An interesting fact about that we now have a name for this discipline is that back then, when I was in school, it was just named Design.

Much of what we learned at the time was mainly not only about visual, interaction but also about people (interactions, needs, behavior, willing). And at that time, it was blended into branding, marketing, advertising, and visual graphic design.

This means that all these things that form the foundation of good UXD and that we also call CX (customer experience), HCD (human-centered design) are also at the heart of good design in general.

• Let’s take a look at some common myths and misconception about UXD.*

UXD isn’t interface design

UI (user interface) design is only one facet of UXD.
UI applies specifically to what people see on the screen (buttons, content, images, layout, …). The interface is a component of user experience, but there’s much more.

UXD has a lot to do with cognitive science, too, about people. What they want, what they need, what they are willing to use, how they interact with things, why they react in the way that they do.

UXD also include competitor research, business needs, business goals.

UXD is undoubtedly more than interface design, it’s holistic, it’s everyone’s concerns.

UXD goes above artistic concerns because it’s not just practiced by designers only.

Developers, marketers, project managers, everyone who is involved in the process of creating a digital product has a responsibility and an impact on the user experience. It’s what makes the difference between a good and bad user experience.

UXD isn’t just about usability

UXD is more than just usability.

Usability is concerned about efficiency, effectiveness, and it’s rooted in the functional scientific viewpoint of how things work. If we only focus on whether or not a product is usable, we only focus on how effective and efficient it is while missing the learnability, visceral, and behavioral emotional responses of the user.

Every product or service that we use generates some sorts of emotional responses. So by only focusing on the mechanical aspect of it, we are not taking the time to ask how people feel about it. Is it comfortable, enjoyable, frustrating, aggravating, confusing, …?

Those behavioral and visceral aspects are critical to the success of a product and determine whether something is used or not. We have to think beyond just pure usability to make sure that the user wants the product we are creating.

UXD doesn’t consist of making a product that sucks into a product that doesn’t suck by dedicating resources to design.

UXD isn’t just about users

It’s also about businesses.

It’s not just about the user of the product but also about the creator of the product. The organization who’s security, stability, financial growth are dependent on what happened with the product. UXD is about creating a value loop between the user and the business.

It means the value that a customer generates for him when using the product goes back to the company in the form of money made by sales, cash saved by customer support ticket avoided, increase used, or whatever success metrics they have.

You cannot effectively design something if you only focus on user needs and ignore business goals and limitations.

There are business objectives that need to be met, and we are designing for that as well. We can’t always do what’s best for users and ignore the needs of a company. As user experience designers, we have to find the sweet spot between the user’s needs and the business goals and ensure that the design is on-brand.

On brand means that the product has to be an accurate representation of the company behind by accurately representing the character, personality, values that the company is trying to put across.

UXD isn’t a step in a process

During all the things that we do from the initial phase of a project to the point when we have a final product that we can release, UXD is present.

UXD isn’t just a checkbox. It needs to be integrated into everything that you do. That’s why it’s everybody’s job and responsibility, and it comes from the sum of all the work that a team is putting in a product.

When we think of design, we think about the fact that form follows function. That design is here to make things pretty and serve the purpose of a product. In reality, in any design process, every force evolves the force of a product. During a project, a high number of factors influence the way things turn out.

Business goals, budgetary expectations, time limitation, client’s needs, personnel limitation, customer preconception, etc. There are any number of issues that come up during product development, and all these issues can have a significant impact on the final form and quality of the user experience of a product. So as the design evolves along with the project with all these factors, user experience is not a clear cut and something we can put in a step, it also evolves along the project timeline.

UXD must be an ongoing effort, continually learning about user, responding to behaviors and evolving the product or service.

UXD isn’t about digital product or technology

Finally, all product design consider UXD in its design.

Doorknob, kitchen faucet, microwave oven… UXD has a lot to do with form consideration and functional consideration that determine whether a product is enjoyable, ergonomic to use. UXD is not limited to the confine of a computer.

UXD is any interaction with any product, any object, any system, everything that is designed. It’s about how we live, and it surrounds us. It’s not only what we do but also about the context in which we do so.

So UXD goes far beyond the realm of technology, it’s the sum total about what you feel and what value is attached to it. ‍

More…

If you wish to learn more about UXD or find the source of my article, I recommend to read the book from Don Norman “The Design of Everyday Things” or go check articles on the Nielsen Norman Group’s website.

Do not hesitate to reach out on twitter @MsterMF if you have questions or feedback.