New hire at UX&I: Senior UX consultant Thomas Göthe

Thomas, how does one become an UX consultant? 

Combining design with technology has always been my thing. I love good design, but I’m also a “nerd” and very tech-savvy. My dual degree program in media production was the perfect starting point and laid the foundation for my studies, which I then began and completed at the Berlin Technical University of the Arts (BTK), now the University of Europe for Applied Sciences (UE), with a focus on interaction and information design. I’m not an artist, but a service provider working for the benefit of people. My professor said back then: “Ask the users. Think like them.” And that’s what I did; in my thesis, I explored what “the path to modern television” might look like and how it could be made easiest for a user to navigate. Over time, user interfaces became increasingly complex, so multi-layered information architectures were, and still are, the solution. Thinking in terms of schemas and delving deep into systems comes naturally to me and is something I really enjoy. That’s why the role of UX consultant is a great fit for me. 

You have a master’s degree in futurology. What exactly is that? Can you predict the future now?

It would be nice if I could do that, but unfortunately, this degree program isn’t a crystal-ball course. Futures studies doesn’t deal with just one future, but with many different futures. Yes, we’re talking about the plural. For example, there are possible, probable, desirable, or even avoidable futures. Using methods, models, and scenarios, the goal is to make the future more tangible and easier to plan for. That sounds very theoretical, and it is. In most cases, futures studies take economic aspects into account. This is interesting and relevant for insurance companies, for example. I find it exciting to think in terms of theories and to approach a topic through an analytical lens. After all, that’s what I do as an UX consultant. 

Speaking of predictions: When you think about the future of UX, are there any exciting trends or new developments? Where is this all headed?

Most people probably think immediately of artificial intelligence, and likely ChatGPT in particular, which for many has become the new “bogeyman” that could threaten their jobs. I see it differently and believe that when it comes to AI tools for the masses and ChatGPT, we’ve slowly moved from the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” through the “Trough of Disillusionment” and are now on the “Slope of Enlightenment.” To what extent do people actually use ChatGPT in their (professional) daily lives and derive significant added value from it? However, artificial intelligence can help us in the user experience by making research and data collection faster, more comprehensive, and more accurate. It can serve as a source of ideas, but we still have to do the thinking ourselves. After all, it’s not the quantity of data that matters, but the quality. There’s still room for improvement in that regard. In UX, we don’t need to collect even more data; rather, we need to collect it in the right places to understand user behavior. A high bounce rate on a website can be a negative indicator, but not necessarily, for example, if there was no interest in making a purchase to begin with. The user’s intent must be taken into account. 

Before joining UX&I, you were self-employed. What made you decide to join the UX&I team?

My goal was to provide intensive support for a complex UX project from start to finish, and that’s now becoming a reality at UX&I. These days, I work less on a project-by-project basis and instead engage with all stakeholders, from decision-makers to the implementation team, and remain continuously involved in a project. I really enjoy this, and it’s exactly what I was looking for. At UX&I, we learn from and with each other. The collaboration and support within the team are truly great. 

In your free time, you enjoy spending time in nature, but you also like to spend time on the computer.

Flight simulation has been my great passion for many years. Today, there are very sophisticated flight simulators that work with VR headsets, among other things. It’s really exciting once you get used to it. I can take off and land planes more or less safely in all kinds of environments. Of course, sometimes things go really wrong. To get as close as possible to a real flying experience, I also have a throttle control at home and use a joystick to fly. Many people ask me if I could fly a real plane. Hmm, we’ll see soon enough, because my friends gave me a flight lesson as a gift. It’s going to be exciting, but I’m really looking forward to it.