What is User Experience?
User Experience (UX) involves all interactions that a user has with a particular product, system or service. It is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product. It is human-centered, data-informed design that assists both the users and the business in achieving their goals. Web UX involves the strategy, research, analysis, design, implementation, measurement, and iteration of a website.
- The design is based upon an explicit understanding of users, tasks and environments
- Users are involved throughout design and development
- The design is driven and refined by user-centered evaluation
- The process is iterative
- The design addresses the whole user experience
- The design team includes multidisciplinary skills and perspectives
- Useful. Your content should be original and fulfill a need.
- Usable. The design must be easy to use.
- Desirable. Image, identity, brand, and other design elements are used to evoke emotion and appreciation.
- Findable. Content needs to be navigable and locatable onsite and offsite.
- Accessible. Content needs to be accessible to people with disabilities.
- Credible. Users must trust and believe what you tell them.
- User Research. Understanding user behaviors, needs, and motivations through observation techniques, task analyses, etc.
- Usability. Measuring, understanding, and optimizing the extent to which users can achieve goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.
- Information Architecture. Structuring and organizing information, supporting usability and findability.
- User Interface Design. Anticipating what users might need to do and ensuring that the interface has elements that are easy to access, understand, and use to facilitate those actions.
- Interaction Design. Interface layout (wireframe), incorporating user needs collected during user research / testing, defining interface behavior, maintaining consistency throughout ecosystem, etc.
- Visual Design. The aesthetics or look-and-feel of the user interface.
- Content Strategy. Writing and curating useful content by planning the creation, delivery, and governance behind it.
- Accessibility. Incorporating ways for disabled individuals to accesses or benefit from the design (legally governed by Section 508).
- Analytics. The collection, reporting, and analysis of data on the design.
- Project Management. Planning and organizing a project and its resources.
User Experience Basics
In this comprehensive online resource, Usability.gov gives an introduction to the fundamentals of UX and what they entail.
What is User Experience?
In this video, the Google Android team gives a high level introduction to UX Design
Publications
Nielsen Norman Group
Original research from one of the most respected authorities in UX.
Luke W
Very short, straightforward, and visual articles from a Product Design veteran.
Smashing Magazine
High quality, vetted design content from a collection of experts.
UX Magazine
Large collection of articles about virtually every UX subset.
UX Matters
Evergreen articles dating back to before UX was a thing.
Usability Geek
Wide range of usability and tech related articles and guides.
UX Mastery
A giant guide covering all of the basics for getting started in UX.
52 Weeks of UX
Thought-provoking niche UX topics from Josh Porter and Josh Brewer.
InVision Blog
High quality design articles, guides, and interviews.
Tools And Resources
Quantitative
Google Analytics
Free, standard yet robust web analytics with wide adoption.
HubSpot
In-depth analytics, A/B testing, SEO, CRO, and more.
Mixpanel
Free, fully custom and integrated mobile & web analytics platform.
Heap
Automated analytics platform that captures every action.
Crazy Egg
Heat mapping, click mapping, scroll mapping, and more.
KISSmetrics
Easily configured funnels and reports based on user behavior.
Optimizely
Javascript-based A/B testing and multivariate testing platform.
Google Optimize
Free A/B testing platform that’s integrated with Google Analytics.
Qualitative
UserTesting.com
Fully integrated user testing platform with a participant panel.
UserZoom
All-in-one qualitative research and user testing platform.
Try My UI
Remote unmoderated usability testing panel and platform.
Silverback
Screen recording software for remote moderated and in-person testing.
Screencastify
Free Chrome plugin with screen, tab, and webcam recording.
Google Hangouts
Free and easy way to connect to users and record feedback sessions.
Ethnio
Quickly test where users would click in wireframes and mockups.
Knowbility
Recruit participants with specific disabilities for accessibility testing.
Hotjar
Remote test wireframes, prototypes, and live sites in short sessions.
Usabilla
Collect live user feedback on-site with ratings and forms.
Qualaroo
Quickly test where users would click in wireframes and mockups.
Survey Monkey
Collect live user feedback on-site with ratings and forms.
Optimal Workshop
Remote card sorting, tree testing, and first click analysis with participants.
Usability Hub
Remote test wireframes, prototypes, and live sites in short sessions.
Verify App
Quickly test where the users would click in wireframes and mockups.
Lookback
User research platform with live testing and collaboration features.
Validately
Platform for recruiting users, running tests, and analyzing results.
Loop11
Platform for testing wireframes and prototypes, usability, and accessibility.
Diagrams
Gliffy
Free Chrome plugin for drawing diagrams, flowcharts, and more.
Google Drawings
Create, share, and collaborate on drawings in your Google Drive.
Coggle.it
Visually map out concepts during brainstorming sessions.
XMind
Free tool for quick and easy to edit Mind Mapping.
Keynote
Great for creating personas, task and competitive analyses, etc.
Wireframes
Balsamiq
Basic, straightforward wireframe tool with web and desktop versions.
Axure
Robust interactive wireframe tool with prototyping functionality.
Omnigraffle
Robust diagram and stencil tool that can be used for wireframes
Mockups
Sketch
Streamlined, flexible interface design tool that is optimized for web.
Photoshop
Bitmap editing tool that can be used for image and interface editing.
Illustrator
Vector-based design tool that is ideal for scalable elements like icons.
Prototypes
InVision
Prototyping, collaboration, and management tool for teams.
Adobe XD
Design, interaction, and prototyping tool from Adobe.
UXPin
Wireframe, prototyping, and collaboration tool in the browser.
Framer
Code-based prototyping with interactions and animations.
Marvel
Prototyping, collaboration, feedback, and design tool.
Webflow
Visual, responsive design tool that produces code.
Flinto
Lightweight prototyping tool for Mac and iOS devices.
Origami
Free prototyping tool that is used and developed by Facebook.
Avocado
An open source prototyping toolbox, built by IDEO on top of Origami.
Accessibility
Sim Daltonism
Simulate different forms of color blindness while designing.
Tota11y
A toolkit for simulating how a site works with assistive technologies.
aXe
A plugin for evaluating the accessibility of any web site page.
Web Accessibility Toolbar
A toolbar for evaluating various aspects of accessibility.
Accessibility Inspector
Accessibility testing tool that is pre-installed on all Macs.
W3C Evaluation Tools
A list of tools for evaluating accessibility, from the W3C.