Understanding the Basics of User Experience
User experience is a phrase which has been in the limelight for more than ten years and it is predicted to become the major brand differentiator in the next few years, overtaking product and price. I bet you have heard about this term or you might even have it in your portfolio. There is also a likelihood that like most people, you have heard about it but are not sure what it actually means.
The person who came up with the term, Don Norman, said that User Experience Design (also known as UX Design) is everything, from the way an individual experiences their world, their life and a service – it is basically a system that incorporates everything.
Put simply, it is an umbrella which covers a wide variety of areas. For people who work with user experience, there are no two ways about it, it is important that one has a clear understanding of what these areas entail so that you can be aware of the tools which are at your disposal.
To create a successful user experience, principles of computer human interactions are encompassed and go further to include a number of disciplines such as:
- Project management, which focuses on planning and organizational aspects;
- User research, where the focus is on understanding user needs and behavior motivations, mainly through observation, analysis and feedback methodologies; and
- Others, which include: informational architecture, user interface design, interaction design, visual design, accessibility, and web analytics, among others.
Deep Understanding
The focus of user experience is having a deep understanding of the users, getting to know what they need, what they value, their abilities as well as their limitations. Business goals and objectives of those managing the project are also taken into consideration. Indeed, the best practice of user experience is improving the quality of user interaction and perceptions of the product and related services. To ensure that the users find value in what they are getting, the information provided ought to be useful where the content is original and fulfills a given need, usable where the interface is easy to user, findable where it is easy to navigate and locate the site, credible where users need to trust and believe what they are told, and desirable where the content that is given evokes some level of emotion and appreciation.
With this information, you now have a basic understanding of what the user experience entails. The area is wide and requires some time to grasp it, however the bit that is comprehended can go a long way in building a successful user experience.