User experience (UX) refers to any interaction a user has with a product or service. UX design considers each and every element that shapes this experience, how it makes the user feel, and how easy it is for the user to accomplish their desired tasks. This could be anything from how a physical product feels in your hand, to how straightforward the checkout process is when buying something online. The goal of UX design is to create easy, efficient, relevant and all-round pleasant experiences for the user.
UX designers combine market research, product development, strategy and design to create seamless user experiences for products, services and processes. They build a bridge to the customer, helping the company to better understand — and fulfil — their needs and expectations UX design is everywhere: the layout of a supermarket, the ergonomics of a vehicle, the usability of a mobile app. While the term “ USER EXPERIENCE ” was first coined by Don Norman in the 90s, the concept of UX has been around for much longer. UX design is not just about the end user; it also brings huge value to the business providing the product or service. Experience strategy is all about devising a holistic business strategy, incorporating both the customer’s needs and those of the company .
If you want to get technical, ISO 9241-210, which describes the ergonomics of human-system interaction, defines user experience as an individual’s perceptions and responses that result from using or the anticipated use of a product, service, or system.
That’s still a little confusing, is it not? This idea becomes infinitely more difficult to figure out when you realize there are components of user experience across nearly every industry.
U X ( USER EXPERIENCE ) design is not same as UI (USER INTERFACE) to understand the principles of UX design. Let’s go back in the past, in the early 90’s, cognitive scientist DON NORMAN joined the team at apple as their UX architect, making him the first person to have UX in his job title. He came up with the term “ USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN “ because he wanted to “ cover all aspects of the person’s experience with a system, including industrial design, graphics, the interface, the physical interaction, and the manual “ . Since then, each of these areas has expanded into specialization of their own. These days, there is a growing tendency for companies to hire for very specific roles, such as UX researcher or Interaction Designer, to cover all the different aspects of UX.
U X is a broad umbrella term that can be divided up into four main disciplines : -
· EXPERIENCE STRATEGY ( ExS )
· INTERACTION DESIGN ( IxD )
· USER RESEARCH ( UR )
· INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE ( IA )
Experience Strategy (ExS) : -
UX design is not just about the end user; it also brings huge value to the business providing the product or service. Experience strategy is all about devising a holistic business strategy, incorporating both the customer’s needs and those of the company.
Interaction Design (IxD) : -
Interaction design looks at how the user interacts with a system, considering all interactive elements such as buttons, page transitions and animations. Interaction designers seek to create intuitive designs that allow the user to effortlessly complete core tasks and actions.
User Research (UR) : -
UX design is all about identifying a problem and designing the solution. This requires extensive research and feedback from existing or potential customers. During the research phase, UX designers will launch surveys, conduct interviews and usability testing, and create user personals in order to understand the end user’s needs and objectives. They gather both qualitative and quantitative data and use this to make good design decisions. Learn how to conduct user experience research here.
Information Architecture (IA) : -
Information architecture is the practice of organizing information and content in a meaningful and accessible way. This is crucial in helping the user to navigate their way around a product. To determine the IA of any given product, information architects consider the relationship between different sets of content. They also pay close attention to the language used and ensure that it is both convincing and consistent.
Within these four areas, there is a whole host of sub-disciplines. As you can see in the graphic below, user experience design is so much more than just a case of sketching and wireframing. It’s a multidisciplinary field, drawing upon elements of cognitive science and psychology, computer science, communication design, usability engineering and more.
UX Design always happens. Whether it’s intentional or not, somebody makes the decisions about how the human and the product will interact. Good UX Design happens when we make these decisions in a way that understands and fulfills the needs of both our users and our business.”User Experience Design is an approach to design that takes into account all the aspects of a product or service with the user. That includes not only the beauty and function: (usability and accessibility) of a product or a flow, but also things like delight, and emotion—things that are harder to engineer and achieve.
While a designer can create a toggle, a flow, or an interaction that is beautiful, unique, and functional in a flow - UXD extends into all the disciplines that come together to make the user experience as a whole great .
Yes, you have interaction designers, but you also have content strategists, information architects, user researchers, engineers, and product managers—all of whom have a shared responsibility to create an experience that is easy to use, and leaves users pleased because it is adding value to them.”User Experience Design is practiced by User Experience Designers—who are particularly concerned with the interaction that occurs between users and the system they are using.
So, for example, a UX designer would take the principles that state how to make a product accessible, and actually embody those principles in the design process of a system so that a user that is interacting with it would find it as being accessible.”
Conclusion : -
In a nutshell , UX design is all about the response, emotions and connections that your users make while experiencing your products.
It covers a number of areas but aims to enhance your user experience, making sure that your target audience has the shared and desired response to your products.
It is an important part of your business. Positive UX experiences can bring a number of benefits, including an increase in productivity, sales, and customer satisfaction.
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