UX Design Institute – Professional Diploma in UX Design – Final Exam Preparation Guide with Verified Answers

UX Design Institute - Professional Diploma Final Exam "What can designers do to make the payment process better? - CORRECT ANSWER - follow conventional flow - minimize questions and inputs - use auto-formatting for card numbers and exp. dates - increase perception of security w/ icons and logos" "What happens during micro-tasks (or modes)? - CORRECT ANSWER - completing micro-task = performing specific functions and the interface changes to focus on that task -- navigation/content is removed" "what is a prototype? - CORRECT ANSWER - tool used to validate designs/solutions to ensure they're effective before committing to building - simulates working products and interactive experiences for testing" "What are the benefits of prototyping? - CORRECT ANSWER - helps improve quality of designs and validate assumptions - identifies issues before building - reduces risk of building flaws and costs - helps share ideas with team/stakeholders" "concept: fidelity - CORRECT ANSWER - fidelity: how closely prototype replicates the end-state of product - high, medium, and low fidelity choice depends on resources/skills, time and money, audience it'll be shared with, and what needs testing" "What is a low fidelity prototype? - CORRECT ANSWER - usually pen and paper - can learn broad concepts and mental models, and how to optimize flow - PROS: quick, cheap, catch potential problems early, low skill needed - CONS: limited learning, can't test interaction/experiences" "what is a medium fidelity prototype? - CORRECT ANSWER - fairly detailed but objects are presented in wireframe - can learn about more detailed concepts/flows, effective screen layout/hierarchy, basic interactions, navigation, copy and labeling - PROS: fast/cheap, better testing, easier to communicate ideas to stakeholders, richer data" "what is a high fidelity prototype? - CORRECT ANSWER - visual design is almost indistinguishable from final product -- usually limited to how screens look and can use real code for interactions - can learn about flows/concepts, screen design/layout, performance of design, and test interactions -PROS: richer user testing, easy for developer to understand what needs to be built, effective for stakeholder buy-in" "what is handover documentation and what's important to include in it? - CORRECT ANSWER - needed for transition from prototyping phase to building phase in UX design process "definition: edge cases - CORRECT ANSWER use cases that occur less frequently; things that few people do infrequently" "what are the rules for prioritizing? - CORRECT ANSWER NOT ALL USE CASES ARE MADE EQUAL - things that most people do most often - things that some people do somewhat often - things that few people do infrequently (edge cases)" "definition: context - CORRECT ANSWER - the social and physical environment where the product is being used" "concept: Paradox of Specificity - CORRECT ANSWER - by getting more specific about the goals/behaviors/context of target audience, the product will be more likely to be used by wider audience" "definition: mental model - CORRECT ANSWER idea of how a product works" "definition: design model - CORRECT ANSWER how a product actually works" "definition & example: quantitative research - CORRECT ANSWER - structured, numerical, measurable, objective, statistical, broad insights - larger sample size; - "hard" science - ex. multiple choice questions, analytics" "definition & example: qualitative research - CORRECT ANSWER - unstructured, not measurable, subjective, focus groups, deep insight - smaller sample size - "soft" science w/ grey areas - ex. usability tests, open-ended survey questions" "definition & example: observational research - CORRECT ANSWER - conclusions based on culmination of collected data - ex. Google Analytics for ads" "example: attitudinal research - CORRECT ANSWER - ex. interviews, open-ended survey questions" "benefits of usability testing - CORRECT ANSWER - presents user's experience and product from user's perspective - unites stakeholders behind common cause - challenges/validates assumptions about product -produces variety of user data to learn about goals/behaviors/context - helps build consensus - cost effective" "What can you learn from usability testing? - CORRECT ANSWER - goals: what user is trying to do - behaviors: what user is doing - context: in what situation is user doing it - pain points/roadblocks - comparison to competitors - product desirability and problem solving capabilities" "What do you need to provide professional recruiters if you need users to test? - CORRECT ANSWER 2-page screener document w/: - guidance - criteria for participants (demographic, how many people needed, product usage history) - duration of test and pay - location and contact details" "Usability test questions to AVOID - CORRECT ANSWER - yes/no questions - leading questions - future-focused/hypothetical questions - design questions" "Usability test questions to TRY - CORRECT ANSWER - what and why questions - specific questions about past usage - task questions - open ended questions" "What should you do if there isn't a product yet to test? - CORRECT ANSWER - test the current version, prototype of new version, or test the competitors' product" "concept: 3 golden questions to ask in usability testing - CORRECT ANSWER 1. why did you visit our product/app/website today? 2. were you able to complete your task today? 3. what would you change about our website? what improvements would you make?" "definition: margin of error - CORRECT ANSWER - the extent to which you can expect your survey results to represent the views from the overall population - ideal: 5%" "Concept: general rules of thumb for interviews - CORRECT ANSWER DON'T - talk about your product/idea - talk about hypothetical scenarios and what they might do in the future - talk a lot DO - ask about their life - ask about specific things they did in the past - listen" "Who should you talk to for stakeholder interviews? - CORRECT ANSWER - sponsoring executive - anybody w/ a stake in project - anybody who feeds requirements - anybody who provides sign off" "objectives of stakeholder interviews - CORRECT ANSWER - understand business/goals, problems w/ product, and the competitive landscape - get buy-in from stakeholders for later" "definition: stakeholder brief - CORRECT ANSWER - a brief for the rest of project - 2-3 page summary of notes from interviews" "definition: card sorting - CORRECT ANSWER - user-centered technique to organize content - should correspond w/ user's mental model of how info should be arranged" "What is open card sorting? - CORRECT ANSWER - conduct open card sorting -- put everything on a post-it and have users organize them into groups" "benefits of card sorting - CORRECT ANSWER - understand mental models and vocabulary/language preferred by users - gives designers confidence" "what is closed card sorting? - CORRECT ANSWER - when there are pre-established groups and the user only rearranges content b/w groups" "definition: A/B testing - CORRECT ANSWER - two options -- serve 50% of users wi/ one option or the other - benefits: encourages experiments, (in)validates assumptions, allows for data-driven design choices" "definition: competitive benchmarking - CORRECT ANSWER - a research technique that doesn't need users to be tested -- designers study what top competitors are doing" "definition: heuristic evaluation - CORRECT ANSWER - determines whether your software adheres to user experience best practices or not - based on rules of thumb, best practices, and criteria to measure against" "concept: Alan Cooper heuristics- "Software should be polite" - CORRECT ANSWER 1. software should be interested in me 2. should be forthcoming w/ info 3. should be self-confident 4. should have common sense" "concept: Jakob Nielson heuristics - "Usability heuristics" - CORRECT ANSWER 1. visibility of system status 2. match b/w system and real world 3. freedom and control 4. recognition rather than recall" "concept: Steve Krug heuristics - "the reservoir of goodwill" - CORRECT ANSWER 1. don't force me to do it your way 2. save me steps whenever possible" "definition: triangulation - CORRECT ANSWER - using two/three research methods to get more accurate result" "What is an affinity diagram? - CORRECT ANSWER - best tool for organizing unstructured data - made by Jiro Kawakita, called the K-J method - conduct research, brainstorm, organizing post-its by group and labels -- now structured data - PROS: collaborative, fast analysis, high quality output, creates a shared understanding, allows for buy-in and a voice for everyone - CONS: does not reduce margin of error" "What is a customer journey map? - CORRECT ANSWER - a diagram that visualizes what the customer experience is like when interacting w/ product - based on patterns seen by analyzing research - PROS: highly structured output, understandable, sharable, can help to understand users' POV" "What are personas? - CORRECT ANSWER - made by Alan Cooper - PROS: avoids sed-referential design, creates a target for design team by providing context, behaviors, user goals, and design goals - CONS: involves friction (fake data), usually created w/out research and can be confused w/ marketing personas, time consuming, may not have intended effect" "What are customer value curves? - CORRECT ANSWER - a competitive analysis tool showing what really matters to users concept: Golden Thread - CORRECT ANSWER set of concepts/ideas that articulate UX design process; 1. UX design is a problem solving discipline 2. UX is a process 3. UX is a research-based discipline 4. Qualitative research is more insightful than quantitative 5. Flow is important to creating a pleasant experience 6. UX is a tool for minimizing risk of wasting time/money and of building poor quality product" "3 types of design that go into high quality products - CORRECT ANSWER - functional design - aesthetic design - experience design" "Why does experience matter? - CORRECT ANSWER Negative emotions have a multiplier effect; one negative experience can outweigh many positives" "2 responsibilities of an experience designer - CORRECT ANSWER 1. product integrity; they represent the user AND the integrity of the product itself 2. product desirability" "3 key ingredients of a successful product - CORRECT ANSWER 1. viability (business) - product has to make or save money for the business 2. feasibility (technology) - product has to be buildable at a viable price 3. desirability (customer) - product has to be solving a problem to make a customer want to use it" "questions to ask to identify desirability - CORRECT ANSWER 1. is there a problem? 2. is our product solving it? 3. is the experience great?" "What are the inputs and outputs of UX? - CORRECT ANSWER - Inputs: user testing, interviews, wireframes, journey maps - Outputs: money" "What are the business benefits of UX? - CORRECT ANSWER - increase revenue, customer acquisitions, conversions, customer satisfaction, customer retention, sales/sales per visitor/revenue per sale - reduce cost, customer turnover, time to market" "concept: UX design process - CORRECT ANSWER research - define - design - prototype - validate/test" "what are the benefits of the design process? - CORRECT ANSWER - vision is clear - product is visualized in high-fidelity - process has a natural structure that is easily understandable - ideas can be iterated cheaply - 3 success factors (viability, feasibility, desirability) are given equal importance" "examples of design pitfalls - CORRECT ANSWER - not carrying out customer research - designing for yourself - being technology-led rather than customer-led" "concept: danger of features - CORRECT ANSWER - features involve trade-offs -- each new feature crowds an existing one; adds too much complexity and cost (time & money)" "possible problems w/ software development - CORRECT ANSWER - focus on features vs. goals - failure to follow the design process and produce high-fidelity designs - failure to prioritize" "what is the importance of low-fidelity design? - CORRECT ANSWER - reduces ambiguity on what a product could be like - gives time and space to validate a design before building - reduces rick of spending extra money/time, creating low-quality products, and damaging the brand” - PROS: provides strategic direction, identifies competitive gaps and differentiations, help to understand performance of product against competitor" "what is an empathy map? - CORRECT ANSWER - a chart based on 5 labels about users: says, thinks, feels, does, goals - should include insights like what users want to know, notes about mismatched mental modes, benefits of product, pain points" "what is information architecture (IA)? - CORRECT ANSWER - refers to how we organize, structure, and label content in software; defines where content "lives" - purpose is to help people achieve goals / complete tasks w/ least amount of friction; has a big impact on user experience - influences primary navigation in 1 to 1 mapping, but not all navigation - should follow conventions and competitive benchmarking" "what is a flow diagram? - CORRECT ANSWER - identifies the most critical flows and ensures that software works for those - fllow is not about the number of screens but about the number of screen "states" when someone moves through an application" "what is horizontal navigation? - CORRECT ANSWER - primary (global) navigation sits at top of page and is on every page - secondary (local) navigation changes depending on where you are on website" "what is vertical navigation? - CORRECT ANSWER - useful if there is a long list of subsections that won't fit across top of screen - more commonly seen as local navigation" "what is pattern bar for mobile navigation? - CORRECT ANSWER - sliding drawer navigation or off-canvas navigation - global navigation can be accessed through hamburger icon - local navigation will appear when necessary" "concept: "interaction is similar to sentence structure" - CORRECT ANSWER interaction = intent + action + result - intent to do something - action to make it happen - result is either successful or unsuccessful" "concept: anatomy of an interaction - CORRECT ANSWER intent -- controls -- action -- rules -- feedback -- result" "definition: controls - CORRECT ANSWER - objects that allow you to control a product - digital controls ex. drop-down menus, buttons, switches" "what do rules define? - CORRECT ANSWER rules define: - how an interface works - what it can/cannot do - actions leading to success/failure - what feedback is given after actions - what happens next after user completes an action - what data is used and from where - macro-rules and micro-rules - express rules by using if-then statements" "concept: how does "rules for rules" benefit users and the production team? - CORRECT ANSWER - benefits for users: must be easy to understand, learn, and facilitate the overall flow - benefits for product team: everybody knows how it works, reduces guesswork, allows developers to focus on development instead of design decisions" "definition: feedback - CORRECT ANSWER - communicates what's happening on software -- confirms an actions, communicates results, and tells you what to do next - every micro-interaction requires feedback to tell users what's happening" "what does interaction design do? - CORRECT ANSWER - provide an explanation of what the interaction is supposed to do and where it leads to and feedback defines: - how the system behaves - how it responds to actions - how it communicates results - how it helps fulfill intentions" "definition: design principles - CORRECT ANSWER - universal truths - apply across many disciplines - increase probability of success" "definition: design patterns - CORRECT ANSWER - specific methods/approaches - brings design principles to life - specific to software" "concept: perceivability - CORRECT ANSWER - make it easy for users to figure out what to do just by looking at it - easily answer: what does it do? What do I need to do?" "concept: predictability - CORRECT ANSWER - people need to know what they are going to get before they invest their time - tell people: how long it takes? What do I need to do? What you're going to get? What happens next?" "concept: risk-reward - CORRECT ANSWER when the reward is unknown, people are less likely to take the risk" "definition: affordances - CORRECT ANSWER - visual cues that tell us how a product should be used or operated - affordances can override instructions and experience - make it obvious how a product/interface/control works, make it clear what to do next, and assist learnability" "definition: conventions - CORRECT ANSWER established ways of doing things -- people don't need to learn something they already know how to do" "definition: constraints - CORRECT ANSWER can help limit options and keep users focused on the right track" "How can a good interface be forgiving? - CORRECT ANSWER expect mistakes by having: - strong affordances - reversibile actions - confirmations - warnings - help by providing instructions" "concept: Hick's Law - CORRECT ANSWER - suggests that time it takes to make a decision depends on the number of options presented -- more options means longer time to decide what to do" "concept: Fitt's Law - CORRECT ANSWER - states that it's faster to hit larger targets that are closer to you than small targets further away - use as primary call to action - ex. large button near thumb placement vs. small button in top left corner" "concept: progressive disclosure - CORRECT ANSWER - only tell users what they need to know when they need to know it - benefits: reduces complexity and info overload, helps users make decisions and take actions, smoothens the flow" "concept: chunking - CORRECT ANSWER - technique to help process data faster and remember easier - benefits: assists short-term memory, scannability, and comprehension" "concept: alignment - CORRECT ANSWER - aligned objects are more orderly and are easier to comprehend - benefits: makes interface more perceivable, leads users through an interface, helps prevent errors" "what are some solutions for label alignment? - CORRECT ANSWER - best solution: top aligned labels -- less eye movement and good for mobile - alternative: have labels in fields like placeholders -- saves space, visually appealing, BUT can be difficult to correct errors and placeholders are meant to be clues (not tell you what data to input)" "definition: call to action - CORRECT ANSWER - should tell users what to do, why they should do it, and what will happen after" "concept: visual hierarchy - CORRECT ANSWER - used to indicate what elements are most important and what you should look at first -- use color and size contrast to prioritize most common actions" "what are the benefits of including progress indicators? - CORRECT ANSWER - makes steps look sequential - tells users what they have done and what they need to do - indicates time and effort required - aides predictability" "What are the benefits of digital affordances? - CORRECT ANSWER - uses natural qualities to help people understand how a product operates - make actions obvious, interfaces perceivable, and features discoverable" "What are pattern libraries? - CORRECT ANSWER - a collection of scenes to explore what others have designed and established conventions - used as a starting point to designing" "How do you provide help in your design? - CORRECT ANSWER - use tooltips in hover mode -- contextual help (only appears when interacted with) - help should be available but not intrusive - better to have info on the interface under/next to each section rather than in tooltips" "What is inline validation? - CORRECT ANSWER - a technique to tell users how they're doing as they're completing a form - should only occur after users leave a field and only notifies user if there is an error - TAKEAWAYS: can reduce user errors and increase speed/satisfaction, BUT is not easy to implement and requires lots of testing" "How should the interface handle errors? - CORRECT ANSWER if users make mistakes, error messages should tell them clearly where the error occurred, what went wrong, and what they need to fix" "concept: mobile vs. desktop design - CORRECT ANSWER mobile design development has to be a priority b/c most people access sites through mobile now" "definition: software application - CORRECT ANSWER a computer program built to perform certain functions" "definition: web application - CORRECT ANSWER applications designed to run on a web browser" "definition: responsive website - CORRECT ANSWER website that adjusts its appearance based on access through mobile or desktop" "definition: native applications - CORRECT ANSWER software applications built for specific use on mobile ex. Facebook's mobile website vs. desktop website vs. mobile app" "How do you justify having a native app? Should you commit to building a native mobile app? - CORRECT ANSWER - Volume: Do you have a lot of users? - Frequency: How often do they use the app? - Unique: Does your app need native capabilities a web app won't provide? Like fingerprint login or facial recognition - Cost: Is the cost of building and maintaining worth the benefits?" "3 statistics about mobile apps - CORRECT ANSWER - 25% of users will delete an app after first open - 45% of time spent on mobile device occurs in one app - 85% of time spent on mobile occurs in the top 5 used apps (, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Messenger)" "what are the 4 app types? - CORRECT ANSWER - utility: simple & structured ex. online banking or calendar app - process: complex & structured ex. insurance claim app - consumption: simple & random ex. newspapers or streaming services - commerce: complex & random ex. Amazon or Walmart" "How does workflow determine app types? - CORRECT ANSWER two aspects of workflow: - structure of flow: ordered or random - complexity of flow: how involved is the workflow, how much work is required, how many steps are there, how much processing is required" "What is app unbundling? - CORRECT ANSWER - splitting an app into two smaller apps that will be better at doing what they're designed to based on defining characteristics - ex. Facebook split into consumption app (Facebook) vs. utility app (Messenger) - ex. Google Drive split into Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc." "2 main types of flow for mobile - CORRECT ANSWER 1. linear sequence: natural/logical, has dependencies (step-by-step), commonplace transactions 2. hub-and-spoke flow: best to use when sequence is not natural, minimal dependencies, more involved transactions -- users can travel b/w parts of flow without having to undo everything" "what are the common mobile navigation patterns? - CORRECT ANSWER - tabs: primary nav appears on top or bottom of screen - off-canvas (AKA sliding drawer option): menu opens up from slide -- best for broad content/functionality, too many options that are equally important - floating buttons: prioritizes certain use cases -- best for utility apps w/ one main function - content as navigation ex. Netflix - blended: combination of common patterns" "What are the suggested nav patterns for utility apps? - CORRECT ANSWER Utility apps are simple and structured -- floating for primary actions AND off-canvas for extra options" "What are the suggested nav patterns for consumption apps? - CORRECT ANSWER consumption apps are simple and random -- use content as primary navigation AND off-canvas or tabs for secondary options" "what are the suggested nav pattern for commerce apps? - CORRECT ANSWER commerce apps are complex and random -- put all nav off-canvas" "what are the suggested nav patterns for process apps? - CORRECT ANSWER process apps are complex and structured -- use hub-and-spoke for non-linear processes" "What are HTML5 input types? - CORRECT ANSWER - visual input standards within code that can reduce workload and errors - common input types: date, color, date/time, email, month, number, phone, etc." "What is smart default? - CORRECT ANSWER - default inputting info based on user's available data or educated guesses - ex. smart defaulting location based on default address or IP address" "concept: content vs. navigation - CORRECT ANSWER "people don't come to an app for navigation" - always prioritize showing users content first over navigation -nav should be accessible but secondary" "What are tap targets? - CORRECT ANSWER target sizes based on average human finger -- smaller tap target means more errors - 7.6 mm or 48 px" "How can you display content? - CORRECT ANSWER - list view: only a couple data points ex. news apps for headlines, image, date, etc. - detailed list view: more variables and data points ex. Amazon for images, prices, ratings, discounts, names, etc. - thumbnail view: larger image ex. real-estate - grid view: multiple images need to be displayed at once ex. retail - map view: geographic location is important - image-free view: prioritizes content by presenting info in cards ex. booking a flight for departure times, duration, arrival time, price, rating, etc." "What are the 2 purposes of app notifications? - CORRECT ANSWER 1. notify users of communications from others 2. remind users of upcoming tasks or events - should help users when app is not actively in use" "What is the benefit of having skeleton states? - CORRECT ANSWER - gives impression that software is loading faster than reality -- pacifies impatient users" "How should large screen navigation be designed? - CORRECT ANSWER - floating navigation in easy-reach zone: bottom right corner" "definition: workflow - CORRECT ANSWER - a sequence or collection of activities that takes place in order to complete a task or agenda -- a process of screens and screen states" "What can designers do to improve registration workflow? - CORRECT ANSWER - don't force registration unnecessarily ex. popup windows upon opening site vs. upon checkout - don't force social registration AKA linking other accounts -- ALWAYS offer standard registration in addition to social registration - flag why personal user details are being collected - use inline validation" "What is onboarding? - CORRECT ANSWER - user onboarding is the process of increasing the likelihood that new users become successful when adopting a product -- should help answer critical questions and deal-breakers - onboarding is not always needed - BUT consider having it if product is complicated or different from mental model, requires users to enter data immediately or if there are new features from redesigning" "What are the different onboarding styles? - CORRECT ANSWER - no onboarding -- default for UX - static walkthroughs -- keep it short/concise, provide a skip option, and use images - interactive walkthroughs -- make users use the product to show how it works and address dealbreakers at the start - extensive tutor overlays: transparency and arrows w/ text -- not effective - simple tutor overlays: contextual hints that guide users and allows feature testing, use animations for explaining features" "What can designers do to improve the sign in process? - CORRECT ANSWER - keep users logged in - show password option - fingerprint/face ID options AKA biometric ID" "what are complex forms and how do you improve them? - CORRECT ANSWER - long forms that combine aspects of many other workflows - how to improve workflow of complex forms: choose a flow and structure it as a conversation, adhere to best-practices, minimize inputs, and use smart defaults" "concept: structure complex forms like a conversation - CORRECT ANSWER - tell users something -- ask users something -- tell -- ask -- tell -- ... - what to tell users: number of steps, difference b/w options, no redundant questions, explain why info is being requested, what are the rules of input" "How can complex form structure impact effectiveness? - CORRECT ANSWER - scan-ability: put labels on top of input fields, single columns input fields, single column checkbox options - use field length as an affordance -- adjust size based on type of info being requested - don't use asterisks to tell people what's requires -- use "Optional" label instead - buttons should be descriptive and provide sense of purpose - steppers: show progress made in form and how much is remaining" should include: - hierarchy (information architecture) - structure (well-documented user flows) - content (AKA copy/text) - rules (annotations)" "concept: annotations - CORRECT ANSWER - user call-out boxes next to screens to note specifics for how elements interact w/ users - use component libraries to help define interactions and components" "