30.08.2023 - 18.10.2023 / Week 1 - Week 8
Yung Siew Weng / 0339847
UX Design /
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Lectures & Exercises
LECTURES
#WEEK 1
UX Design Lecture #1: Module Briefing
For this particular week, it was the day of module and project briefing. Some knowledge about UX Design was share in the session.
1. What is User Experience (UX)?
User Experience (UX) is the holistic user interaction with a product or service. It encompasses usability, accessibility, visual design, interaction design, and other elements that contribute to a satisfying and effective user experience. UX designers aim to create user-centered, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing interactions with a product, ensuring it meets user needs and fosters emotional engagement.
UX Design Further Reading #1: The Design of Everyday Things
Chapter 1 : The Psychopathology of Everyday Things
1. What is the reason for failure?
According to Don Norman, it's the lack of Discoverability and Understanding and it's also the core characteristics of a good design.
Discoverability : is it possible to figure out what actions are possible and how to perform?
Understanding : What does it all mean? How is the product supposed to be used? What do all the different controls and settings mean?
2. Five fundamental psychological concepts (UX)?
- Affordances : What actions an interface suggests to users
- Signifiers : Cues or indicators that guide user interactions
- Constraints : Limitations that prevent errors and guide user actions
- Mapping :The relationship between controls and their effects.
- Feedback : Information about the outcome of user actions.
#WEEK 2
UX Design Lecture #2: UI & UX
#Important Notes :
1. What is User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX)?
User Interface (UI) : Design the product. For example - Colour Theory, Typography, Design Patterns, Interactivity and Animation
User Experience (UX) : How a person, the user, feels about interacting with, or experiencing a product. For example - Product Strategy, User Research, Information Architecture, Testing & Iteration
UI + UX : Interactive Excellence. For example - Empathy, Collaboration, Design Thinking, Prototyping
2. UI/UX Word
- Usable means design, structure and purpose of the product is clear and easy to use
- Equitable means a design is helpful to people with diverse abilities and backgrounds.
- Enjoyable means the design delights (make use feel comfort) the user.
- Useful means it solves user problems.
3. Design Thinking
Fig 1.1 Design Thinking, Lecture Slide
Research ➜ Empathise ➜ Create ➜ Test ➜ Develop
#WEEK 3
UX Design Lecture #3: Design Audit - Bad vs Good UX Design
#Important Notes :
1. Characteristics of good UX Design
For a user to have a good experience, the product needs to have the following characteristics :
#Usable [discoverable and understandable]
means the design, structure and motive of the product are clear to the user
- Is the design easy to understand?
- Can the user find everything easily?
- Can user accomplish the desired task without any hindrances?
#Equitable
An equitable product delivers a high-quality user experience to all its user regardless of their age, gender identity, race or ability.
- Are the needs of diverse groups considered?
- Is the design fulfilling the needs of historically underrepresented groups?
#Enjoyable
A enjoyable product design makes the user happy.
- Does the design consider the user's feeling?
- Is the design inspiring or delighting user?
- Is the design keeping the user engaged?
#Useful [ability to solve problem]
A product is useful if it solves a user problem.
- Is the design solving a user problem?
- Does it help the user achieve a specific goal?
- Is the design adding value to the user's experience?
#WEEK 4
UX Design Lecture #4: UX Empathy & UX Market Segmentation
#Summary :
The main to design a user persona is to understand your user's needs including demographic, geographic, behaviour and technology.
#WEEK 5
UX Design Lecture #5: User Journey
#Important Notes :
1. Understand User Need and User Problem
User Need = As a User Type I need/want User Need so that User Goal.
For example, As an online shopper, I need a user-friendly and efficient search feature on the e-commerce website so that I can quickly find the products I want and complete my shopping without wasting time.
User Problem = Situation is challenging for User Type because Cause/Problem.
For example, The situation is challenging for online shoppers because the existing search feature on the website is slow and often provides inaccurate search results, making it frustrating to locate and purchase desired products.
#WEEK 6
UX Design Lecture #6: 5 Important Laws of UX Design
#Important Notes :
5 Laws of UX Design
#Hick's Law
More choices lead to longer decision-making. Too many options can overwhelm users. For instance, instead of showing all filters at once, the design could offer high-level filters like "Brand" and "Price Range" initially.
#Jacob's Law
Users expect your site to function like others they know. Familiarity influences user expectations. For example, In a website's navigation menu, the size of the clickable area for each menu item matters. The "Home" or "Back" button is often placed in the upper-left corner of mobile apps because it's a large and easily accessible target.
#Fitt's Law
The time to reach a target is based on its size and distance. Smaller targets that are farther away take longer to reach. For example, if your primary goal is to get users to sign up, the "Sign Up" button should be larger and more prominent than secondary actions. This size and placement highlight the primary target.
#Von Restorff Effect
Uniqueness stands out. Highlight essential info or actions to make them more memorable [emphasise the important]
#Zeigarnik Effect
People remember what's left undone more than what's completed. For example, the use of progress bars, partially filled indicators, or unanswered questions to keep users engaged and motivated to complete tasks.
Exercises
MODULE INFORMATION
UX Design - Exercise 1 : UX Design Analysis
INSTRUCTION
Choose ONE mobile application and breakdown the affordances, signifiers, mapping and feedback for UX design. Describe how the application's UX design function when used. Compile your findings in a document as a report (capture screenshot with label and indicator). Provide necessary visual references of the mobile application, with label and indicators and relate these to your report.
EXPLORATION
As we had given the suggestion to select a mobile application related to our fashion industry project, I conducted an exploration of various potential mobile applications within the fashion sector. After some consideration, I opted to analyse the MANGO application for this exercise. My choice was influenced by Mango's fashion style, which prominently features a Mediterranean aesthetic, and the application's minimalist and sleek black-and-white design, effectively portraying a modern and elegant look.
Fig 2.1 Mango Application Overview
Following an in-depth exploration of the MANGO application, I have broken down its affordances, signifiers, mapping, and feedback elements in its UX design. And, for the purpose of this exercise, I believe that a document format is more suitable than slides due to its ability to accommodate a detailed layout composition. So, here are the final outcome of Exercise 1, which are detailed below :
Fig 2.2 Final Outcome, Exercise 1 @ UX Design Analysis
UX Design - Exercise 2 : Design Audit
INSTRUCTION
In this task, were are asked to select a case study where UX design significantly influenced the success or failure of a product or service. After conducting thorough research, we will need to analyse the characteristics of good and bad UX design in the selected scenario, considering aspects such as usability, accessibility, visual design, information architecture, and user feedback. Using slides, you will create a presentation with a minimum of six slides. The presentation should include a title slide introducing the case study and your analysis, an overview of the case study and the UX design aspects that were successful or unsuccessful, a list and explanation of key characteristics of good UX design, a list and explanation of key characteristics of bad UX design, and a conclusion summarising your findings and offering recommendations for improving the UX design in the scenario. Your presentation will be assessed based on its clarity, effectiveness in communication, the depth and quality of the analysis, and adherence to the provided guidelines.
EXPLORATION
As this exercise is a continuation of Exercise 1, where I conducted a UX Design Analysis of the MANGO application, I proceeded with the same application to further analyze its UX design. For this analysis, I employed Canva boards to identify and categorise both the good and bad aspects of the UX design within the MANGO app :
Once the analysis of both good and bad aspects of the UX design was completed, along with the provided suggestions for improvement, I departed to the next step involved translating these findings into a presentation format. The outcomes and key insights were presented in a slide deck, which is displayed in the embedded file below :
Fig 3.2 Presentation Slide, UX Design @ Exercise 2 : Design Audit
REFLECTION
Prior from completing the outcome, I must admit that I found myself grappling with a sense of confusion when it came to understanding the intricacies of UX design, particularly in terms of affordances, signifiers, mapping, and feedback. In my mind, these elements seemed like interconnected verbs, each reliant on the other, and I struggled to discern how to separate them methodically. Given my specialization in UI/UX, I initially believed that these concepts would come more naturally to me. However, the learning process proved to be a journey of exploration, filled with numerous unexpected twists and turns.
As I delved deeper into the design audit exercise, I began to realize the importance of the minute details and seemingly inconsequential elements within an application. These elements, while individually minor, collectively contribute to the overall smoothness and efficiency of the user experience. For instance, the ability to drag a product item in the shopping bag and easily access options like adding it to the wishlist or deleting it may appear trivial at first glance. However, these seemingly minor features indirectly play a pivotal role in creating a user-friendly atmosphere and steering the user towards completing a purchase. It's the subtle details that make a substantial difference in how users interact with an application.
To sum it up, this stage of my learning has been a real eye-opener. I've come to realize just how crucial those little details are in UX design and how important it is to be flexible and adapt to the specific demands of each project. Although UX design can seem complex, this exercise has given me a whole new outlook and a better understanding of the small things that can make a digital interface truly user-friendly.
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