Everything is an experience – from the things we all probably think of like websites and and customer service, to less obvious things like unboxing a smartphone or opening doors.
In my experience the lines between user experience (UX) and strategy can easily blur, but one thing’s for sure, UX touches everything yet is all too easy to neglect.
But good experience has to be someone’s responsibility. Unfortunately, it seems like it usually isn’t.
Join me for lols and lessons in user experience, including tactics and models you can apply to your website, business, app, and whatever else you do, to take a more user-centred approach. |
9. BUILDING THE USER
EXPERIENCE
• USER RESEARCH: understanding the
audience, personas, best practices,
Analytics
• INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE:
sitemaps, wireframes
• VISUAL DESIGN: documents, websites,
emails…
• CONTENT: text, pictures, infographics,
video
• Measurement plan
Look closely. Nitpicky, but RBC ATMs were like this for at least three years.
Someone put this up…
People: understanding them - behavior, psychographic, ethnographic (social listening), what they think now, their goals, frustrations
Data: analytics, research (primary or secondary)
Usability: “the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object.” – usability.gov
Content: written, visual, etc. – the things people are ultimately after
Design: the layout and how things are arranged on a web page or app, but also the visual design, which will include visual cues
I’ve heard people debate the usefulness of user research or interviews, but that’s why you have to be good at digging in, asking people the right questions, looking for insights.
Doesn’t mean they really want a faster horse, want to get places faster, easier.
Image: http://startupquotes.com
Image: http://startupquotes.com
Who you’re building an app for. Less demographic info and more psychographic, ethnographic
What you want them to do
How to separate them form their money , etc.
Don’t forget post-decision experience: using a product/app, customer learning, user support, customer advocacy
https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/tools/customer-journey-to-online-purchase.html
An example of post-purchase support and customer learning. Many SaaS (software as a service) companies use SEO on the help sections, knowledge base, etc.
<3 MailChimp
Gliffy:
Lucidchart:
Google Draw:
OmniGraffle:
http://riskology.co/pre-mortem-technique/
Getting clients involved and on the same page can be really difficult. Workshops and hands-on activities are great.
Values based or structure – structure tends to be what we use in UX design for AI (values more for narrative, branding)
Write down different pieces of content – things that the site or app needs to have for users. Doesn’t necessarily have to be Web pages, that’ll get figured out.
Come with some prepared cards and bring blanks, get the client to fill them in.
Another way to get clients involved.
Print your wireframes, cut out all different page elements, and physically edit wireframes.
Easy for everyone to move stuff around – YouTube did this to design their video player – every single element was cut out.
Don’t forget about the audience of your own work!
Colleagues and especially clients – now that we’ve gone through a UX process, keep this in mind as you put together your deliverables.
Don’t assume your own audience has any special background info or high tech. savvy.
I always start a UX doc or presentation with goals