I’m glad you asked that question! I was meaning to give more details on how to use it.
The sundial does two key things for you:
- It defines the skills that are needed in the UX space, and
- It provides a way to include your ratings on a visual scale
But it doesn’t include a specific test we can each take to produce results on a curve. It’s mostly a subjective scale (and therefore limited in how it can compare apples with apples). Where it really gets useful in when it’s used for opening conversations about skills, experience, interests and opportunities for further growth - especially with someone who knows you and has seen your work. It is these conversations with UX peers and work colleagues that will give you the juicy insights as to where you stack up when compared to the rest of the field.
But to get your own ratings down to start with, think about a few of the times when you’ve used skills from the twelve areas in the past:
- Did you consider them cursorily, or did you spend a lot of time on them? Depth of engagement with activities can help indicate skill.
- How confident were you in knowing what you were doing, and in getting a good result? Being mostly lost and reactive suggests a lack of fluency.
- Were the results a shambles, were they fairly successful, or were they amazingly effective? The end results a big part of defining if you’re good at something!
- How many skills in each area do you have? More skills in a particular area allows you to rate yourself higher.
To help you think about these times, you may like to check Elizabeth’s original sundial for additional details about activities included in each area: http://uxmastery.com/wp-content/uplo…xD_Sundial.jpg
Of course people might often exaggerate their competency if they feel they’re being judged negatively, but even when people are honest with themselves I think they still tend to err on underestimating their knowledge and how it can be useful to an employer or client. The sundial will hopefully help people see the breadth of experiences that can be brought together under the UX umbrella.