What is UX design?
Before diving in, we asked our Designing North Studio team (only a couple are dedicated UX practitioners) to answer this question in one sentence. Here is what they had to say:
[clickToTweet tweet=”6 articles to help understand UX design” quote=”UX design is a solution for understanding the user/customer/employee experience(s) with a business and/or businesses product(s) and the identification of what, if anything, that should change about those experiences to affect any identified business problem(s).“]
A tool to reduce thinking during a user experience
UX design in the entire digital user experience with a brand’s product or service; sight, touch, sound, and feeling.
UX design focuses on optimizing the usability of a product, enhancing the interaction between the user and the product, and ensuring the user is able to get what they want out of the experience.
UX design should follow this simple tenet: Just make it bloody useable.
UX design is a body of ideas that shape an experience with a product.
[clickToTweet tweet=”UX design defined by a UX Designer:” quote=”UX design is the process of marrying usability data, visual cues, information architecture and a number of other factors to ensure that a user’s experience with a digital product requires the lowest possible cognitive load, and has the least amount of friction while completing an intended task or interaction.”]
As you can see, this question can often lead to complex answers, and even experienced design professionals will have to stop and think a while before responding.
When you really ponder the idea of UX you start to understand that it’s not confined to the design realm.
UX design is everywhere. And It’s main focus is always “the user.”
UX design is in our homes, our work, and even our cars.
What we wear; we play with it and what we eat/drink are all influenced through UX design. In one way or another, UX design is a key part of your daily life. And when it’s implemented well, it enhances your experiences without recognition.
In reality, the majority of us aren’t trained to think about this concept, but that’s not to say that you shouldn’t start. Even if this practice isn’t a part of your current job — or it is and you just didn’t realize it — now is a great time to understand the basics of UX design. Or, at a minimum, identify what it is and what it is not. Who knows, it may inspire you to look at the world differently.
To get you started, we have curated six articles that will help answer the question, what is UX design?
1. A discussion with Andy Budd of UK-based agency, Clearleft and Digital Arts Magazine, on the classic role of a UX Designer:
http://45.33.55.47/2016/10/digital-designers-and-drug-dealers-we-all-need-the-user/
2. Revealing the meaning behind the acronyms UX and UI:
https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/the-difference-between-ux-and-ui-design-a-laymans-guide/
3. How to explain UX Design to anyone using simple thoughts and few words:
http://marianogoren.com/how-to-explain-ux-to-anyone/
4. The role of the UX Designer is still widely unknown. This article will help you explain UX to your team:
http://uxmag.com/articles/explaining-ux-design-to-your-team
5. What exactly is UX Design all about? How can I really make sense of it? This article from The Next Web (TNW) labels the key points to walk away with:
https://thenextweb.com/dd/2016/08/11/what-the-hell-is-ux-design/#.tnw_RfyMdXxN
6. Learn the key differences between User Interface Design (UI) and User Experience Design (UX):
http://usabilitygeek.com/the-difference-between-ux-and-ui-design/
Still have questions? Send us a note! We’d love to help.
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