Refresh 029 — Focus and Empathy: Two Keys to Designing Great User Experiences July 22, 2010

OK, so this "user experience" thing is supposed to be really important. From the tiniest startups to the mega-corporations, everyone wants to create products and services that are joyful to use, widely adopted, and much-loved by customers. But how do we actually go about creating great experiences for our customers? While design (including interaction, visual, and information design) is a critical component, many design teams fail to take full advantage of strategic thinking and user research to inform their work.

Let's get up to speed on these critical practices. I'll discuss strategy as a process of focus, and research as a process of empathy. For each area, I'll present some key approaches that can help shift your perspective and embrace these modes of thinking. You'll leave with a set of resources and activities for beginning to explore the use of strategy and research in your work -- so you can help make your product or service better.

Speaker:
Abe Crystal, Ph.D., is a principal at MoreBetterLabs, a small but feisty company dedicated to creating a better Web through design. We’re currently developing our first product, ruzuku. Ruzuku helps passionate experts (such as authors, speakers, and coaches) create online learning communities. In addition, we work with clients (such as Duke University, NC State University, and NC LIVE), to improve their user experience. We’ve designed online communities, digital libraries, and ecommerce sites.  MoreBetterLabs is also presenting "UX 101", a 2-day boot camp introduction to user experience methods, in September. See http://morebetterlabs.com/ux101/ for details.