FAQ
What is Human Experience Design?
It’s a term I like that encompasses a number of disciplines including user interface design, computer-human interaction, usability, information architecture, human factors, cognitive science, and others. I like it because it uses the word “human” instead of “user” or “customer”. This helps us remember that there are real people out there that our stuff is intended for. I also like the word “experience” because it reminds us that the stuff we make will be used in some dynamic way as part of somebody’s life.
What Makes You Such an Expert, Mr. Smarty-Pants?
First off - thank you for noticing how smart my pants are. Second - I do this stuff for a living and have for over a decade. I don’t claim to have all the answers, and there are people way smarter than me with equally smart pants. Like everybody with a blog, I have opinions. If you don’t like my opinions - that’s cool, and we can still be friends.
Isn’t Design Impractical And Just About Making Pretty Things?
No.
Ok Then, What’s So Important About Design?
Glad you asked. Design is just not about how pretty things are, although aesthetics are very important. Design affects everything that humans make and use. It affects how useful things are, and how easily they can be used.
Coming from a software and web background myself I can say that traditionally the “UI” guys got a lot less respect than the “server” programmers. I’ve never quite understood this, because good UI developers who straddle technology and design are extremely rare.
Will You Design My Web Site?
Probably not. Of course, everybody has a price.
Web design is not really what I do. I have done it, but there are brilliant web designers out there who could do a wonderful job for you. I work mostly with concepts and technology which result in real-world web applications. Think of me as a web ninja - for no other reason than ninjas are cool.