“It is a story that begins even before the device is even in the user’s hands” – Interaction-Design Foundation
When we talk about experiences, we can broadly think about any situation created by any occupation. Architects, engineers, playwrighters, painters, bricklayers, and teachers fill our world with designed experiences. In recent decades, as technologies evolves and new devices or products are created, there are new needs for experience design. We can think of mobile applications, web pages, video games, products with touch screens, etc.
Defining UX Design
If we search UX definitions, we can find diverse books, and articles that are usually written by and for user experience designers. Very few of them, tell us how this design is included with other roles within a company or project. For that reason, some can feel confused over what a user experience designer does and what role he does in any industry.
The word “user” is the nominal form of “to use,” which originates from the Old Latin verb “oeti,” meaning “to employ, exercise, perform.” The word “experience” originates from the Latin noun “experiential,” meaning, “knowledge gained from repeated trails.” This helps us understand that the rough description of user experience is “knowledge gained by doing something.” (E.Stull, p. 4) We can achieve the conclusion that UX results from any product or service.
Now, let’s consider user experience design as the act itself of designing something. This may be any product or service, or a part of it. To create an effective design, the UX designer will base his conceptions on either primary research (for example user interviews, ethnographic observations, diary studies, observational studies) or secondary research (for example analyzing data from other studies, reading reports or others).
The UX design field has a variety of roles which may complicate its understanding, but they all focus on the users. By identifying the users’ goals, they can then be aligned in a product or service to accomplish business objectives.
There is one clear example, which Don Norman mentions in his book, “The design of everyday things”; He explains how any simple adjustment, such as getting a new coffee machine for the office can be a bad experience for someone if the product it is not well designed. Let’s picture the new coffee machine in the middle of the office; someone tries to prepare coffee and when he approaches to the machine, he finds “unclear” signs: buttons are not designed hierarchically, the process to make the coffee is not clear, the affordances are confusing and when he presses one button and the machine does not make the expected action, he feels ashamed and goes back to his work without any coffee. This leaves him with a bad feeling and no intention of trying again. That is where UX is needed, when something is designed for humans, the process is different. It is necessary to interview users, observe and do diary studies to understand what is really needed, test if what is analyzed and concluded is working and later, have useful products. If the coffee machine is user-centred designed, the product itself will allow the user to follow an organic process to achieve the action. It will be perceptible and comfortable.
Takeaway
With this on mind, we can relate UX to our everyday tasks. When UX is well designed in any product or service it won’t even be noticed, but when there is missing a UX research, the user will immediately notice. That is why we encourage you to include UX to any project you have. We are here to help you, don’t hesitate in contacting us to guide you through this amazing process!
References
Edouard Stull 2018
E. Stull, UX Fundamentals for Non-UX Professionals,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-3811-0_1