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Jameson Hampton

One of the reasons that tech is a cool industry to work in is because “working in tech” doesn’t confine you to working in the tech industry. Everyone needs applications! Even within tech, different people have different accessibility needs. But when you’re working in other industries, it’s often much less true that what “works” for you as a programmer will also work for your users. Sometimes, while we get stuck on highly techinical problems for our users the barriers are suprisingly low tech. This talk will cultivating empathy for your users while helping you solve the right problems.

Jamey is a non-binary adventurer from Buffalo, NY who wishes they were immortal so they’d have time to visit every coffee shop in the world. They're a Rails engineer who has recently been taking the plunge into DevRel and a panelist on the Greater than Code podcast. In their spare time, they do advocacy in the transgender community, write comics and spend as much time as possible in the forest.

Produced by NDV: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQ7dFBzZGlBvtU2hCecsBBg?sub_confirmation=1

#ruby #rubyconf #rubyconfau #rubyconf_au #rails #programming

Thu Feb 20 14:10:00 2020 at Plenary Room

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In the talk titled 'Walking A Mile In Your Users' Shoes' presented at RubyConf AU 2020, Jameson Hampton emphasizes the importance of empathy in technology development. The talk introduces the concept of empathy as a critical trait for programmers, defining it through three categories: social empathy, cognitive empathy, and empathetic concern. Hampton explores how understanding diverse user perspectives can lead to better applications, particularly for users in varied industries beyond tech, such as agriculture. The speaker shares significant demographic insights from Stack Overflow and the agriculture sector, contrasting the two to illustrate varying user needs and challenges.

Key Points Discussed:  
- **The Role of Empathy:** Empathy is proposed as a vital addition to traditional programmer traits like fear of bugs and laziness. It involves understanding users at different levels and ensuring their needs are addressed.  
- **Industry Diversity:** Working in tech enables programmers to affect various industries, highlighting that user demographics significantly vary.  
- **Case Studies:**  
  - **Medic App:** Developed for documenting sexual assault cases in developing nations, demonstrating challenges faced by users unfamiliar with technology, language barriers, and the critical need for security and privacy measures.  
  - **Artemis:** Focused on indoor farming, this project involved understanding farmers' workflows and how localized needs influenced app design.  
  - Importance of accessibility and designing for all users, including those with disabilities, emphasizing that disabled users are not edge cases but essential considerations in product design.

Conclusion: Hampton concludes that fostering empathy not only enhances product effectiveness but also enriches personal understanding and relationships with others. The value of simple design solutions in addressing user pain points is highlighted, with a reminder that true empathy can significantly improve both products and human interactions. The talk ends with an invitation for attendees to connect and share their own experiences.

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