Defining UX Design
Lately, at least once a week I find myself sitting across the table from someone, walking through an explanation of what UX Design is.
I often resort to “It’s empathetic design” , as they stare blankly back at me. I proceed to talk about user research, and how I design products based on user needs instead of starting with the seemingly favorable, aesthetically pleasing choices. An attractive design that doesn’t work for the user, doesn’t work for anyone.
There is no one concrete definition for UX design. As a constantly evolving field, which includes many different roles, it can’t be labeled with one meaning. So how can you explain something with so many different elements?
Experience
It’s in the title itself, UX is about the “experiences” users are having. I could say that as a UX designer I am not designing an app or a website, but the actual experience a user will have with it. Don Norman, who coined the term “User Experience” defines it as:
“…Everything that touches upon your experience with the product…”
So, what this means to me is considering every aspect of a user’s experience with a product throughout the design process. This separates UX from Graphic Design because it is less about aesthetics and more about functionality. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy designing attractive screens, personally I love the creative side of it, but my priority remains in the overall experience a user will have while looking at them.
There are countless definitions of UX floating around. It’s safe to say that it means a lot of different things for different people. To me, UX is about understanding the goals and needs of both users and businesses, and providing them with the most seamless and efficient experience for their products.
I am always interested in hearing other people’s definitions of UX, and would love it if you commented below with what UX means to you!
