OUGD505: Janne Jul Jesen: UX Techniques

Janne Jul Jesen is the Senior 'User Experience Architect' at LEGO Group, and a PHD speaker, doing one in perticular talk for GOTO Conferences in 2012. As user experience and website design isn't something I am particularly experienced in, the physical production of this brief will be a challenge for me, so will require additional reading and research into the production of the outcome. I am driven by this project as I can see a vital need within the local creative community, as well as having the scope to benefit others outside Leeds too. 

From watching the J. Jesen talk it is clear the design is one thing, however the physical building and coding is something totally different. As I believe this idea has potential, I plan to contact a developer  to hopefully help me expand on the reality of this website. Purchasing a HTML web address is fairly simple and only costs a few pounds at this stage, allowing the platform to actually serve it's function and help people. The development of an accompanying app is something which would benefit from a coded algorithm, which means I'd need to seek assistance in App publishing and all round animating. 

Jessen has 8 key points for successful UX design 

• Simple dialogue - Not over cluttered with unnecessary information
• Make clear exists - Don't trap them in corners, meant to be a stress free experience
• Consistency - Increases trust & familiarity throughout too
• Don't speak computer language - No need to overcomplicate whats happened (TA).
• Make Shortcuts - Helps more advanced users but doesn't get in the way for others
• Minimise memory load - Reduce things the user needs to keep in mind
• Use constructive error messages/ alerts - Whats happened, what can be done
• Support recall - recreate past memories and experiences to trigger familiarity

Also,

•  Can integrate control commands 
• Pull on what they've learned in the past (icons/gestures/layout/type) 
• Present basics to begin with, you can create levels of information for when you don't need to show it all at once

Can break a process down into bits, walking the user through the process, although this could feel claustrophobic (especially like a moon pig system where you choose the card and are asked for add ons at every point, simple on paper but this presents an element of inaccuracy and stress/ainxiety in practice, acting as a barrier for some of the audience.

• To instill trust tell them if somethings gone wrong, or if its gone right. 
• Tell the user how long a download/upload process will take. 

On personalised levels when referring to my problem, I could consider notifications saying '_________ still hasn't seen your message, don't be put off'. This would be useful considering other messaging platforms often instil an anxiety around sending (and receiving) a message. Some have read functions, informing the other party and is irreversible so instant reply is really needed so not to seem rude; whereas some platforms like Instagram just don't tell you anything, or even if your message has been delivered. Other research states how the functionality of each digital component can be fused together, catering for the modern era's needs more so than at present.

The audience wants to feel that they can contribute, this can also relate to featuring on online portfolios, any image collateral on the landing page. This got me to consider a purely visual search tool wouldn't work, as more often than not verbal clarification is needed to assist the trust process for a first time user, if only by simple icons.