After completing a large UX project for  Hudson River Foundation, it got me thinking about UX Design outside of simple web and mobile applications. As interesting as it has been learning how to test usability in regards to these mediums, I am interested in the UX of more complex things. Since attending ITP, I have directed my first VR film, built an artificially intelligent character that talks back to the user and began designing video games in an MFA gaming class. In each of these projects, the usability was of utmost importance.

Recently a speaker came in talking about the Internet of Things — an obviously large and growing industry. It made me wonder about UX positions. If someone has done UX Design for websites, is it easy to shift into the UX of artificial intelligence or VR? If the UX Design portfolio is more mobile centered, can it also be considered for the Internet of Things? Maybe that would be categorized more as interaction design? I’m just curious how these fields overlap or if they do at all. The principals would be the same, particularly with regards to testing, but web design is a very different industry than game design. Will UX grow into a field of its own or will it always be a sub division of another industry?