Steven Hoober, UX Consultant, at KCSVKansas City has, since the dawn of communications, been a technology center. Things like Google Fiber have just increased the pace of this work, and I think we're at an important time in the creation of a large-scale digital hub.

I like my hometown, and think much good is about to happen. As part of moving my support for the local startup scene from moral to practical, I want to do something to improve design of all these great ideas popping up all over.

Every Tuesday for the next month, I will be available for free UX consulting in the offices of SportsPhotos in the Kansas City Startup Village.

Why UX Matters

UX is User Experience. It's not just UI, so is concerned with much more than size, shape, color and so on. It focuses on goals of your end users, while balancing your organization's needs and technology. UX designers help assure you are building the right thing, efficiently. Focusing on the UX early on helps get you more customers, more revenue per customer, increases retention, and saves development effort by reducing bugs and rework later on.

For a much more detailed explanation of how UX is critical to assuring the success of your startup read about Why Every Startup Needs a UX Design Advisor or read about why the decision between User Experience or Speed is not really an argument at all. If you can't afford full-time, start with a conversation with me.

Why do you want to talk to me specifically? I think for lots of good reasons, but start with reading my bio or watching me speak, or read some articles I have written.

How This Works

It's simple. I have a desk at a house in the Startup Village I will be sitting at most of the day. I do my work out of the house, and meet with you or anyone else who schedules the time.

Briefly. Free has limits, as I do have paid work to do also. So you get just about 45 minutes for us to worth together.

With as much privacy as you need. There's a room, so not everyone has to hear your great idea.

And you have to do your part also. Don't come in and say "what do you think?" There's simply not enough time to review your whole product, or provide answers to open ended questions. I'll happily talk in general about how a full time UX designer could help you, but you might be happier if I helped start you on the path to solving a specific problem. Bring that issue, whatever documentation (or, a working version of it on your computer), questions, and goals.

Schedule Time Now

Interested?

Be sure to tell me a tiny bit about what you want to talk about, and pick a time on a forthcoming Tuesday. I will confirm I can help, reserve your 45 minutes from my schedule, and give you the address to come to.