The Nuances of UX - BlendConf 2013

This presentation was given at BlendConf 2013 in Charlotte, NC, USA

When doing any kind of design work, the devil is always in the details. It is easy and often important for us to quickly rush through our wireframes and prototypes to meet a client deadline, but as professionals we must not overlook the subtleties that can turn a good experience into a great experience. This talk is about the little details we see in apps and websites we use every day, but often fail to notice. We fail to notice them because they provide for a much smoother user experience. You will learn how to design for these experiences even with a tight deadline and within an agile workflow. After this presentation you’ll never look at another app or website the same again.

Transcript

1. The Devil is in the Details September 7th, 2013 The Nuances of UX presented by nick finck
2. Who the f#@K is this guy?
3. Photo credit: Jeff Croft Director of UX projekt202 Personal Site NickFinck.com Twitter @nickf Notable UX toreador
4. we make software make sense.
5. 100+ designers, technologists, researchers, & strategists 3 studios + 5 satellite offices Denver Austin Seattle Berlin Dallas Denmark Los Angeles Philadelphia
6. Some of our clients
7. #UXnuances
8. Overview • Details • Simplification • Process • Research • Our Job
9. Design Details &
10. Good design is thorough down to the last detail. Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the user. - Dieter Rams
12. Mint app
13. Paper app
14. CNN Money app
15. CNN app
17. Attention to detail does not mean it will bear the burden of complexity.
18. Design Simplification &
19. Good design is as little design as possible. Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity. - Dieter Rams
20. Showtime Anytime app
21. When we over-simplify, we tend to miss important details. The work still needs to be done, just someone else now has to do it (or worse, no one does).
22. Winchester House
23. Disney World
24. Design Process &
25. Most of our processes are feature- driven. We operate in a world driven by features and version numbers.
27. Features and version numbers are simply common ways to market a product, yet they are rarely a means to improve the experience for the customer.
28. A good experience sells more naturally than features and version numbers.
29. Design Research &
30. Observe how people use it
31. Know the context of use
32. Look for hacks
33. Service Blueprint
34. It’s our Job
35. It’s not enough that we build products that function, that are understandable and usable, we also need to build products that bring joy and excitement, pleasure and fun, and yes, beauty to people’s lives. - Don Norman
36. Our work is so much more than just evoking emotions, it is about life.
38. It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. - Charles Darwin
39. We are not surviving, we are barely existing.
40. “We’re in a technology tsunami. Whether you love it or hate it, ultimately we have to figure out how to survive it and make it work for us.” - Peggy Klaus Photo by Jean Guichard
41. We used to seek a Work/Life balance, times have changed and now we seek a Work/Life/Technology balance.
43. We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. - Albert Einstein
44. We must not think of our job as designing for someone, instead we must think of it as designing for humanity. Photo by James Cridland
45. We are the makers of our own state and… individuals who realize the fact need not, ought not, to wait for collective action. - Mahatma Gandhi
46. We must take it upon ourselves to find ways to better collaborate with each other and craft experiences together that balance work, life, and technology.
47. Thank you.
48. Questions?
49. • Employer Site: projekt202.com • Personal Site: NickFinck.com • Email: nick.finck@projekt202.com • Twitter: @nickf Contact me