It’s All About The

User Experience

Belfast Technology Conference 2014

Barry Adams

Vulgar self-promotional slide

Barry Adams is…

15 year veteran of the technology industry

Digital Director at The Tomorrow Lab in Belfast

Twitter ranter @badams

Blogger StateofDigital.com & BarryAdams.co.uk

Educator & lecturer for University of Ulster, Queen’s

University Belfast, Digital Marketing Institute

Part of

What is UX?

Definition of UX

“A person's perceptions and responses that result from the use

or anticipated use of a product, system or service.”

Designing an experience

• Products and services can – and should – be designed to elicit a

specific response from its users.

• The best designed user experiences are easy and seamless.

• We only notice UX design when it’s done wrong.

• Even the absence of UX design results in a user experience (and

usually not a good one).

Great UX design is invisible

Source: http://clearleft.com/ - http://holidayplace.co.uk/

Source: http://savvyapps.com/

Why does UX matter?

Technology exists to be used

Technology is there to solve problems and improve lives.

If technology is not being used, it does not fulfil its purpose.

We cannot separate technology from the people who use it.

Great UX means...

less cognitive energy wasted = more focus on the actual task

a pleasant experience = more new & returning users

fewer obstacles and hassles = more conversions and leads

The Value of UX

1. Good UX makes technology easier to use

2. Technology that is easy to use is used more often

3. Technology that is used more often adds more value

Understanding UX

Source: http://usabilitygeek.com/user-experience/

UX is more than UI

UX can be complicated...

Source: http://uxdesign.com/ux-defined

...but doesn’t have to be

Source: http://www.serrewet.com/user-centered-design/

UX Process

Source: http://boxesandarrows.com/bringing-user-centered-design-to-the-agile-environment/

Agile UX Process

Source: http://blogs.veracitysolutions.com/blogs/introduction-to-user-experience-ux-design/

Source: http://johnnyholland.org/2010/04/planning-your-ux-strategy/

UX should be fully embedded

What it boils down to...

• Design for users – not for geeks;

It needs to make sense to everyone.

HiPPOs don’t matter.

• Do your research;

Understand your users and their requirements.

• Integrate UX from the start;

It’s not a last minute add-on.

Test with real users at every stage.

Thank you.

twitter.com/badams

barry@thetomorrowlab.com

www.barryadams.co.uk