User Experience DesignUser experience design (UXD, UED or XD) is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product. User experience design encompasses traditional human–computer interaction (HCI) design, and extends it by addressing all aspects of a product or service as perceived by users.

User experience design includes elements of interaction design, information architecture, user research, and other disciplines, and is concerned with all facets of the overall experience delivered to users. Following is a short analysis of its constituent parts.

Visual designVisual design, also commonly known as graphic design, communication design, and visual communication, represents the aesthetics or look-and-feel of the front end of any user interface. Graphic treatment of interface elements is often perceived as the visual design. The purpose of visual design is to use visual elements like colors, images, and symbols to convey a message to its audience. Fundamentals of Gestalt psychology and visual perception give a cognitive perspective on how to create effective visual communication.

Information architectureInformation architecture is the art and science of structuring and organizing the information in products and services, supporting usability and findability.

In the context of information architecture, information is separate from both knowledge and data, and lies nebulously between them. It is information about objects. The objects can range from websites, to software applications, to images et al. It is also concerned with metadata: terms used to describe and represent content objects such as documents, people, process, and organizations.

Structuring, organization, and labelingStructuring is reducing information to its basic building units and then relating them to each other. Organization involves grouping these units in a distinctive and meaningful manner. Labeling means using appropriate wording to support easy navigation and findability.

Finding and managingFindability is the most critical success factor for information architecture. If users are not able to find required information without browsing, searching or asking, then the findability of the information architecture fails. Navigation needs to be clearly conveyed to ease finding of the contents.

Explanation A

CONTENT

USER EXPERIENCE

USER INTERFACE

Explanation B

‘User experience’ encompasses

all aspects of the end-user's

interaction with the company,

its services, and its products.”

— Don NormanCOGNITIVE ENGINEER AND

INVENTOR OF THE TERM “USER EXPERIENCE”

Experiencing User ExperienceIf you looked at Explanation A, skimmed the headers, started to read the copy, yawned in your soul and then moved on to better things, you had a User Experience. If you then looked at Explanation B, made a pleasant cognitive leap, smiled at the kid blissing out of his mind over ice cream, then learned a thing or two before moving on, you had another User Experience.

Both Explanations A and B set out to achieve the same goal — to inform the user — and both technically meet the requirements of fulfilling that goal. In fact, Explanation A technically does a better job of fulfilling the goal with a much deeper dive into the particulars. But from a User Experience standpoint, one of the two options achieves the goal in way that attempts to minimize frustration and maximize delight for the user. That is the crux of User Experience Design.

USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN IN A NUTSHELL:

Achieve a goal in a way that minimizes

frustration and maximizes delight for the user.

2016 UX Design Trends

1. UX Design Moves Off the ScreenDigital is moving from something we use inside of screens and devices to something that lives in the everyday objects around us, and the places we move through. User experiences will play out across a bigger, messier ecosystem.

2. Anticipatory Design to Become More CommonAnticipatory Design is the ability to predictively design and serve up the best experience possible. We’re at a point now where we as designers can create and give users what they want before they even know they want it.

3. Responsive Design Expands to Include Reactions to User BehaviorIn the coming year and beyond, I’m anticipating a shift in what we think of when we say responsive design. That paradigm still largely refers to a site adapting to width and size with media queries, but I hope to see (and attempt) some leaps in how user behavior will literally trigger or inform responsiveness.

4. The Development of Niche Specialties and Formal UX Design Education ProgramsUX is a vastly growing field, both in research and application. In 2016, we will start to see that growth fragment into subspecialties including but not limited to web, mobile, product development, virtual and physical environments.

5. An Increase in Voice Recognition and Gesture-Based Design2016 is going to be another exciting year for the progression of User Experience. UX will progress not only visually but voice recognition technology will also start to emerge as a more accessible input.

6. UX Designers and Entire Organizations Align2016 will see a greater focus on getting entire organizations to be more user-focused, and getting everyone aligned on doing the right thing for the user.

7. Designing for the Real WorldAs customers interact with applications at a time, location, and device of their choosing, it will become increasingly important to incorporate real-world context.

UX Isn’t New

2016: “UX Architect” 1996: “User Experience Designer” 1986: “Market Research Analyst”

UX Isn’t One Thing

• User Researcher• Information Architect• Content Specialist• Interaction Designer

• Visual Designer• Project Manager• Front-End Developer• Online Marketer

Testing, Testing, Testing...

“I think the user wants X to be Y.”“The user might not understand this feature.”

“They’re gonna love this!”

— Opinions

There are a large number of methods for performing usability testing, from the hallway test (where you grab someone walking past you in the hallway or office), to eye-tracking systems, heat map tracking, and even algorithms to automatically calculate the usability level of your site (because robots surely know best).

A bad website is like a grumpy salesperson”

— Jakob NielsenPH.D. IN HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE

AND “THE KING OF USABILITY”

Keep this in mind when designing, and realize that a poor website can have just as much of an impact on people as poor service rendered in any other way.