Reflection Three: Five UX Articles
Keegan Ennis
User Memory Design:
This article touches on a concept I hadn't considered too often; the impact of memorable design. The article provides the graphic below to represent the beginning of this kind of discussion:
Keegan Ennis
User Memory Design:
This article touches on a concept I hadn't considered too often; the impact of memorable design. The article provides the graphic below to represent the beginning of this kind of discussion:
One can insinuate that since both patients experienced similar peaks in pain, Patient B should be the one who reflects most negatively on the experience due to prolonged exposure to pain. The article states that this isn't the case, citing a phenomenon known as the Peak End Rule, in which an individual's "memories of an experience are based on rough average of the most intense moment (the peak) and the final moment (the end)." For this reason, Patient B is recorded to have experienced less pain than Patient A, demonstrated in the graphic below.
The article stresses that pain is an apt metaphor for experiences a user may have when interacting with a piece of design - there is still an emphasis to be placed on both the peak and end moments a user experiences. The article cites the psychologist Daniel Kahneman as the individual who confirmed the existence of the Peak End Rule and Duration Neglect, another phenomenon which dictates that the length of an experience has absolutely no impact on how a user remembers it. From here the article goes on to better contrast and compare the experiencing self to the remembering self - and, as so many UX articles before this one, stresses the importance of being a story designer.
Follow Up Question(s):
The article mentions that the way in which humans experience and remember pain is easily applied to how they experience and remember pleasure. What other experiences can be translated in this way?
Duration Neglect in design assumes that the user's recollection of a design won't be affected by the duration of the experience. To what extent does this hold true? In video games 'time crawl' has been used to give the illusion of difficulty to a task by making it take an inexplicably long time to accomplish - is this not a direct contradiction of duration neglect?
Design Success Ladder:
The second article I touched on revolved around a concept known as the Design Success Ladder, which is used to better streamline how a designer might think about creating their product. The article uses Google Maps as a primary example, citing the success it had over other digital-map solutions. The below graphic displays the five basic categories covered by the Design Success Ladder.
The article then goes step by step (or rung by rung) through the five categories to give a better understanding of each. Functional design is the necessary first step, but the article cautions creating design purely for function; citing the Honeywell thermostats as an example of purely functional design.
I was happy to see Slack being used as an example of successful, delightful design. I entirely agree with the article, having used Slack extensively both for class and independent use: it's simply a fun way to communicate and stay up to date with a particular organization. The importance of delightful design is something touched upon by Don Normon in his talk - he emphasizes his migration to making purely fun designs. This particular area of design is one I'm very interested in, as crafting a design which is 'delightful' seems like an appropriate challenge for any designer, and is a standpoint I have not consciously considered.
Follow Up Question(s):
Can a 'delightful' design negatively impact the experience a user has in particular contexts? I.e. are their moments where 'delight' is an inappropriate design approach for a given product?
Is the ladder meant to be interpreted in a linear fashion? Are their moments when 'usable' can be achieved before 'functional,' or is this linear progression a necessary route to follow?
How to Design Words:
This article was incredibly interesting. Essentially we are presented with an author who is arguing their hatred for reading eventually led to much more successful interfaces. There's a very relatable theme here: people don't want their interfaces (especially on phones - smaller screens) which are text-heavy. The article touches on seven points to follow:
Trim it Down:
Pretty self-explanatory, keep things concise - cut out explicit details where necessary
Add Headings
Sum up those large bodies of texts with appropriate headers to clear up space
Make Lists
The below visual aptly shows how important this is
Give Them a Break
A personal favorite of Mike's: add relevant visuals to give your user a break from text-intensive sections
Prioritize Your Words
The Slow Reveal
There's no reason to unload every bit of information on a user at once, spread it out!
Write in Mocks, Not Docs
Design the interface appropriately, your user isn't viewing your words on a text-document: they're scanning your interface.
Follow Up Question(s):
When is it appropriate to be wordy? The article mentions Medium writing, but still states that a break from reading (aka visuals) are necessary to improve the experience: is this always the case?
Metrics Versus Experience:
Metrics are a thing which I've always had some hesitations with; the idea of using hidden, underlying algorithms the user is oblivious to in order to keep track of how well my product is doing has always come across as rather shallow and (based on my limited exposure), not particularly useful. This article has made me question that stance; the author was fairly aggressive in nailing home the fact that metrics are essential in the modern age to properly gauge the successes of a product. The key point, and ultimately what convinced me, is that metrics need to be used in the proper context.
The article touched on the idea that there are designers who make their products with the clear intent of increasing metrics. This is the more malicious side of using raw data (clicks, views, time-spent in use, etc) as a metric for success: it incentives creating the illusion of success by manipulating data, and not through the actual success of a product. The article gives the example of creating a button which promises the user $250 in cash if clicked; in this example the feedback may be that thousands of users are clicking and utilizing your button (a facet of your overall product), which supports the idea that your product must therefore be a success - when in reality it's creating a dynamic which undermines the user's experience.
Follow Up Question(s):
At what point are metrics seen as an intrusion, rather than a form of valuable feedback?
How to Use Animation to Improve UX
This article attempts to show the purposes various animations serve in improving UX - it touches on things like skeleton loading to make loading a less boring experience, or the importance of showing motion to help properly facilitate transitions.
The article also stresses the importance of using animated feedback in designs. The example given was an interface which shakes horizontally - effectively telegraphing a person shaking their head.