Privacy is UX

UX strategist and researcher Alex Schmidt argues that in a world full of security breaches, snooping, and third-party data aggregators, you should know where your users’ data goes. In this article, she explains why it’s time we make privacy part of our product design process—and helps us figure out how to build it into our requirements and skill sets.

“Just as we have a responsibility to design accessible products, even when it’d be easier not to, we have a responsibility to consider privacy. We all have a role in shaping the way products are delivered, ensuring they serve users’ interests in an era when the notion of private life has been thoroughly compromised. So let’s do it mindfully, not limiting our considerations to features that users see. Instead, let’s look underneath and above, reach further into the future, and think bigger about what user experience is.”