A non-designer’s guide to UX design
All the design related jargon you would ever want to know
(Brace yourself for some Michael Scott GIFs!)
“So, what is it that you do exactly?”
“I am a UX Designer.”
I get this a lot. It is always a difficult question to answer, not because UX is a complicated concept, but because there isn’t a single correct answer. And so I say, “It depends”! An important thing to understand is,
UX design is a process. UX design is a mindset.
User Experience (UX) a.k.a user-centered design
places emphasis on the needs of users when designing a product.
In this article, I shall attempt to explain the user-centered design methodology. Irrespective of what one is designing, the basic components of a UX process generally stay the same, and can be modified to fit the needs of a particular situation.
Now, let us understand each step, in the context of a problem that is all too familiar - how to cook a perfect meal for guests?
Consider this scenario - My family is visiting me after many weeks and I want to cook for them. I find out that they’re visiting this coming weekend and so I only have 3 days to make the perfect dinner.
Understand the problem
With only three days in my hand, I have to plan and cook dinner for a family of four. All of us like different things, so I have to plan it right. I want to make something special for them, something that earns me a lot of brownie points!
In different organizations, projects are initiated by different stakeholders. As UX designers on the team it is their job to understand the problem that needs to be solved, while keeping in mind the expected deliverables, available resources, timeline and other constraints. A UX designer’s secret weapon is effective communication which is very crucial at every step of the project.
User Research
I start by asking mom what she would like for dinner. I ask dad and my brother if they want anything special. I ask my family for hints essentially, to make sure I get it right. Of course, I don’t get the answers that I am looking for, but some tidbits to begin with.
Aim of user research is to understand what (potential or actual) users of a software, app, or product need, like and value. It is useful to collect qualitative and quantitative information from users. Some of the user research methods include contextual interviews (semi-structured informal talk), ethnographic research (observe people in their natural environment), surveys, journey maps (describe a person’s context of use of an app or product through their daily activities).
Brainstorm design ideas
I think about my childhood memories, what were our favorite dishes growing up, I try to remember their recipes. I also search the internet for some fancy yet easy to cook things. I look for local ingredients that I can prepare with. I do it all, to be as creative as possible.
This phase is essentially transitioning from research into design. A UX designer’s job is to translate the research insights into design solutions. Based on the project constraints, a UX designer brainstorms possible directions for the software, app or product with inputs from various stakeholders. The idea is to digress and converge repeatedly to conceive the most usable design.
Interaction Design
Based on my family’s preferences and my ideas, I jot down some menu options for the dinner. I take stock of the ingredients that are available with me and buy things that I don’t. I factor in the preparation and cooking time. I make delicious food with all the resources that I now have.
A UX designer designs workflows, interactions, wireframes and user interfaces to build a prototype. The design may go through multiple iterations based on the changing requirements of project and feedback discussions.
Test the solution
I ask my friend to taste some food items that I have prepared. She tells me the things that I got right, and ones that I didn’t. I modify those either by cooking them again or improving their flavor by adding some spices. I realize that the result is much better than I expected. My family is going to be very happy!
It is critical that a design is tested by the users. Some ways to do testing are paper prototyping (ask users to interact with paper sketches), usability testing (observe as users complete certain tasks using the product), eyetracking (monitor user’s eye movements as they navigate a website or app). User testing is important to let the UX designer know what was designed well and what needs to be improved further.
“Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible.” - Don Norman
A UX designer strives to create engaging experiences, and I am happy to be a part of the community that designs solutions to solve problems.
