What´s User Experience

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What is User Experience? 
User experience (UX) is one of the determining factors—if not ​the​ determining 
factor—between a product that sinks without trace and one that sees huge sales. When 
one is developing products, devices, and systems, there are numerous, important 
considerations, many of which take the designer's attention off the intended users. The 
field of user experience aims to bring the user to the center of the designer's thinking to 
ensure products meet the intended users' needs. 
Definition 
User experience can be defined as, "a person's perceptions and responses that result 
from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service" (ISO 9241-210). Whilst 
the term 'user experience' is generally applied to the positive, neutral, and negative 
emotions felt whilst interacting with computer systems and user interfaces, it is equally 
applicable to any other instance where a human uses a product, object, or service. As 
stated by Jesse James Garrett (2010), "every product that is used by someone has a 
user experience: newspapers, ketchup bottles, reclining armchairs, cardigan sweaters". 
The Breadth and Overall Purposes of User Experience 
The field of user experience focuses on maximizing the pleasurable, satisfying, 
motivating, efficient, and productive aspects of using a tangible or system-based 
product. For example, when using a tangible device, such as computer mouse, does the 
user enjoy looking, feeling, and holding it? Does it fit snugly in their hand or is it too big 
and cumbersome? Does the weight affect their ability to move it as they would wish? 
Can they use it unconsciously or are they forever aware of its presence when using it to 
fulfill their goals? Likewise, when someone is using a non-tangible product, such as a 
computer application, is it enjoyable to look at? Can they navigate through the user 
interface intuitively? Are there sufficient cues to help guide them to their goal? Are the 
important aspects of a task visible as and when they are needed? Hopefully, from these 
example questions you are now beginning to see the breadth of user experience and 
how many aspects of a design can impact on our pleasure, satisfaction, motivation, and 
productivity when interacting with a product, system, or service. 
The Component Discipline of User Experience 
As you can see from the illustration above, user experience encompasses many 
different disciplines, such as visual and sound design, human-computer interaction, 
information architecture and interaction design. Each of these design perspectives 
informs the process of producing systems and devices for human users, with the 
intention of ensuring the interactive experience is as simple, efficient, accurate and 
enjoyable as possible. Interaction design is at the heart of the user experience Venn 
diagram as so much is dependent on the interactive qualities of a design. Very little of 
the user experience involves ​passive​ consumption alone. 
For example, most web users are constantly clicking, typing, switching between 
windows, and opening documents and applications. Even when listening to music or 
watching videos, users are plotting their next move, scanning the user interface in an 
effort to make the whole experience as cohesive as possible, even when their individual 
aims seem unconnected. Therefore, it is the role of the designer to accommodate these 
constant, intentional shifts and provide the necessary features for smooth and simple 
interactions and transitions. As Jeff Johnson points out, "One cannot design a user 
experience, only design ​for​ a user experience. In particular, one cannot design a 
sensual experience, but only create the design features that can evoke it". 
The Rise and Rise of User Experience 
As previously stated, the term 'user experience' can be used for any product, system, or 
service; however, interest in the subject has exploded in the last three decades for a 
number of reasons: 
● Recent advances in mobile, ubiquitous, social, and tangible computing 
technologies have moved human-computer interaction into practically all areas 
of human activity. This has led to a shift away from usability engineering to a 
much richer scope of user experience, where users' feelings, motivations, and 
values are given as much attention as (if not more attention than) efficiency, 
effectiveness, and basic subjective satisfaction (i.e., which are considered to be 
the three traditional usability metrics). 
● In website design, it has become important to combine the interests of different 
stakeholders: marketing, branding, visual design, and usability. Marketing and 
branding people needed to enter the interactive world where usability was 
important. Usability people needed to take marketing, branding, and aesthetic 
needs into account when designing websites. User experience provided a 
platform to cover the interests of all stakeholders: making web sites easy to 
use, valuable, and effective for visitors. This is why several early 
user-experience publications focus on website user experience. 
The Take Away 
The field of user experience encompasses many different disciplines, all aiming to 
improve the ease of use and increase the enjoyable aspects of a design. User 
experience includes the look, feel, functionality, individuality, and predictability 
associated with using a product. 
References and Where to Learn More 
Jesse James Garrett, The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the 
Web and Beyond (2nd Edition), New Riders, 2010