We haven’t come across a challenge on a project yet that didn’t fit into one or more layers understanding. It can be as detailed or simple as needed at all levels of a project. “The UX Stack” is simple enough to apply to a wide-range of projects, yet thorough enough to cover all the bases. This approach can be used to plan any kind of communication endeavor. Every method of communication requires a purpose, has an audience, contains content, uses specific context, and is transmitted via some kind of media. This approach is equally effective for planning a billboard, a radio ad, writing a term paper, or even calling to order a pizza. The examples above are all ideas from websites or applications, but the model applies to all manners of communication. For best effect, consider each layer in order from top to bottom. Ideally, design decisions shouldn’t be made on each layer until the layer above it is completely understood. I called it a “stack” because each layer supports the layer above it. Only after the other layers are understood, do we then use the technology layer to describe the technical (or other media) means for delivering the solution. They describe the communication problem & solution from a functional and personal perspective. The top four layers are technology agnostic. TECHNOLOGY - What technology or physical means will deliver the prescribed content to the defined audiences using the appropriate form? In the context of the UX Stack, that’s what we mean by design. But the visual style, navigation, and even interaction behavior differ greatly between the two. How does the experience of using the calendar application differ on an old Blackberry versus the latest iPhone? They both use the same kinds of data for managing your schedule. Visual style is also reflected in the design attribute – how is the company brand reflected in the site/interface?Ī great example of what we mean by design here is comparing two different interfaces that handle the same data. Navigation is certainly design – how is the content/message organized so that I can find what I’m looking for? is usually what people are referring to when they describe “look & feel.” These clues for context are a major contributor to the experience people have with the site or communication. It’s the non-verbal communication that helps the audience navigate and relate the content to their own experience and background. If you’re designing a site using Web Standards, content is what’s contained in the mark-up.ĭESIGN - What style, navigation, and will help the audience?Īs a layer of the stack, we refer to design as both the style and organization of the content. For a public facing site, content might be represented as required functionality. For a novel, the content would be the manuscript, not the book cover or page layout. For a movie, the content is represented as a script, not the actors or sets or posters or action figures. Sometimes it's easiest to describe what content is not. The content is a list of understanding of scope for what people want to know and need to do while using the site or application. List as many as needed and clearly explain what differentiates each.ĬONTENT - What does each audience need to achieve the goal? Who will be using the application or site? Who will be viewing your presentation? What characteristics does the audience share amongst themselves? What makes them different from each other, or different from the people who aren’t included? Understanding these differences helps create segments of audiences that the final designs may be tailored to suit. Without this understanding, we risk delivering a solution that doesn’t help the client achieve their larger goals.ĪUDIENCE - Who are we communicating with? We should understand how the client competes in their market all the way down to understanding the business need for the specific project. This understanding should be firm at all levels of the project. Understanding how the tactic delivered by our work fits into our stakeholders’ larger strategy ensures that we’re designing the appropriate solution. This encompassing approach considers five basic attributes of communication: purpose, audience, content, form, and technology.īefore we start designing, it's critical to understand the business goal we’re pursuing. This is the framework we use to identify and solve such problems. Every presentation, screen, button and image our team creates is geared towards solving a specific business problem. “The UX Stack” is a universal framework useful for analyzing any kind of communication.
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