User Experience

Peter Morville's definition of user experience is broader than most but I like the direction he takes it in... (His book Ambient Findability is fantastic btw.)

1. Useful

As practitioners we can't be content to paint within the lines drawn by managers. we must have the courage and creativity to ask whether our products and systems are useful, and to apply our deep knowledge of craft and medium to define innovative solutions that are more useful.

2. Usable

Ease of use remains vital, and yet the interface-centered methods and perspectives of human-computer interaction do not address all dimensions of web design. In short, usability is necessary but not sufficient.

3. Desirable

Our quest for efficiency must be tempered by an appreciation for the power and value of image, identity, brand and other elements of emotional design.

4. Findable

We must strive to design navigable web sites and locatable objects, so users can find what they need.

5. Accesible

Just as our buildings have elevators and ramps, our web sites should be accessible to people with disabilities (more than 10% of the population). today, it's good business and the ethical thing to do. Eventually, it will become the law. Standards-based design for accessibility also supports access via mobile devices.

6. Credible

Thanks to some ground-breaking research out of Stanford's Persuasive Technologies Lab, we're beginning to understand the design elements that influence whether users trust and believe what we tell them.

7. Valuable

Finally, it's not just about the user. Our sites must deliver value to our sponsors. For non-profits, the user experience must advance the mission. With for-profits, it must contribute to the bottom line and improve customer satisfaction.

From Ambient Findability (pg. 109)