The Hamburger
One of my favorite metaphors for explaining the value User Experience bring to the table is the story I call "the hamburger". It goes like this.
Once upon a time, a business partner says to a team of product managers and developers, "I want a hamburger. I"m willing to spend this much, and it needs to be completed by this date".
Heads nod. Notes are furiously scribbled.
"Any questions?" the business partner asks.
Glances are exchanged, shoulders are shrugged. "Sounds pretty straightforward. A hamburger, for this much, by this date. Let's get to work!"
"Great!" says the business partner, relieved. "I'll see you in a few months." Lively handshakes all around, and the conference room empties out.
A few months later...
The team reconvenes and the air is crackling with excitement. The business partner eagerly begins. "So, guys, I can't wait to see it! What have you got? Let's see my hamburger!"
The beaming developer lead steps forward and places a cloche on the conference room table with deference. After a dramatic pause, he lifts the cover to reveal...
Silence. "What is that?" the partner asks uneasily.
The dev lead stares back, unsure of the partner's reaction. Cheerfully he declares, "It's your hamburger!"
The frozen meat patty sits quietly on the plate.
"What do you mean, it's my hamburger? I don't understand. I asked you for a...a hamburger."
Within the space of these few seconds the developer lead is beginning to sense something is dreadfully wrong. If he can repeat it forcefully enough, perhaps the problem will fix itself. "Yes! You asked for a hamburger, and this is what we give you. Here it is. A hamburger. That is a hamburger."
"But-" the business partner fights the anger that is building inside his throat. "Guys, are you serious? This isn't what I need. When I asked you for a hamburger, I meant-" he struggles to find the words that would brook no possible argument "-you know, a hamburger! You know? With a bun? And lettuce and cheese and...? What the hell am I supposed to do with a frozen meat patty?!"
"What? That is what you want? You didn't say you wanted it cooked!" The developer lead is now equally upset. "Or with bun! Or cheese or tomato or anything else! You ask for hamburger, and that is what we give you." After a pause, he adds, "We worked hard on this hamburger!"
"Yeah, that's something else," flares the business partner. "You've been on this for months, spending my money, for what? For that?" He jerks a finger at the pink blob. "I could have done that myself! Why would I pay you for that?"
The developer crosses his arms defiantly. He repeats slowly and carefully: "You ask for hamburger, we give you hamburger. That is a hamburger."
And they'd both be right.
Now let's back that story up to the beginning, to that very first day, before a hand is shaken or a penny has been spent. Only this time, there's one extra person at the table: the User Experience lead. And apparently it takes place in a conference room that doubles as a saloon somewhere in the Wild West.
"I want a hamburger," says the business partner to a developer lead. "I want to spend this much, and I need it by this date."
"Okay," the developer lead readily agrees. "We can do that."
The business partner and the developer lead, both feeling pleased with the simplicity of this exchange, rise and extend arms to shake hands. But just then, a voice interrupts, in the way the strange cowboy whittling a stick in the corner of the saloon interrupts a conversation between the mayor and the sheriff. "Now just hang on there a second, fellas."
Heads swivel towards the stranger, and eyes narrow with resentment. A dog barks in the distance. "Who the hell are you?" demands the business partner.
The UX lead sits up and leans slowly forward. "I'm a UX lead."
"A 'UX lead'?" snorts the business partner. "What's a U-X lead?" He exchanges an annoyed glance with the developer lead, who is equally annoyed at the interruption.
"U-X is short for 'User Experience'," replies the newcomer.
"Oh, gawd." The business lead rolls his eyes. "User Experience?"
"Yep. In this case, a UX lead is someone who's going to make sure you get a hamburger when you say you want a hamburger. And someone who's going to make sure you don't nail him" - she points towards the developer lead- "to the wall because you didn't tell him what kind of hamburger you wanted."
"What do you mean, nail him to the wall?" the business partner scoffs. He turns to the developer lead. "I would never do that. I love this guy. He totally gets what I'm asking for. Right?"
The developer nods with shared amusement. "Of course."
"Listen," continues the business partner airily, "I really appreciate your 'user experience' interest in helping out, but I think we've got it covered."
"Really? You do?" The UX lead stretches. "You mean, you got your hamburger all figured out, just based on that one conversation? Wow, you guys sure are lucky." The UX lead stands up. "Well gentlemen, I guess if you've got it covered, then you've got it covered. In that case, I'll just say thanks for letting me observe you in action. I look forward to seeing your hamburger, I'm sure it will be awesome. I love hamburgers, myself."
The business partner and developer lead wait impatiently.
She pulls on her coat. "Yeah, nothing like a beautiful, medium-rare burger with cheddar, you know what I mean? Rare is good too," she adds, "but I hate it when the bread gets too soaked because of all the juice. I'm just curious – are you going with medium rare, or are you avoiding the mess thing altogether by going well-done? …Ew." Her brow furrows with distaste at the thought.
The business lead declares flatly, "Of course not. No self-respecting customer would want a well-done burger. We just wouldn't do that. Right?" He glances at the developer lead for backup. But to his surprise, the developer lead is eyeing him critically.
"Right? We're doing medium-rare?" He looks uneasily at the developer lead, expecting a nod in return, a nod which never materializes. The developer lead's returning gaze has sharpened, any semblance of camaraderie having suddenly dissolved into dust particles that drift lazily onto the hardwood floor.
"You never said hamburger should be cooked."
"Not cooked?" The business partner is taken off guard. "Why on earth would I not want it cooked?" His eyes dart confusedly towards the UX lead, then back to the developer. "That's silly. Of course I want it cooked." Then as the thought hits him, he laughs. "What do you think I want, a frozen meat patty?"
The developer lead remains stonily silent.
The UX lead senses the sudden awkwardness, and speaks up. "Hey, there's a lot of room for interpretation when you say 'hamburger'. But this is exactly my point. To be completely fair, I don't think you said you wanted your hamburger cooked. Or maybe you did, and I just missed it?"
"Well, no," admits the business lead. The developer lead's expression relaxes with a hint of triumph.
"I'll tell you what," the UX lead offers suddenly. "It just so happens I like to draw. What if I made a quick sketch of what I think you're asking for? Then you guys could see if you agree."
The developer lead asks uncertainly, "How long would this take? We have to start building something today. Our guys are sitting around doing nothing."
"Hm, yes, that’s another issue altogether, isn't it? But as for a sketch, it won't take long at all," says the UX lead, grabbing a bar napkin and a pen. She does a couple of quick scribbles. "See, I'm almost done." With some dots here and some hatch marks there, then she slides the napkin across the table. The business and developer leads lean forward to look at it.
The business partner is already nodding his head excitedly. "Yeah, that's it. That's what I want." But the developer lead sits back slowly, shaking his head.
"What? What's wrong?" demands the business partner.
"This," the developer starts slowly, "is not just 'hamburger.' This very big project. That is lettuce and tomato, yes?" he asks the UX lead, who nods. "And this-" he points to a piece of the sketch, "this is cheese?"
The business lead looks annoyed to be asked such a question. "Of course that is cheese. A burger should have cheese."
"You do not say cheeseburger. You said hamburger," the developer enunciates carefully. He goes on, pointing at each scribbled line on the sketch. "This is bun?" More nods. "So I get straight: you want cooked, and bun, and cheese, and lettuce and tomato?"
"Yes."
"How you expect us to do this? We have nothing of these things."
"Oboy, now we got ourselves a party!" the UX designer says cheerfully. "Would you like me to help you break it down and figure out what comes next?"
For the next hour, the three of them will argue and draw, then argue some more. By the time the moon begins to rise, a plan will take shape that will get tested with other people in the coming week. Not a line of code was written, but an expensive misinterpretation was averted, which made the presence of a user experience person a lot more tolerable.
"Next week," the developer looked darkly at the designer as they left exited the saloon, "We talk about chicken. You must be there."