Week one of a new module involves covering expectations and deliverables for the next twelve weeks. For this module we have been tasked with creating a digital product to aid a health problem or to be used in a health situation, with this we must keep a focus on the user and what their requirements of this product will be.
Ideation and research will be done in a group scenario. Within this we will establish who the product is aimed at whether that be for professionals or for the public, this research should also involve target age groups, if they have access to digital devices and if they don't - are they capable of using them? Finally we need to consider what our product is aiming to do, so therefore we can move on individually and take our own approach to this.
Group work is an essential part of UX as often this will involve collaboration and problem solving, we can bounce ideas and problems off each other and therefore come to better solutions in a quicker period of time. This is due to many minds and perspectives coming together, allowing for more options to be considered and more solutions to be produced.
According to Google searching, the most common answers I have received for this is -
"User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products." - NN Group
"…user experience includes all the users’ emotions, beliefs, preferences, perceptions, physical and psychological responses, behaviours and accomplishments that occur before, during and after the use of a product, system or service…” - Wikipedia.
To break it down in our lecture, Paul put it UX as getting things done...
The Monzo app is an app which offers users a great experience. The service they provide is quick and convenient - while having animations and components which are satisfying, unusual for an app. They have a seamless service and smooth transactions, allowing users to request money and share bills with ease - like nothing else offered at this level. All the features offered on Monzo are user friendly and are user centred, allowing users to focus on the task at hand rather than working out how to do it.
On the other hand, Bank of Ireland is not on the same level of user centred design. Transactions are slow, customer service is slow, the app is slow and the aesthetics (despite being updated recently) are out of touch with what users want currently. The layout in general from my research seems confusing or hard to follow.
These are two key examples of how one sector can have polar opposite products in regard to user experience design, also shows how UX can be impactful in all walks of life no matter the product. Things that need considered in all cases is Usability testing and User Research to ensure the product fulfils the needs of the user and does it well.