The document discusses the concept of emergent user experience (UX), emphasizing that UX transcends screen interactions and is rooted in cognitive psychology, requiring an understanding of six 'minds': language, vision, memory, semantics, wayfinding, emotion, and problem-solving. It posits that emergent UX captures unspoken user insights through a structured process during research and design phases. The approach promotes a multidimensional perspective on UX, advocating for incorporating psychological principles at every stage of the UX lifecycle.

1. Language Wayfinding
Vision / Attention
Seducing the six minds:
How brilliant UX emerges from the
drives of users and stakeholders.
John Whalen, PhD
Principal, Strategy & User Experience
brilliantexperience.com
http://linkedin.com/in/johnwhalen
@johnwhalen
#emergentux @johnwhalen
Memory /
Semantics
Emotion
Problem Solving /
Decision Making

2. I’m going to try
not to geek out.

3. N50 error-related negativity...

4. 4
D’oh!

5. Cognitive
Neuroscience
Vision
PhD: Science Linguistics
PhD Cognitive Science
Johns Hopkins Univ
Math in Brain
John Whalen
Professor in Psychology
CEO, UX Lead
Brillian Experience
Post Doc at UCLA
during Dot.Com boom
Usability/
Accessibility
Online
Strategy
User
Experience
Information
Architecture

6. Brilliant Experience
‣ Boutique user experience
consultancy
‣ Focus on the psychology
of user experience
‣ Founded 2011
‣ Principles 15+ years
experience in the field
‣ Self-funded, profitable
since inception
‣ Annual revenue doubling
since founding

7. Why User Experience?

10. What is User Experience?
Responsive Page Layout?

11. What is User Experience?
The look and feel?

12. What is User Experience? The interaction
design?

13. NO
UX does not happen on a screen.

14. UX happens here. In the mind.

15. UX happens here. In the mind.

16. User Experience is multidimensional.
Language Vision / Attention
Memory /
Semantics
Wayfinding
Emotion
Problem Solving /
Decision Making

17. UX needs to account for the 6 “minds”:
Language Vision / Attention
Memory /
Semantics
Wayfinding
Emotion
Problem Solving /
Decision Making

18. Humans are only aware of a tiny fraction of our thoughts.

19. So how do we get the UX right?
?

20. Emergent UX
EUX is a process that uses psychology at every
stage of the user experience process to infer the
emergent psychological properties during the
user research, strategy and design phases.
#emergentux @johnwhalen

21. Emergent UX
EUX is a process that uses psychology at every
stage of the user experience process to identify the
emergent psychological properties of the
user research, strategy and design phases.
Translation:
The unspoken is often the most seductive.
Emergent UX reveals the things people can’t tell you.

22. Q. Do you need a psychology degree to do this?
!
A. No, you need a process.

23. Vision / Attention
Where are they looking at?
!
!
What are they looking for?
What are its visual properties?
Emergent

24. Memory & Semantics
???
!
!
What is their frame of reference?
What will they expect?
Emergent
Football
Orioles
NFL
Ray Rice
Superbowl
Scores
College
Ravens
M&T Stadium

25. Emotion
What do they like?
!
What are their deepest fears and desires?
What would delight them? Frustrate them?
Emergent

26. Language
What words do they use?
!
How expert are they?
What words would they trust?
Emergent
“…generally recognizes gain or
loss on a liquidation equal to the
difference between the fair
market value of Target's assets
and Target's basis…”
“You are taxed on gains when
you sell a company.”
“Dude, Uncle Sam is totally
going to take some of your
money and that is so not cool.”

27. Wayfinding
Do they know where they are?
Do they know what actions to
take?
!
What interaction model and flow
to they expect?
Emergent

28. Problem Solving / Decision Making
What is their goal?
How do they think they will get there?
!
What is their goal and problem space?
What would persuade someone to act?
Emergent

29. Vision / Attention
Memory & Semantics
Wayfinding
Language
Emotion
Decision Making

30. Emergent UX can be applied across the UX lifecycle
UX Research Strategy UX and Design
#emergentux @johnwhalen

31. 31
Phew, that’s a lot!
Let’s review, shall we?

32. Summary

33. NO
UX does not happen on a screen.

34. UX happens here. UX is multidimensional.
Language Vision
Memory /
Semantics
Wayfinding
Emotion
Problem Solving /
Decision Making

35. #emergentux @johnwhalen
Emergent UX
The unspoken is often the most seductive.
Emergent UX reveals the things people can’t tell you.

36. Research
Stakeholder Interviews
Field Research
Competitor Reviews
Expert Reviews
Strategy and Ideation
Strategy Workshop
Design Studio
Rapid Prototyping
Iterative Refinement
UX and Design
IA & Flow
Interaction Design
Concept Realization
Visual Design & Branding
Thank you!