What Is User Experience (UX)?

What is User Experience? A Detailed Guide about UX

What is UX?

The digital world has experienced a leap in the past decades, and we have come across terms we were never aware of. From AR and VR, to create the most aesthetic designs, software and hardware have come a long way. Developers and designers have become more customer-centric, with the new products being inclined towards user experience.

User Experience, commonly referred to as UX, comprises all the software or hardware design components that facilitate the customers. The eminent designer Frank Chimero says, "People ignore design that ignores people." And it is true in the world of development as well. If the designs are not compatible with your users' usability and compatibility, they might not be a hit.

The inventor of the term "User Experience" Don Norman explains UX as "No product is an island. A product is more than a product. It is a cohesive, integrated set of experiences. Think through all of the stages of a product or service – from initial intentions through final reflections, from the first usage to help, service, and maintenance. Make them all work together seamlessly."

User experience means designing products that are responsive and easy to use. Nowadays, people are looking to get devices that are not complicated and save effort and time. If your consumer is happy with your product's look and features and its easy operations, your product would be more popular.

Are User Experience and User Interface the Same?

What Influences User Experience

You must have heard UI (User Interface) numerous times simultaneously when UX is talked of. Both these terms are usually used together and sometimes also interchangeably. However, the User interface and user experience are not the same.

User Experience is a broader term that does not comprise of one element only. Usability and user interface are used interchangeably for user experience; they are only a part of it. The user interface is specifically about the outlook of a product, including its icons, colors, and typography, whereas user experience involves more than just that. A UX design focuses on the overall internal and external features of a product as well alongside the outlook.

UX design is a complex procedure as it involves all the steps of user-friendly design from the analysis, research, and planning, to testing the final product. It is driven by 7 factors that must be considered while you design products based on the UX.

Useful

Isn't that the basic requirement of a product? But, one thing to remember while determining the usefulness of a product is to see it through the customer's eyes. The designer and customer might not perceive the same characteristics and usefulness. You might only focus on the product's functionality, whereas the customer finds aesthetic looking things to be useful for them.

Usable

Usability and usefulness are two entirely different terms when it comes to a UX designer. A UX designer knows that a product can only be successful in the market if it is usable, i.e., it performs the objective the consumer expects it to.

Findable

It is nearly impossible for something to be findable, which makes it a vital part of the design thought process. Your product must be easily findable without the customer having to put effort into finding it.

Credible

People always have had an interest in products that are credible and reliable. Especially a customer in today's time would not buy a product that is not credible. People are smarter now, and anything that affects your credibility will influence the market.

Desirable

With numerous options for the same product, UX allows you to make your product desirable. A UX design that does not attract customers and make your product desirable might not be the best one. Even amidst thousands of competitors, if you manage to enhance desirability, you steal the show.

Accessibility

UX designers are working on expanding UX and making products accessible to a broader range of customers. It means designing your product in such a way that differently-abled people can also access them without hesitation.

Valuable

What do you think makes apply sells millions of products worth a fortune every year? Yes, the value. Apple delivers promising products to their users and has built a strong customer base over the decades. People are ready to invest in their product because they provide the service they offer in that value.

"User experience is a whole huge universe with a lot to explore and experience"

What Does a UX Designer do?

User experience is a whole huge universe with a lot to explore and experience. It is the UX designer's job to dig out all the possible elements to enhance user experience and improve usability. A UX designer ensures a user-friendly design by these few factors that helps deliver the right product

  • Analyze the market and needs
  • Background research
  • Planning of changes needed
  • Designs wireframes
  • Makes sure all factors that influence UX are covered
  • Create prototypes
  • Delivers the final product

One design does not fit all While talking about UX and UX design, people sometimes assume that it's a one model fits all theory. However, it is not. Each business has its own needs and demands, and UX helps to reach those goals. The designers research your company in detail to find out what your customers are looking forward to.

Designs must be interaction oriented Humans are emotional beings that appreciate the feeling and being felt. While designing a user experience product, keep in mind that user-product interaction is vital. The consumer is more likely to buy and re-buy your product if they feel that the touch, sound, visual presentation, and other factors provide better interaction.