Ingrid Towey

Ingrid Towey of The Write UX!

Ingrid Towey

I straddle the line between documentation and user experience. I make products that people can use and write docs that people can understand.

I am pleased that so much of science fiction has become a reality in my lifetime, but I am still anxiously awaiting my own personal jetpack and flying car. The clock is ticking, y’all.

I have a Master’s degree in Folklore and over 16 years of experience in technical communication, usability testing, and UX. I also homeschooled all three of my children (K-12, all subjects). One real joy in my life is seeing how all my experiences are interconnected and how much we can learn from being open to life’s crazy journeys.

🗓️ Ingrid’s talk:

“Tea, Earl Grey, Hot”: What science fiction can teach us about UX design

UX designs that once were science fiction are now integral parts of our lives. Star Trek communicators became the first flip phones. HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey navigates our cars and runs our kitchens. The Dick Tracy video wristwatch has morphed into Fitbits and smart watches.

Artists always outrun inventors. UX designers play a lot of catch-up, as we try to realize the inventions that SciFi envisions. What is the next big innovation in UX design? What is SciFi imagining for us--for good or ill? Are SciFi interfaces actually good UX design or are they just stagecraft? How usable or accessible are all these beautiful ideas in reality? Finally, how can UX ideas from SciFi help us connect with each other and build a better future?

Ingrid’s 2020 UX Y’all talk:
The hero of the story: Transforming documentation with user stories