Most of us don’t really understand what User Experience (UX) actually means. People tend to think UX is just the trendy new term for User Interface (UI). But that suggests that we forget that users are human beings who need to be treated that way.

1. We’re all wrong about UX
User Experience is nothing like User Interface

2. Disclaimer
o We have no magic
o We have no certainty
o Feel free to disagree with us
o Debate is good
o The following is based on our observations and
thoughts

3. What to do about
severed fingers

4. TABLE SAWS ARE FREAKING
DANGEROUS!!!
aka

5. Really dangerous…
o In 2007 and 2008:
• 79,500 emergency room visits due to table and bench
saws injuries
o Around 4,000 fingers chopped off each year
• 76.7% of injuries occurred when operator was pushing the
stock
• 65.7% of injuries because blade guard was absent
50,900 lacerations
8,100 amputations
Source: US Consumer product Safety Commission

6. Introducing Saw Stop
o A table saw that recognizes flesh and drops the
spinning saw so fast that injury is impossible.
o Really, watch this:

7. What came before Saw Stop
Gloves
Finger/blade guards
Warning labels
User manuals
Anti-kickback pawls
Safety switches
Push sticks
Mitter gauges

8. What the heck does any of this have
to do with UX?

9. What the heck does any of this have
to do with UX?
o UI is
• Finger guards
• Warning signs
• Training booklets & videos

10. What the heck does any of this have
to do with UX?
o UI is
• Finger guards
• Warning signs
• Training booklets & videos
o UX is
• Recognizing that no matter what... sometimes
humans do stupid things
• Using design to keep stupidity from causing
catastrophic results... like serious injury & death

11. UX starts with asking
the right questions

12. UX starts with asking
the right questions
... like what does the
'U' mean?

13. Users are actually people

14. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things

15. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things
Google image search: "users"

16. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things
Google image search: "users" Google image search: “people"

17. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things
"as a user I want a post-
click response time of
less than 2 seconds"
Google image search: "users" Google image search: “people"

18. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things
"as a user I want a post-
click response time of
less than 2 seconds"
Google image search: "users"
"as a person I get annoyed if I
click something and I am not
sure if anything is happening"
Google image search: “people"

19. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things
"as a user I want a post-
click response time of
less than 2 seconds"
Google image search: "users"
UI is for users
"as a person I get annoyed if I
click something and I am not
sure if anything is happening"
Google image search: “people"

20. Users are actually people
o The 'U' in UX is for user
o User is a clean, rational and sterile term
o People are rarely any of those things
"as a user I want a post-
click response time of
less than 2 seconds"
Google image search: "users"
UI is for users
"as a person I get annoyed if I
click something and I am not
sure if anything is happening"
Google image search: “people"
UX is for people

21. So what do we know about people?
o People are impatient
o People are easily distracted
o People are afraid of change
… these things don’t surprise anyone

22. Something less obvious and more
fundamental about people

23. Something less obvious and more
fundamental about people
o Happiness is not really generated in people by
modules, features or buttons

24. Something less obvious and more
fundamental about people
o Happiness is not really generated in people by
modules, features or buttons
o People's happiness and satisfaction are based
on meeting or exceeding expectations

25. Something less obvious and more
fundamental about people
o Happiness is not really generated in people by
modules, features or buttons
o People's happiness and satisfaction are based
on meeting or exceeding expectations
o Even if those expectations are irrational or
incorrect

26. So if we are following along...
Great UX can be achieved by:
o First, truly understanding people's expectations
o Second, managing those expectations
o Third, exceeding those expectations

27. While considering
expectations
Design should challenge the status
quo ... when it's appropriate.
Is design responding to a trend, a fad
or an actual need?

28. #1 - understand expectations
o We've gotten too comfortable thinking "as a
user“
o Expectation should be more "person" oriented

29. #1 - understand expectations
o We've gotten too comfortable thinking "as a
user“
o Expectation should be more "person" oriented
Example

30. #1 - understand expectations
o We've gotten too comfortable thinking "as a
user“
o Expectation should be more "person" oriented
Example
• A user needs to easily be able to access the list of
features they need without clutter slowing them down

31. #1 - understand expectations
o We've gotten too comfortable thinking "as a
user“
o Expectation should be more "person" oriented
Example
• A user needs to easily be able to access the list of
features they need without clutter slowing them down
• A person can be any of a number of different types of
user depending on a variety of factors

32. #2 - manage expectations
o Buttons, icons, effects... in other words, interface
features are all important
o But not on their own.

33. When considering the “save” icon in our software,
we considered alternative designs that made sense
with our overall UI…
Example
And some that were a little bit more outside of the box…

34. But “people” want an icon that is familiar and
recognizable irrespective of the overall interface.
Example

35. #3 - exceed expectations
o Give them more than they knew they wanted
Remote Keyless Entry
-Renault, 1982

36. People change their minds
So expectations are constantly evolving

37. People change their minds
So expectations are constantly evolving
Seems a little unfair, no?

38. How to deal with
changing
expectations

39. How to deal with changing
expectations
• Allow for change
• Marketing requirements
• Constantly challenging assumptions
• Agile Scrum and Iterations

40. How to deal with changing
expectations
• Allow for change
• Marketing requirements
• Constantly challenging assumptions
• Agile Scrum and Iterations
and...
This is how we handled it
The Golden Triangle
(at least that's what we did)
• Infinite attributes
• Associations
• Rules

41. People don't always know what they
want

42. People don't always know what they
want
If users ask for 10 fields…

43. People don't always know what they
want
If users ask for 10 fields…
inevitably they need at least 11!

44. So we put unlimited user
configurable attributes in the
software

45. So we put unlimited user
configurable attributes in the
software

46. You can associate any of those
attributes to each other

47. Let the user control the workflow
(put the logic in the database)
o Simple API for quick rule scripting
o Simple interface for making business logic rules
o Availability to write JavaScript rules for the really
hairy stuff

48. Conclusions
o We like humans
o Even the confused, impatient, distracted and
stupid ones
o Good UX driven design assumes that at any
moment they might just stick their hands into a
tables saw…
o Good UX driven design assumes that they won't
wear seat belts…
o Or that they won't hold the railing…
o Or that they won't stay behind this line…

49. So…
o Anything we design for humans should be
useable with almost no training
o We should assume that anything that we design
for humans will be used differently than
anticipated... and that's ok
o Designing for humans should assume there is a
lot we don't know when we start

50. On a final note
o Understanding expectations
o Managing expectations
o Exceeding expectations
These work for any process seeking positive
human interaction