Communication is key to effective user experience. User experience encompasses all aspects of a user's interaction with products and services. It is important to focus on making experiences useful, usable, and engaging. Effective communication of user experience work helps increase its value for users, clients, companies, and oneself.

1. Communication is the key to
effective user experience
Have the impact you deserve

2. Some ground rules
• Discussions are more
fun than talks
• Ask questions
• Volunteer information

3. A little bit about me

4. USER EXPERIENCE

5. A definition
"User experience" encompasses
all aspects of the end-user's The design of the whole experience a
interaction with the company, its person feels when using a Web
services, and its products. site, both online and offline. Includes
The creation of the architecture and such online factors as ease of use
interaction models that impact a user's and content, as well as such offline
perception of a device or system. The factors as fulfilment and customer
scope of the field is directed at affecting service.
User experience (UX) represents the
"all aspects of the user’s interaction with perception left in someone’s mind
the product: how it is following a series of interactions
The design of an experience a person has
perceived, learned, and used." between people, devices, and events
when interacting with a specific design.
This can range from a specific – or any combination thereof.
artefact, such as a cup, toy or website, up
to larger, integrated experiences such as a
museum or an airport.

6. My definition of User Experience
the creation of a digital design that is:
usable
useful
and engaging

7. HOW DO WE DO THAT?

8. A variety of skill sets / techniques / tools
• User research • Content Strategy
• Ethnographic research • Voice & tone guidelines
• Field research • Content Management principles
• Directed interviews • Taxonomies
• User Requirements Gathering • Content Matrices
• Business requirements Gathering • Journey mapping
•
•
UX makes the nebulous
Stakeholder management
Personas
•
•
Free play user testing
Card sorting
• •
•
•
Site mapsconcrete
User Journeys
What’s missing?
Process flows
•
•
Feature prioritisation activities
Guerrilla / informal user testing
Formal testing
• Wireframes (Lo & Hi-fidelity) • Search log analysis
• Specifications • Web analytics analysis
• Prototypes • ….

9. BUT FIRST A FEW QUESTIONS

10. A few questions
Why did you choose
User Experience?

11. A few questions
How do you define success?

12. A few questions
What are your frustrations?

13. A few questions
Who decides?
and why?
What’s missing?

14. THE MISSING ELEMENT

15. Communication skills
“it is useless to be a creative, original thinker
unless you can also sell what you create”
-- David Ogilvy

16. Thoughts from a veteran
Poor
Excellent
communication
technical skills
skills

17. Thoughts from a veteran
Excellent
Poor technical
communication
skills
skills

18. Thoughts from a veteran
Excellent
Excellent
communication
technical skills
skills
An effective user experience

19. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT VALUE

20. Your work is valuable
To the user
To the client / project owner
To your company
To yourself

21. Value to user
Have an experience that is
useful,
usable
and
engaging

22. Value to the client / project owner
Ensure they hit their targets
Accomplish their goals
Get their bonus
Get promoted

23. Value to your company
Agency Client-side
• Revenue • Increase revenue / Reduce
• Keep customers happy costs
• Awards / Case studies • Keep stakeholders happy
• Bring clarity / Reduce risk • Pay for your FTE
• Bring clarity / Reduce risk

24. Your work = revenue
Some assumptions
• Average length of UX • 1 person = 4 weeks
engagement
• Average day rates for • Freelance -- £250 -
UX £600
• Company -- £500 -
£1500

25. Your work = revenue
Freelance Agency / Client-side
• £5,000 - 12,000 • £10,000 - £30,000

26. Why is the range so broad?
Hard measures Soft measures
• Industry standard rates • Brand
• Experience
• Portfolio / Case studies
• etc.

27. Value to yourself
Pride
Portfolio
Your reputation
and brand

28. Brand: A definition
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and
relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s
decision to choose one product or service over another.
If the consumer (whether it’s a business, a buyer, a voter or a
donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or spread the
word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.”
-- Seth Godin

29. A little bit about brand
• The communication of the work IS your
brand
• The quality of the finish is representative
of the quality of the thinking

30. OUR WORK IS OUR BRAND

31. So...
Why do we destroy the value of the work
with poorly communicated deliverables?

32. Physician heal thyself

33. Improve the value of your work
Know your user
Make it Useful
Make it Usable
Make it Engaging

34. Thank you
Some facts about Robert
•
Robert M. Fein
Director of User Experience
Work history
– 6 ½ years in the US high-tech industry client-side
grandunion
• US West, Intel, Trilogy, Convio
– 9 ½ years in the UK
• Sapient, FullSix, DNA, LBI, Seren, Electronic Ink,
GrandUnion
– On a wide variety of use domains
• Web(B2C, B2B, B2E), Device, Mobile, Consumer software,
m: +44 (0)7803 605 666
Enterprise software, client-server, IVR t: +44 (0)20 7908 0708
– On a wide variety of industries f: +44 (0)20 7908 0701
• Retail, Grocery, Consumer Electronics, Government,
Energy, Telecom, Leisure, Construction, Financial services,
Non-profit
Moray House
• Educational History 23-31 Great Titchfield Street
– He studied for a PhD in Cognitive Psychology but got London, W1W 7PA
bored at the final hurdle and decided work was better – www.thegrandunion.com
one of the best decisions of his life
• He is a proud father to Georgina
Note: He is looking to hire a Mid-weight and a
Junior UX