The Summary

In my previous two posts I attempted to reveal attributes and dispel myths in order to define User Experience Design. Some commentors on the blog and over Twitter noted that UXD is not just design. It’s a multipurpose role that encompasses design and research with the ultimate goal of creating a usable “thing” for a user, customer, or visitor. Actually, that is not a bad definition at all. It touches on the design, research, and experience portion of the field. So today we summarize our posts with a focus on the value of User Experience Design.

MYTH: It’s Just Fancy Design

It’s a common misconception that UXD is just a fancy way to design a web site or application interface. It is, however a set of processes that create a successful design.

As owner of Modal, Inc. I speak with my fellow agency and digital shop owners often. One said something shocking to me a few weeks ago. He said, “We don’t design web sites anymore because it became a commodity.” So after my initial shock I asked him to explain why he thought such a thing. In a nutshell, he was tired of dealing with potential clients who thought web sites cost $500 and that anyone could do it if they had Photoshop and Dreamweaver. And you know what? I told him those aren’t our types of clients anyway. Our clients want to know HOW we arrived at the design we created for them.

What I see is a leveling of the industry. There are template-makers and technicians who believe that because they can use the software they are now designers. And I can tell you first hand that is the furthest thing from the truth. But there is a demand for economical web sites out there and those folks meet that need.

In actuality, we get clients who have worked with technicians and see the err of their ways and need a web site that works. Those are our types of clients. eCommerce sites and sites that require people to do something like sign up for a product cannot afford to have a glossy design that does not perform. I’ve seen it time and time again- great looking design and poor user experience.

FACT: User Experience Design is More than Visual Design

What you should be noticing is that User Experience Design is not about the visual design. Rather it is about the information that feeds the visual execution. All great designers research their audience. They find the unique quality of the message and tweak it for the audience. User Experience Designers test the design concepts, metaphors, and interaction. It’s a conjoined process of design, design strategy, design research, user experience creation, usability, and storytelling.

The Value of User Experience Design

If you have a web site that is used as your primary sales channel then you need UXD. If you support customers via your web site then you need UXD. If you have a web application that helps people accomplish their tasks then you need UXD. The point is that User Experience Design provides value for those who are serious about what they do online. With more and more marketing budgets switching from print and radio to the web UXD has to be a serious consideration.

It’s not a fluke that great sites provide users with joy. Joy? Yes, they should enjoy their experience with your site. Just a few minutes ago a Twitter user I follow just raved about his experience with Bose. He said their customer service rocked! So what if he had a bad experience? Do you think he’d tweet about that? Surely yes and most likely back it up with a blog post with a transcription of the poor interaction. But his experience with the online customer service portion of the site made him a cheerleader for the brand.

User Experience Design is an industry that makes brands stand out. It makes small businesses look good by increasing their credibility. It makes product companies successful by decreasing support calls and increasing R&D. Although UXD may be somewhat about what you see, it is ultimately about how you “feel” about it once you’ve used it. It’s about the journey of discovering the right way to market a product, the right way to design a shopping cart, and the quickest way to helping a user get their task accomplished.

Remember, you get what you pay for in this world and it surely applies to this industry. User Experience Design is a set of processes and deliverables that do take some time and require an investment. For instance, a $150,000 web site redesign most likely includes $50,000 in user experience work. This includes usability testing and user research. But a smaller $50,000 redesign may include about $15,000 in UXD. The dollar amount is worth it- particularly when you need to prove the investment in a redesign in the first place.

Conclusion

If you want a web site that will fall short of meeting sales goals don’t invest in User Experience. If you think it’s just about fancy design processes then don’t look for a User Experience Designer to join your team. User Experience Design is a practical craft that applies research and testing to design strategies in an effort to create the most usable, memorable experience for a brand.

I hope you were able to get something useful from this short three part series on Defining User Experience Design. I’ve enjoyed putting it together and hope that it can become a tool for dialogue among those that practice the craft as well as those that are interested in how it can help them in their next project. As always be vocal. Let me know your thoughts and your experiences!

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