I'm starting this blog to share my thoughts as a User Experience (UX) designer and Usability analyst. I'm still surprised that companies and individuals think that focusing on usability and the user experience can be optional or as the last step in the design cycle.
Unfamiliar with the terms "usability" and "user experience?" Check out my definitions.
Research shows that to provide high usability and a positive user experience, it should be incorporated through-out the design process in every step of the process and starting in the very early design stages. Every stage in the design cycle can then be tested and validated by the user to ensure that the right path is being taken to provide a great user experience and high usability while achieving the also very important business goals. This will, at the least increase user and/or customer satisfaction (if the user is a customer) and, if done right, positively impact the conversions, product adoption process and the company's overall business goals.
The hope for this blog is to share articles on the subject that show ways of achieving these goals for those unfamiliar with the usability and UX fields as well as posting thoughts, tips and tools related to the field for designers.
Note: I've decided to start out by disabling reader comments. I'll wait until there are more posts to enable them and be open to feedback.
