Noise Pop’s 30th anniversary event starts today, so this post is going up a bit earlier than usual so I can get in line for a show. Tonight’s post will probably be a bit abbreviated, too, because I feel like I’ve been waiting all day. I drafted what feels like a metric ton of cover letters, sent maybe a dozen of messages on LinkedIn, and I drastically revised a pitch script for a UX conference talk which is due tomorrow. So, I’m repurposing a lot of that pitch script for you tonight. You know, just in case.
I think I’ve mentioned my naming talk before. I’ve given it internally a few times, and every time I do, I feel like it could be more provocative. More urgent. More about how we show up in the world. Even with this last draft, I still don’t think I’ve nailed it. Here’s how it starts:
My name is Stephen, I use he/him pronouns, and I’ve been wrangling words (including these) for longer than I’d care to admit. The work I’m doing now is content strategy. Or content design. Or maybe UX writing. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure what we’re calling what we do anymore. And that naming issue is kind of what I want to talk to you about today.
See, the names we attach to apps and features and products — as well as those we use to identify ourselves and our users(?), customers(?), consumers(?) — they go a long way in framing how each of them are presented and interpreted. Essentially, those names have meaning. Now, I know that’s not a groundbreaking thought, but please remember: I used to work for a company which called its own employees “Tweeps”!
Most of us know how important and contentious naming can be. But today I want to help you figure out the best way to find exactly what you want to name something, while making sure you have both your users’ and your business’s needs at the forefront of your thinking.
That introduction is fine, I guess. It definitely highlights what I want to get to. But honestly, I think our industry needs a good kick in the pants when it comes to talking about identity and how we present and the intersectionality of the people making our user experience decisions. And the lens I want to use to bring this more into focus is through naming. Or labeling. Or categorizing.
It’s a lot to cram into one cohesive talk. And I’m still working out how to tell the story in a way which both informs and entertains. But I still have time to get it right. If my pitch is even accepted. So, wish me luck, I guess? Now, I’ve got a show to get to.
Ty Cobb
20 February 2023
Stuck on identity.
Noise Pop’s 30th anniversary event starts today, so this post is going up a bit earlier than usual so I can get in line for a show. Tonight’s post will probably be a bit abbreviated, too, because I feel like I’ve been waiting all day. I drafted what feels like a metric ton of cover letters, sent maybe a dozen of messages on LinkedIn, and I drastically revised a pitch script for a UX conference talk which is due tomorrow. So, I’m repurposing a lot of that pitch script for you tonight. You know, just in case.
I think I’ve mentioned my naming talk before. I’ve given it internally a few times, and every time I do, I feel like it could be more provocative. More urgent. More about how we show up in the world. Even with this last draft, I still don’t think I’ve nailed it. Here’s how it starts:
That introduction is fine, I guess. It definitely highlights what I want to get to. But honestly, I think our industry needs a good kick in the pants when it comes to talking about identity and how we present and the intersectionality of the people making our user experience decisions. And the lens I want to use to bring this more into focus is through naming. Or labeling. Or categorizing.
It’s a lot to cram into one cohesive talk. And I’m still working out how to tell the story in a way which both informs and entertains. But I still have time to get it right. If my pitch is even accepted. So, wish me luck, I guess? Now, I’ve got a show to get to.
See you tomorrow?