What is User Experience?
User Experience (UX) involves all interactions that a user has with a particular product, system or service. It is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product. It is human-centered, data-informed design that assists both the users and the business in achieving their goals. Web UX involves the strategy, research, analysis, design, implementation, measurement, and iteration of a website.
- The design is based upon an explicit understanding of users, tasks and environments
- Users are involved throughout design and development
- The design is driven and refined by user-centered evaluation
- The process is iterative
- The design addresses the whole user experience
- The design team includes multidisciplinary skills and perspectives
- Useful. Your content should be original and fulfill a need.
- Usable. The design must be easy to use.
- Desirable. Image, identity, brand, and other design elements are used to evoke emotion and appreciation.
- Findable. Content needs to be navigable and locatable onsite and offsite.
- Accessible. Content needs to be accessible to people with disabilities.
- Credible. Users must trust and believe what you tell them.
- User Research. Understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation techniques, task analyses, etc.
- Usability. Measuring, understanding, and optimizing the extent to which users can achieve goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.
- Information Architecture. Structuring and organizing information, supporting usability and findability.
- User Interface Design. Anticipating what users might need to do and ensuring that the interface has elements that are easy to access, understand, and use to facilitate those actions.
- Interaction Design. Interface layout (wireframe), incorporating user needs collected during user research / testing, defining interface behavior, maintaining consistency throughout ecosystem, etc.
- Visual Design. The aesthetics or look-and-feel of the user interface.
- Content Strategy. Writing and curating useful content by planning the creation, delivery, and governance behind it.
- Accessibility. Incorporating ways for disabled individuals to accesses or benefit from the design (legally governed by Section 508).
- Analytics. The collection, reporting, and analysis of data on the design.
- Project Management. Planning and organizing a project and its resources.
User Experience Basics
In this comprehensive online resource, Usability.gov gives an introduction to the fundamentals of UX and what they entail.
What is User Experience?
In this video, the Google Android team gives a high level introduction to UX Design
Publications
Nielsen Norman Group
Original research from one of the most respected authorities in UX.
Luke W
Very short, straightforward, and visual articles from a Product Design veteran.
Smashing Magazine
High quality, vetted design content from a collection of experts.
UX Magazine
Large collection of articles about virtually every UX subset.
UX Matters
Evergreen articles dating back to before UX was a thing.
Usability Geek
Wide range of usability and tech related articles and guides.
UX Mastery
A giant guide covering all of the basics for getting started in UX.