Since all kinds of information can be disseminated throughout the web so quickly, we live in a world of myths. There are myths surrounding almost every aspect of our lives, from the kinds of foods we should eat this week to the kinds of things people do at their jobs. The UX industry is something that has many myths surrounding it since it is still a term that people are learning about. And while we also live in a world of myths, we also live in a world of myth busting.
In this weeks list of ten, we decided to debunk 10 myths that currently exist surrounding the UX industry.
- UX and UI mean the same thing.
UX refers to user experience and is the reasoning behind how a given user interacts with a product or application; UI refers to the user interface, which refers to the interface that users will use to interact with a product or application. While they are very different, it is important to recognize how the user interface (UI) that one interacts with is critical to creating a successful user experience (UX).
- Usability testing is basically just focus group testing.
While focus group testing is a method of qualitative research, it is just one of the various research methods that are used to conduct usability testing. Since usability testing is focused on understanding the ways in which a user will interact with the product, there is a myriad of different research methods (such as ethnography, diary studies, participant observation, using tools like eye tracking) that are utilized to fully understand the user experience.
- UX research is just asking people what they want.
While part of UX research involves asking users what they would like to see in a product, a lot of UX research involves actually observing users as they interact with a product. Users are often unaware of the ways in which they will use a product, or the challenges it might present them as they use it. This is why there are so many different research methods employed when conducting user experience research.
- Designers work on their own.
Many people think that designers are separate from UX or work on their own. However, design projects are informed by researchers, usability testers and project managers. As a result, designers work closely with the entire UX team in order to create their designs.
- UX is motivated by technology.
Many believe that user experience is motivated by the amount of technology that is being produced in today's marketplace. On the contrary, UX is motivated by human beings- the people who are using this technology.
- The user experience is one-size-fits-all.
Many people think that all users share similar experiences when interacting with a product. However, since UX is motivated by people, it involves accounting for individuals different needs and expectations that determine the experience that users have when interacting with a product or app. Therefore, UX is focused on being able to address the various needs of individual users.
- Good Design automatically equals good UX.
Just because something is designed well and looks great, does not automatically mean that the user will be able to easily navigate the product. It is important to incorporate the needs of the user into the design process, to ensure that the design not only looks beautiful but also is easy to use.
- Everything should be accessed in 3 clicks.
It has been UX best-practice for quite some time that everything a user needs to do can be completed within 3 clicks. However, as elaborated in 3 Click Rule Revisited, this is not always the case, and as an industry, we need to constantly be reassessing best practices in order to ensure the most effective and innovative user experience.
- Making UX Accessible is Difficult.
Often times, accessibility in UX is seen as being difficult, time-consuming and expensive because many believe it means a complete overhaul of the current design in order to make it accessible. This, however, is not the case. Accessibility in UX Design can be achieved by assessing the ways in which to make your content more accessible when designing the content, and implementing a few small changes that can help make a big difference.
- UX is just a fad.
UX design and research has existed for a long time, just under a variety of different names. Human-centered design, content strategy, ensuring customer satisfaction are all examples of the ways in which user experience design has been around. Products, designs, applications, and websites all have users, and as a result, need UX to help ensure that their users are able to use them well.
Be sure to check out our other lists of ten and help us celebrate 10 years of Key Lime Interactive!
10 Facts About Key Limes
10 Cities We’ve Done Research In
10 Items You Will Find on a Researchers Desk
10 Things We Always Catch Our CEO Doing
10 Tabs We Always Have Open
KLI’s 10 Lists of 10