User Experience (UX) Design
What defines a good Web site? In my years as a Web strategist I’ve followed the teachings and direction of leaders in Web design best practices – Without a doubt sites that are user-centric focused are amongst the most successful. User experience design provides an overall experience and satisfaction to the users while visiting the site. “User Experience (UX)” should be been the building block while planning, designing and the production of a Web site.
Planning a user-centered site
User experience planning is a multi-disciplinary effort, incorporating psychology (human factor), information management, information technology, graphic design and communication. Consulting a Subject Matter Expert (SME) should be an important part of the UX planning process.
I’ve come to design a simpler approach to Peter Moville’s UX Honeycomb. Peter successfully transforms the 3 IA circles to the 7 hexagons facets of UX; I’d like to take this approach back a little and regrouping the basics into a simplified 4 diamonds UX design diagram.
1. Accessibility – It’s common knowledge to Web designers today that accessibility is defined by making the site accessible to people with disabilities. I’m extending this to the people of the world. No longer should we only think of accessibility be limited to the traditional. Accessibility of the content (product) to all, no matter the choice of technology and method preferred to access it. It can be through desktops, mobile devices or medium such as text, audio or video. Accessibility of the content for all should be the first step in UX design.
2. Credibility – Today the Web is drowning with information in return we find a growth in scepticism eating our surfers. It’s important that users trust and believe what we tell them.
3. Security – One of the “facets” I’ve noticed missing from Peter’s UX Honeycomb, and should be crucial to UX and an important element on its own, user need to feel safe browsing. With the vast attacks of Spam and pop-up killers, the site needs to provide a safe haven and ensure the user feels that its privacy is respected.
4. Usability – Of course as the core of UX design; there’s lots to do here – All of the traditional usability best practices are in play. Brining Peter’s UX Honeycomb’s main remaining facets together (Usable, Desirable and Findable).
Understanding and planning each of these elements will ensure a good start to a successful Web site. But it’s just the beginning, you need to include a maintenance plan to continue tracking the progress of the UX to make the necessary improvement teaks it needs on a regular basis.
Additional UX Resources
- User Experience Design
Peter Morville - User experience design
Wikipedia - Strategies to enhance the user experience
Nielsen Norman Group
March 16th, 2007 at 8:08 am
I agree that security is something that often overlooked. But it’s also something that needs to be very clearly defined, and very carefully implemented.
If not, you may get security spilling over into other areas, where it should not be. Security can break a website.
For example I went to send an email from my new Yahoo account {had to merge Flickr}. After I pressed send on my email, instead of just sending it, it brought me to a page to fill out a CAPTCHA to ensure I was human. I wasn’t expecting it, felt like I was being treated as a spammer, and I got a bad taste in my mouth. Here Yahoo sacrificed usability, accessibility and credibility for security.
Credibility is a tough one too. Authenticity breeds credibility. The more authentic and open your effort, the more credibility you will gather. Don’t just release a video online. Release all the assets of the video, and encourage others to mix it, mash it, and post their own versions. You get ambassadors for free, and the web will promote the good and punish the bad.