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The X inside the U: The 6 elements in user experience
There’s no one size fits all when it comes to designing for a user, but there are some commonalities that make all those experiences unique. If you want to understand what makes up an experience, you first have to understand how each component shapes the end result by doing homework and researching. Here are six of the most common types of experiential elements: Vision/Attention, Wayfinding, Memory, Language, Decision Making, and Emotion.
UX (User Experience): The combination of all the experiences a user has when interacting with a system.
Together, the very different processes described in preceding sections (shown in Figure), which are generally located in unique brain areas, come together to create what each of us perceive as a singular experience. While my fellow cognitive neuropsychologists would quickly agree that this is an oversimplification of both human anatomy and processes, there are some reasonable overarching themes that make this a level at which we can connect product design and neuroscience I think we all might agree that “an experience” is not singular at all, but rather is multidimensional, nuanced, and composed of many brain processes and representations The customer experience doesn’t happen on a screen, it happens in the mind.” DESIGN FOR HOW PEOPLE THINK by John Whalen, PhD.
It’s important to note that UX is not just one thing, but rather an amalgamation of various elements including:
- How easy is it to learn how to use something?
- How well does it serve your needs?
- Is it enjoyable and engaging?
- Does it make you feel like you’re in control or that the system is controlling you?
Emotional experience: How your reactions and emotions influence how you interact with something.
Emotions can be triggered by the design of an interface, or by experiencing it. A good example of this is when you walk into a store and see…
