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Who are the users in UX design?
I thought the U in UX referred to all users, but does it?
I started in design when human-computer interaction (HCI) and user-centered design (UCD) were the focal topics. At the time, the term user experience (UX) was known only at Apple where it was used by Don Norman and his colleagues.
About a decade later (mid-late 2000s), UX became increasingly popular in the design and engineering fields and I figured the U in UX referred to all users.
The U in UX
I think it’s commonly assumed that UX is about designing for all users, but if that were the case — if the U in UX accounted for all users — then would we have these design processes?
Accessible design
Creates great experiences that account for users having disabilities — whether permanent, temporary or situational.
Inclusive design
Creates great experiences that account for all users, including those who are typically overlooked due to their race/ethnicity, language, age, gender, class, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.
Traditionally, UX courses, books, and articles teach very little, if anything, about designing for human diversity. As a result, UX professionals can follow all UX design guidelines and still deliver products in which many users experience barriers and feel disregarded because the design failed to account for:
- 10% of the world’s population who identifies on the LGBTQIA spectrum yet products and content are often gender-binary and heteronormative.
- 15% of the world's population with permanent disabilities, but products and services are designed with limited accessibility.
- 80% of the world population that is Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, or indigenous to the global south, creating the global majority. Nonetheless, products are designed for a White default and alienate people of color.
So, who are the users in UX?
