Intuitiveness in User Experience, the Obvious Choice for Design?
In the late 1940s and 1950s, the seeds of User Experience (UX) were sown with the emergence of human factors and ergonomics research. These early studies laid the groundwork for understanding how humans interact with systems and products, paving the way for a more holistic approach to design.
Fast forward to 1988, when cognitive scientist Don Norman coined the term "User Experience" in his groundbreaking book, The Design of Everyday Things. This marked a significant milestone in the evolution of UX, as it introduced a more comprehensive view of user interaction, encompassing not just usability but also industrial design, graphics, physical interaction, and instructions.
The formalization of UX as a distinct professional discipline began in earnest in the early 1990s. Don Norman, who had joined Apple as a "User Experience Architect," became the first to hold a job title that explicitly included "User Experience." This was a pivotal moment, signalling a shift in focus from just interface usability to the entire user experience a person has with a system or product.
During this period, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) also emerged as a research discipline in the 1970s and 1980s. Innovations at places like Xerox PARC helped establish the foundational knowledge for UX design. The parallel development of the digital revolution in graphic and interface design through the 1980s and 1990s, exemplified by Apple's Macintosh interface, further shaped UX’s evolution, making user-focused digital interaction design increasingly central.
In summary, the confluence of early ergonomics research, the coining of the term "User Experience" by Don Norman in 1988, the introduction of the job title "User Experience Architect" at Apple in the early 1990s, the growth of Human-Computer Interaction, and advances in digital interfaces formalized UX as a discipline focused on the entire user interaction experience, not just isolated usability or interface issues.
The study of UX is not a recent development, but rather a culmination of a large body of work spanning over a century. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including ergonomics and psychology, to ensure the best possible user experience.
While UX principles may not be commonly understood in a casual sense, their importance can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, when the satisfaction of users became crucial due to the increased availability of alternatives. Major product failures, such as the Ford Edsel, have demonstrated the consequences of getting UX wrong, while successful products like Sony's Walkman have shown how whole markets can be developed from a singular and successful user experience.
Investing time and energy into a UX education should lead to much better user experiences and products in the future, as UX continues to evolve and shape the digital world we live in.
[1] Norman, D. A. (1988). The Design of Everyday Things. Doubleday. [2] Tognazzini, J. (2006). The Interface Lounge: Designing for an Emotional Customer Experience. New Riders. [3] Ito, M., Okabe, D., & Matsuda, M. (2005). Personal, Portable, Pedestrian: Mobile Phones in Japanese Life. The MIT Press. [4] Shneiderman, B. (1998). Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. Addison-Wesley Professional.
- As technology continues to integrate into our lifestyle, furthering the evolution of User Experience (UX) design is crucial for creating seamless and satisfying interactions.
- UI (User Interface) design, a significant component of UX design, has been revolutionized over the years by the advancements in education-and-self-development materials, such as books like Don Norman's "The Design of Everyday Things" and Jef Raskin's "The Humane Interface."
- To stay competent in the rapidly evolving field of UX design, it is essential for designers to be well-versed in various disciplines, including cognitive psychology, human factors, and ergonomics, as well as diligently studying contemporary texts like those by Shneiderman, Ito, Okabe, and Matsuda.
