Ever since the term User Experience design started being used a number of years ago, there has been a bit of confusion as to what UX design actually means. The main confusion tends to be that people think that UX design is just a fancy name for User Interface design. It’s very easy to see how this could seem to be the case. A lot of the deliverables that a UX designer produces can be very similar to that of a UI designer, but there is also a lot more work going on behind the scenes that is done to produce results that are not as easy to see. One of the reasons for this is that digital products are intangible. We can’t easily lift open the lid and see how all the gears fit together, so this makes it difficult to describe how they work and what they do.
That's why this time I would like to talk to you about UX but using a nearby analogy. A better way to describe what UX design is would then be to associate it to a close experience that everyone can relate to, and explain how the design of the product is changed to create an experience for the user.
Since some years ago I am trying to incorporate new and good habits into my life. One of the newest habits I have picked up is to run regularly. Among other benefits, running improves my health, boosts my confidence and helps me to relieve stress. In short, running makes me happier. In the beginning, I was completely focused while running. I was dealing with a lot of new variables I hadn’t thought about nor experienced before; like learning to breathe properly or avoiding unexpected cyclists.
At this point, you are probably wondering, does this relate to UX? Here we go… Stretch, breathe and enjoy the ride.
You can always keep learning. Even when you think not
When we were children, running was an exclusive condition for a game to be considered a funny game; and running was easy. To do this you did not need great knowledge; it was enough to synchronize the movement of our legs and speed up when was necessary. As a first time like real runner, my basic knowledge had to expand to improve my performance.
This is very similar to what designers do when considering the first time user experience of a website. We analyze what our core audience already knows and introduce new features with easy to learn experiences.
To evolve. To improve faster
After running for a while, I was getting more and more challenges. That's when I became familiar with several running plans. This “guides” basically helps me to achieve goals.
This is exactly what is expected in the UX design and is what designers do to work and improve faster.
When you know the path, the ride is safer (and clear)
Nowadays, through my running experiences, I have also became familiar with running down around my neighborhood pathways. This familiarity allows me to successfully understand and navigate the traffic lights, road signs, and directional indicators that block my ride and allows me to enjoy it successfully.
Similarly, when a user visits your website, information needs to be provided in a clear and helpful way. It should be presented in a familiar way to teach users what to expect at every turn. Navigating through a website becomes much comfortable if users are confident that what you promise is what they will get at the end of their journey.
An intuitive web is always better than one that is not: any good digital interaction should clearly indicate basic rules. Website intersections should be simple and familiar so users are able to navigate their way.
In conclusion
So, UX is just like running although the experience can vary quite a lot depending the pathway. I would encourage you to consider your users as runners or people walking around. Help them navigate your website successfully, and make sure they have a joyful and easy ride along a clearly path.
