Hello, and welcome.
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What is User Experience?
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According to the international standard on ergonomics of human system interactions, user experience is a person’s perceptions and responses that result from the use or anticipated use of a product, system or service.
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Simply put, it is the result of a person’s experience with a system.
So we have the definition down, but what do we really know about user experience? Where did it come from? Who invented it?
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Let’s take a short walk through history…
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1900’s, Frederick Taylor and Henry Ford, both studied the implication of human/machine interactions and how productivity could be increased if these interactions were optimized.
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In 1909, Taylor published the principles of scientific management in which he explains how he planned on simplifying and optimizing jobs, and how productivity would increase from that.
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Henry Ford developed the assembly line mode of production, which also was based on optimizing human/machine interactions, and he revolutionized the industry.
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Although those might not seem to be closely related to the UX field, they were the first observation of how people would use machine/human interactions to get better results for what they were trying to achieve, which is the goal of UX today.
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In 1948, Toyota started asking their employees for feedback on the technology that they used, to be able to have more insight into how to make it better. This allowed them to increase employee’s performance, and in the long run, company’s revenue.
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1955, Dreyfuss wrote a book titled designing for people. Dreyfuss was an industrial designer, and this book was partly a biography, and partly a guide to designing for people. Dreyfuss was told to be an excellent story teller, which is a very important skill for any designer that hopes to attract customers with the stories that they tell.
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Dreyfuss’s way of writing is easy and light, which makes it enjoyable for the reader, and, as you would expect, it is very well designed, and the pages flow from one to the other seamlessly. Designers today are inspired by this book.
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In 1966, the world is introduced to Walt Disney, who in turn, introduced the world to what would later become Disney World.
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Why is this a milestone in UX design? Well, Disney’s idea behind the park was to create a “place where the latest technology can be used to improve the lives of people”. He thought that it was all supposed to bring people joy, and he has been a huge inspiration for designers since then.
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In the 1970’s, a team from the famous company Xerox, called PARC, created and designed the first computers for human use. The lead of the team was Bob Taylor, who was a psychologist and engineer, helped build and create the graphical user interface (more commonly called GUI) as well as the mouse. Yes, the one we use everyday with our computers!
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In 1995, Don Norman was hired by Apple to work on the design and research of their first line of human-centered products. At this time, he asked Apple that his job title be User Experience Architect. This was the first time this word was used in a job title.
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Don Norman also wrote a book called the design of everyday things. This book was focused on how new technology had to stay focused on the psychology of people in order to be successful, because even if the new television has amazing functions, if it is not designed in an intuitive way, people will usually not like it.
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Finally, 2007 came, and the first iPhone appeared on the market. It was really successful, and what made it so popular was a great combination of hardware and software. The new touchscreen were so well designed and so easy to use that people did not want to use the keyboards anymore.
Their success at the time made Apple realize how important user experience was in the success of a product, and they have been putting lots of thought into it ever since.
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Now that we know more about the background of user experience design, we can go a little more in depth about what it consists of, what are the main features of a well designed interface, and what does it look like to work as a user experience developer.
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So what makes a good UX design? Here are some key points to look for to make sure that your website is successful.
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First, and probably most important, you have to know your audience. This might seem obvious, but drawing a persona of what kind of people you are targeting is crucial to making sure that when you start thinking about the design, you make sure that it is something that will appeal to the specific population you are targeting.
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Second, you have to make your content and features stand out. Yes, you might be trying to sell something, or get your point across. But you have to remember, the user has to be able to use your website in an easy manner, and you have to make sure that it is as intuitive as possible.
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One thing that might seem unimportant but actually makes a big difference, is typography. It has to appeal to the user, but most importantly, it has to be easy to read! Italic might look good, but it is not something that people can read through easily. Choosing the right typography for your website is very important.
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Reviewing your design, even after you’re done and it is out for users, asking for feedbacks and listening to advices from other designers is a very important part of what after you are done, which you never really are actually because there are always changes that need to be made. Having a feedback option on your website is great for users because it shows that you care about their input and that you care about their experience with your website.
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Of course, there are a lot of other features that influence how the user is going to interact with your design, but these are some basic tips that every designer needs to know before starting to create anything.
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Now that we have talked a little bit about what makes a good interface, let’s move on to what it is like to be a UX developer and what are the pros and cons of this job.
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First of all, how do you become a UX designer? Of course, you can go to school for it. Usually to be in a field as specific as this, you would need a masters degree if you really want this specification, but you can start with an IT or computer science bachelors degree. Having a psychology, or sociology degree can also help you, as UX design is a combination of human and machine interaction, and knowing both sides is a great thing for any UX designer.
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But you can also try to learn and become a UX designer on your own! There are many articles and books that can help you learn more about UX design, and it can be a good idea to start with these before going to school, to make sure that this is the area that you want to work in. Some of those readings that designers recommend are “so you want to be a user experience designer” by Whitney Hess, or “designed for use” by Lukas Mathis.
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You should also try to learn how to use Sketch and Photoshop, which are tools that every UX designer should know how to use.
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There are also a lot of concepts that you need to familiarize with such as balance, contrast, color or consistency.
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One last thing I will say about this topic is that you have to practice. While reading articles and watching videos can be very instructive, what will help you most in the end is to actually practice, and create fake projects. As you work on those, you will familiarize yourself with the tools and create a more personal connection to design, which will allow you to work better and more efficiently once you get an actual project to work on.
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Being a UX developer is fascinating. Here are the pros and cons of working as one.
First, it is a great job if you like to socialize. As you will create your design and try to build it, you will need to work with a team and agree on what to do. You will need to have regular check ins with them to make sure that the project is going in the right direction and that everyone is on the same page. You will also have contact with clients, asking them what they like about your design and what they would like to see improved.
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Another thing that is great about UX design is that it is a very interdisciplinary field. The meaning behind that is that even though it seems like a technical job, and it is, it also involves other disciplines such as art, psychology, or sociology, and someone with a background that could seem far from that of a UX designer could actually bring a different viewpoint and be of great use to a UX team.
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Finally, this job can be very rewarding. Having a well designed interface can make a great difference for the business that you work for, and knowing that you are part of that important team, and that your work is of great value to the members of the company, is something that you will feel great about.
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However, like any jobs out there, there are also some drawbacks to working in this field.
Some people that work in the IT field do not consider the work of a UX developer relevant, and that can take a toll on a person if they take it personally.
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Being a UX developer also includes a lot of research, and someone expecting to do hands on work only can be deceived when they realize the amount of reading and interviewing they have to do before they can start working on a project.
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Finally, the word UX is being used so much nowadays, that it can lead to confusion and people with whom you work will probably not really know what you are doing or believe that you are doing something completely different than what your actual job is, and this can be frustrating for some people.
So there you have it, I hope that this video would have helped you understand User Experience a little better, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me and I will be happy to answer them to the best of my abilities.
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Happy Holidays, thank you.