The User Experience

The Elements of User Experience, written by Jesse James Garrett, explains how to best build technology with the user in mind.  The first chapter focuses broadly on “The Elements of User Experience” and the second chapter narrows its view to display the details behind the specific elements.     

Garrett begins with defining user experience as “the experience the product creates for the people who use it in the real world,” (6).  A bit obvious, I know, but I felt it necessary for the audience to understand the central focus of the book: the user.

One of the more important points he makes in the chapter proves that product design matters.  The product must be functional, or who would want to use it?  There are far more companies who could perfect a mediocre idea and turn it into a million dollar business before you could even blink.  Therefore it’s most important that the product be user friendly and easy to operate.

Another important factor in webpage design is a company’s success in gaining capital.  In order to be a good business, your users have to have a positive experience.  If you want a good ROI, or return on investment, the product design must warrant customer support (13).

Ultimately, the user-centered design is a simple idea, but one that is more complex in execution (17).  Can you think of a product that was design with the user in mind?  What about one that needed a remodel after customer feedback?

Garrett’s second chapter touches on The Five Planes.  “These five planes…provide a conceptual framework for talking about user experience problems and the tools we use to solve them,” (21).

1. The Surface Plane
2. The Skeleton Plane
3. The Structure Plane
4. The Scope Plane
5. The Strategy Plane