WEEK 5 DISC 5

1/15/22, 10:49 AM Module Introduction

https://learn.umgc.edu/d2l/le/content/645074/viewContent/24924323/View 1/1

Lesson 5 UX Design

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What is user experience (UX)?

The term “UX” was �rst coined in the 1990s by Dr. Donald Norman, an electrical engineer and cognitive scientist at Apple. A pioneer of user-

centered design, Norman emphasized the importance of designing based on the needs and goals of the end user. In doing so, he introduced the

term “user experience”, which, in Norman’s own words, is meant to encompass “all aspects of a person’s experience with a system, from the

materials used to the interaction itself (physical or digital), along with the interface, graphics, and orientation.”

User experience, or UX, is a term used to describe the overall experience a user has when interacting with a product or service in a given context.

Depending on how the product or service is designed, the experience can range from delightful to downright frustrating!

You’ll often hear about UX in relation to digital products, such as websites and apps—but UX isn’t limited to the digital space. Anything that can be

experienced can be designed, from the packaging of a toothbrush to the wheels of an orthopaedic chair.

The impact of good (and bad!) UX is everywhere. That’s one of the reasons it’s such an exciting �eld, and also explains why you already know a lot

more about UX than you realize. Every time you curse a push door that has a pull bar, or close a confusing website in frustration, you’re making a

judgement on the quality of its UX design.

So: UX is all about the user’s interaction or experience with a product or service.

As Rahul Varshney, co-creator of Foster.fm puts it:

“User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are some of the most confused and misused terms in our �eld. A UI without UX is like a painter slapping paint onto a canvas without thought; while UX without UI is like the frame of a sculpture with no paper mache on it. A great product experience starts with UX followed by UI. Both are essential for the product’s success.”

If you’ve got room for one more analogy, Dain Miller sums up the relationship between UX and UI design perfectly:

“UI is the saddle, the stirrups, and the reins. UX is the feeling you get being able to ride the horse.”

— Dain Miller, Web Developer