Chapter 1: Key Ideas
What is UX?:
• UX does not mean User Experience. It's the process of User Experience Design
• Process involves doing research to understand users, develop ideas to solve user & business needs, then
build & measure those solutions in the real world to determine if they work
Five Main Ingredients:
• Psychology: Ask yourself things like: user motivation, user feelings, habits created, behavior, etc.
• Usability: Mostly conscious. Ask yourself: could need less input, is it clear, is necessary information
there?
• Design: Design is not about art or aesthtic or "liking it", it is about how it works and if it's
something you can prove. Ask: Do users like the look?, Can they use it?, Does the design make it clear
direct the user?
• Copywriting: UX copy gets things done as directly and simply as possible. Ask: Is the biggest text most
important, reduce anxiety?, simple and direct?
• Analysis: Ask: Are you using data without a bias?, Have you collected helpful data, how can you use this
to make improvements?
Your Perspective:
• 2 things to know: you want things that don't matter to users and you know things that don't matter to
users.
• Empathy to the user's is important. Ask yourself questions from the perspective of the user.
• What you know, user's often wont. And more often, if they do, they won't care.
The Three Whats:
• What is this?
◦ Have an image or title that tells user's what this is. Tell them directly with simple words.
,• What's in it for me?
◦ Better to show users through demos, free trails, videos, pictures, etc.
• What do I do?
◦ Figure out what the next step is and make it obvious. Show them how to register, where to go, what
to click, or what/how to do what you want them to.
Solutions versus Ideas:
• Focus on solutions before aesthethic. You must understand problems that mean nothing to you. Solutions
are ideas that can be wrong
Pyramid of UX Impact:
• Designers job is to create value from the user's perspective
, Chapter 2: Before You Start
User Goals and Business Goals:
• User Goals: Users are people, so they will always WANT something. Find out what.
• Business Goals: Every org. has a reason for creating a site/app; usually moeny but find out that too.
◦ The specific type of goal is important; it will drive your creation
• Align the Goals: If those goals are not aligned, there will be problems. Align them
UX is a Process:
• Everything has UX, wether it is good or bad comes from the PROCESS.
• Company also has a process: UX, coders, project managers, business people, etc.
◦ At the beginning of a project, determine how the company expects you to fit into that
• Always question the process and attempt to improve it (both yours and the company's)
Gathering Requirements:
• Most ideas will come from the limitation and restrictions you define by studying the problem
• Requirements are limitations/restrictions that come from your own colleagues/work
• Determine what the stakes/limitations are from everyone that the oroject will affect
• Collect problems that need solved, thing's that can't be changed, or what MUST be included
• Don't confuse requirements with expectations. Make sure to ask WHY someone needs something.
Building Consensus:
• Be able to defend and prove your ideas are right BEFORE you implement them
• Good data and research are important. If something is subject, suggest an experiment
• Do not ever lie. Just admit you do not know.
What is UX?:
• UX does not mean User Experience. It's the process of User Experience Design
• Process involves doing research to understand users, develop ideas to solve user & business needs, then
build & measure those solutions in the real world to determine if they work
Five Main Ingredients:
• Psychology: Ask yourself things like: user motivation, user feelings, habits created, behavior, etc.
• Usability: Mostly conscious. Ask yourself: could need less input, is it clear, is necessary information
there?
• Design: Design is not about art or aesthtic or "liking it", it is about how it works and if it's
something you can prove. Ask: Do users like the look?, Can they use it?, Does the design make it clear
direct the user?
• Copywriting: UX copy gets things done as directly and simply as possible. Ask: Is the biggest text most
important, reduce anxiety?, simple and direct?
• Analysis: Ask: Are you using data without a bias?, Have you collected helpful data, how can you use this
to make improvements?
Your Perspective:
• 2 things to know: you want things that don't matter to users and you know things that don't matter to
users.
• Empathy to the user's is important. Ask yourself questions from the perspective of the user.
• What you know, user's often wont. And more often, if they do, they won't care.
The Three Whats:
• What is this?
◦ Have an image or title that tells user's what this is. Tell them directly with simple words.
,• What's in it for me?
◦ Better to show users through demos, free trails, videos, pictures, etc.
• What do I do?
◦ Figure out what the next step is and make it obvious. Show them how to register, where to go, what
to click, or what/how to do what you want them to.
Solutions versus Ideas:
• Focus on solutions before aesthethic. You must understand problems that mean nothing to you. Solutions
are ideas that can be wrong
Pyramid of UX Impact:
• Designers job is to create value from the user's perspective
, Chapter 2: Before You Start
User Goals and Business Goals:
• User Goals: Users are people, so they will always WANT something. Find out what.
• Business Goals: Every org. has a reason for creating a site/app; usually moeny but find out that too.
◦ The specific type of goal is important; it will drive your creation
• Align the Goals: If those goals are not aligned, there will be problems. Align them
UX is a Process:
• Everything has UX, wether it is good or bad comes from the PROCESS.
• Company also has a process: UX, coders, project managers, business people, etc.
◦ At the beginning of a project, determine how the company expects you to fit into that
• Always question the process and attempt to improve it (both yours and the company's)
Gathering Requirements:
• Most ideas will come from the limitation and restrictions you define by studying the problem
• Requirements are limitations/restrictions that come from your own colleagues/work
• Determine what the stakes/limitations are from everyone that the oroject will affect
• Collect problems that need solved, thing's that can't be changed, or what MUST be included
• Don't confuse requirements with expectations. Make sure to ask WHY someone needs something.
Building Consensus:
• Be able to defend and prove your ideas are right BEFORE you implement them
• Good data and research are important. If something is subject, suggest an experiment
• Do not ever lie. Just admit you do not know.
