User Experience (UX) Fundamentals

Study Notes

User Experience (UX)

Refers to the overall experience a user has when interacting with a product, system, or service
Encompasses multiple aspects, including usability, accessibility, and aesthetics
Goals:
- Make products easy to use and efficient
- Enhance user satisfaction and engagement
- Increase loyalty and retention

Accessibility

Refers to the design of products, systems, and services that are usable by people of all abilities and disabilities
Involves creating inclusive designs that accommodate diverse needs and abilities
Key principles:
- Perceivable: information must be presented in a way that is perceivable by all users
- Operable: users must be able to operate the system
- Understandable: users must be able to understand the system
- Robust: systems must be robust enough to be used by a wide range of users

Heuristic Evaluation

A method for evaluating the usability of a system or product
Involves expert reviewers examining the system against a set of established usability principles (heuristics)
Nielsen's 10 heuristics:
1. Visibility of system status
2. Match between system and the real world
3. User control and freedom
4. Consistency and standards
5. Error prevention
6. Recognition rather than recall
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
9. Helping users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
10. Help and documentation

Usability Testing

A method for evaluating the usability of a system or product by observing real users interacting with it
Goals:
- Identify usability issues and areas for improvement
- Gather quantitative and qualitative data on user behavior and performance
Methods:
- Think-aloud protocol: users verbalize their thoughts and actions while using the system
- Co-discovery: multiple users work together to complete tasks
- Retrospective testing: users complete tasks and then discuss their experience

Description

Test your knowledge of User Experience (UX) concepts, including accessibility, heuristic evaluation, and usability testing. Learn how to create user-friendly products and systems that are accessible to everyone.