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Debunking User Experience Myths

Here are four myths about User Experience (UX):

  1. UX is too Soft; it’s not Based on Anything
    Many believe that UX is just common sense. However, just because you think something should work one way doesn’t mean everyone else thinks that same way. UX is based on 200 years of scientific knowledge and 30 years of industry best practices applied to research.
  2. Anyone Can Do UX
    If a manager did UX, the design would be very business focused lacking what the end user really needs. If a visual designer did UX, it would be very pretty but lack usability. If an engineer did UX, it would be simple and efficient as possible and end up in a technical marvel that users would find meaningless or unusable. That’s where a UX practitioner comes in. This person will bring all the groups together, taking every perspective, and evangelizing sensibility and a great user experience.
  3. UX is Too Expensive
    It can be expensive to invest full time into UX design. But that may not be necessary in getting your product up. Try taking the guerilla style method which will maximize benefit while minimizing cost. Don’t be afraid of light UX vs. full on UX, because something is probably better than nothing. When creating on a budget, decide on where UX expertise can best support your process. Even value can be brought in in specific moments.
  4. UX is Just Interaction Design
    Hardcore UX begins with tactical, organizational activities. UX can bring a lot of value to an organization by learning, trusting, and accepting empathy at all levels in order to deliver the best experience for your product possible.

UX does require a balance amongst business groups and stakeholders. The expense is how much you’re willing to spend on it. Do it efficiently, and the costs go down, especially when you’re delivering a product that will be in higher demand as a result of good UX.

Source: 4 Myths About User Experience — And How to Bust Them