Andrew Dillon

V. M. Daniel Regents Professor at The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas, United States

About

I need to say this first: I do not come here to have services pitched to me and will ignore such 'offers' to connect. Thank you. Now...as we were: Through research, teaching and service, I advance a more human-centered global information infrastructure that respects individuals as people not commodities. The ecology of information is not set, we can and should design and implement a better, more just and supportive information world. As an academic, my mission is to identify, recruit, and assemble talented people into work teams who can shape the future of higher education and UX design to improve the world. I seek to enable, then get out of the way. I believe that smart, motivated people can move mountains but only if we let them. Too often academic programs place obstacles in our paths, measure the wrong outputs, and lack patience. Real thinkers need space and support if they are is do anything more than chase intellectual fashions and score 'points' on the standard measures of 'productive' scholarship. I still want to work with and for people who see further. More than 100 publications on psychological aspects of design and human behavior, all focused on improving the human condition through design. Serve on numerous editorial boards with current emphasis on revamping the Information & Culture journal published by UT Press. We need a bit more thought in design, and a lot less trendy 'thinking'. My values are human, my methods are scientific, my philosophy is Jungian. More? I am tired of the bogus user-orientation of those who see it as way to make money. We are creating a world that must put humans at the center of experience, of life, of existence, not of commerce. IF you don't care for that then don't call yourself a UX person and there's no need to try connect with me. More again? I am an immigrant to this country, and I love it. And if that bothers you, take this: I am the son of immigrants to another country. Thank you mom and dad for your bravery in those years. My son has learned to take people as they are, not where they are from; we all should be so lucky. Share the world, love your neighbor. Want to connect? Explain why, don't just send a form request or I'll ignore you. And please, do not connect in a personal fashion and then try to sell me something, I do not come here to be pitched products or services. Similarly, if we just connected here on LinkedIn, I cannot and will not be a reference or endorser so don't ask. Thanks.

Experience