UX (User Experience) incorporates UI (User Interface Design) to describe the overall experience and satisfaction level a person gets from interacting with something. In the interactive world, that "something" is software or a software powered gadget, but it can be more than that.
Ever download a big web page over a slow connection and get so frustrated that you give up? In a very competitive marketplace, EVERY interaction is a potential deal maker or breaker - especially with the widespread use of social media. Imagine a customer of yours giving up on something (like YOUR new phone app) in frustration and instantly sharing what happened publicly with a few hundred "close friends". Instead, your goal is to always provide potential/existing customers with the most satisfying and joyful experience, so that they not only swear loyalty to your brand, but encourage all their friends and contacts to join them. That's why EVERYTHING counts with User Experience.
Here's another example: you hear about a mobile app so full of features that it will make your out-of-office productivity amazing. You download the app onto your spanking new phone and it immediately configures your e-mail. You then select your spreadsheet and word processor and you get error messages. An hour or so later it's sort of working, but it synchronizes documents so slowly that you could recreate them faster. You check the Android Market (store) again and it has hundreds of rave reviews - but wait: you have that new phone and this app is four months old... aha... it wasn't updated to work on the new phone.
Great usability planning and execution avoids bad consumer experiences and creates the environment for happy customers. It doesn't happen by chance and it's entirely possible to achieve if you have the right approach. Here are 10 steps to make your next project, one that customers appreciate:
Note: You can also go into a beta testing phase, but it can be cumbersome for certain products. For example, you can't beta test an iPhone app except via ad hoc installations, which can make it tough to find independent real-world customers to try it out.
After launching, start listening to real customer feedback, respond to their inquiries and concerns and be ready to re-engineer, make changes and improvements, and launch a new and improved version.
To some, this process sounds tedious, to others it sounds obvious. Yet, everyday you encounter some product or some piece of software that is full of flaws or bugs, is frustrating, and makes you wonder "What were they thinking?".
We're back at home, bringing The UX of NUI discussion to our own NUI Central Meetup. more info >>>