needs of this industry. Now is an appropriate time for us to apply our skills, experience and determination to new areas where we can have the most impact in the fight to humanize technology."
Goodbye HannaHodge.
, from oldest to newest:
This is a sad moment and perplexing. I know there is a need for UX professionals as there is a lot of work that could be done. Six months ago I figured out what I have been doing and loving since 1995 falls neatly into the UX and IA world. The Argus closing and the HH closing have me wondering where things are going. From talking to and listening to firms that are re-evaluating their Web presentation and their Intranets, they know that they need help incorporating the user into the next steps so to improve this line of communication. Are those of us that provide this understanding and service relegated to solo roles or small groups? I hope not as really like the team concept.
Posted by vanderwal @ 07/17/2001 05:56 AM pst
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I applied to HH for an internship/entry level position just last week. Too bad they closed down. :(
One thing which I will remember HannaHodge for (and what made me want to check out HH in closer detail), was what Rettig once said, somewhere:
"Don’t treat your process and technique as proprietary competitive advantage. It’s going to change anyway. You serve your own interests better by serving the interests of the field, the craft. Publish, and you’ll help create a bigger pool of new world citizens from which to hire your real competitive advantage."
Oh my.... I just made this sound as a funeral. My apologies. :)
Posted by Jakub @ 07/17/2001 07:21 AM pst
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Does anyone think it's possible that the market for firms that don't build what they design is shrinking?
Maybe clients don't want to have to work with/coordinate two firms (one to design, one to build), when many firms provide both services in an integrated fashion.
Maybe the closing of Argus and HH doesn't speak to a declining need /respect for UX expertise, but for the degree to which UX expertise has become an accepted part of many web development/integration firms' approach.
Posted by anon @ 07/17/2001 07:35 AM pst
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anon - I agree with you, in that firms would like to get the developer, designer, and IA in a one-stop-shopping firm. I just do not see many of these type of firms in my local surroundings (Washington, DC area). I am finding many organizations are asking for and requiring that developers or the team performing the work have people who are focussed on IA and UX. Many firms have learned that the money they spent to have sites and Web-based applications developed should have had folks developing that understand these components. People will use a product if they have to, if they are poorly developed, but the use skyrockets for those products that are actually usable. I always ask, "Is it a product if it is not useable?"
I really liked the idea of a firm or team solely focussed on IA and UX like HH and Argus. It has been a dream to work in that type of an environment, mostly for my own growth and passion. Working for clients that value IA and UX is also something that would be a nice change (but I know these places exist).
The best decisions are best on the best information. Technology, in most instances today, wraps the information. The best way to take advantage of information, so to make the best decisions, is to make the technology usable by humans. We are sitting at a point in time when information is abundantly at our fingertips. Getting, using, and passing this information is the key. IA and UX are the gatekeepers that can unlock better uses for the wonderful technologies that are helping to drive this information age.
Posted by vanderwal @ 07/17/2001 09:16 AM pst
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I think all the companies are getting hit, and the big all-services companies are definately laying people off left and right. We hear about the UX companies because they are important to us. Many small companies-- UX, design and engineering-- grew a little too fast and the "correction" came too quickly for them to recover. Usability and IA is well suited to consulting firms, becuase it tends to be project rather than process based. We're finding companies have designers and engineers, but often need an experienced (and/or extra) hand for big projects such as redesigns. Usability is rarely in-house in midsized companies.
It's not over yet, but sadly there are lots of cautionary tales out there. It's fall in the moneytree forest. Time to act like a squirrel.
Posted by christina @ 07/17/2001 11:24 PM pst
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