The Ten Commandments of User ExperienceNick Finck & Raina Van CleaveMarch 13, 2010
SXSW Interactive 2010
Use #UXsxsw on twitter
?What the hell is UX?
“User Experience is a focus, a thread that runs through all of our disciplines, and which no discipline owns or controls.”
- The UXsters Explain UX
• Accessibility (GAWDs)
• Information Architecture (IAI)
• Information Design (IDA)
• Interaction Design (IxDA)
• Technical Writing (STC)
• Usability Engineering (UPA)
• User Research (HFES)
• Visual Design (AIGA)
• Web Analytics (WAA)
The First Commandment
The User isalways Right
“You are not the user. Neither is your boss.”
- Jessyca FrederickDirector of Product Management,ThisNext
Customer (or User) Needs
Busin
ess O
bjecti
ves
Technical Requirements
SweetSpot
Finding the sweet spot
The Second Commandment
Understand the User
Photo by Andrea Wigginshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/anikarenina/550438755/
The Third Commandment
AvoidSolutioneering
Identify & fully understand problems before finding
solutions
The Fourth Commandment
Form follows Function
“Form must play within the general realm of the familiar for easily understood functions.”
- Thomas Vander WalPrincipal, InfoCloud Solutions
Photo by Jason Hooverhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/surrealize/3366780929/
Photo by Thomas Hawkhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/2671536366/
Photo by Andreas Adelmannhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/adelmann/3302583508/
The Fifth Commandment
Content is King
“Design is about communication, and it takes more than pixels to communicate.”
- Derek PowazekContent & Community Genius
!95% of web users do not read 80% of your content!
This doesn’t mean that your content isn’t important, it means it’s more important.
The Sixth Commandment
Innovate, do not Imitate
Pedometer Nike+
The Seventh Commandment
Access isfor Everyone
Photo by Jenny Morroshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/13799732@N08/1411680967/
Photo by Dirk Borchershttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dirkborchers/495659224/
Photo by Rion Nakayahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/rion/47437262/
The Eighth Commandment
Plan before you Design
“With our users in mind and the right vision we can plan, and develop successful applications”
- Aaron IrizarryPrincipal, Solv
Photo by Roxanna Salcedahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/roxsm/1210497131/
Photo by Effie3http://www.flickr.com/photos/eclennox/181224204/
Photo by Luann Hopkinshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/luannhopkins/2156607113/
Photo by Paige Adamshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phadams/2642717270/
The Ninth Commandment
Understand the Goal
“Executives can no longer afford to formulate strategy without embracing user experience”
- Peter MorvillePrincipal, Semantic Studios
Photo by Howard Geeshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/cyberslayer/952953634/
If your website could do only one small thing, what would that one thing be?
The Tenth Commandment
Learn from Failure
“Failure is success if we learn from it.”
- Malcolm S. Forbes
!Michael Jordan failed to make his varsity basketball team
Albert Einstein's teacher described him as "mentally slow"
Walt Disney went bankrupt several times
Thank you!
The Ten Commandments of User Experience
Nick Finck@[email protected]://blueflavor.com
Raina Van Cleave@[email protected]://rainavancleave.com