everything i know about user experience design i learned from my jewish grandmother

Everything I Know about

User Experience Design I Learned from my Jewish Grandmother

Charlie Levenson, Web Manager, MAC Instructor, PSU Multimedia

Mrs. Charles Samuel Levensonaka Mrs. Ethel ElliotBorn in Russia, 1906

Grandma's Lesson #1

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

or

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

This is good news...

YOU – the developer – can be as good a test bed for your

user as anybody.

If it drives YOU crazy, you really shouldn't expose your

users to it.

The inverse is not always true.

Don't assume The User knows everything you know.

Grandma's Lesson #2:

Not everybody

is as smart as you!

Grandma's Lesson #3

Be nice to the Handicapped

YES, she called them that.

Accessibility Matters

Language limitations (non-English)

Visual limitations (small fonts?)

Audio limitations (audio-only prompts?)

Color blindness (red/blue, others)

Learning disabilities (language level)

Physical limitations (mouse? touch?)

All user experiences should consider:

Grandma's Lesson #4

Clean up

after yourself

Two pieces of information.

Four pieces of information.

Grandma's Lesson #5

The Customer

Is

Always Right

The USER is Never Wrong

The Interface is WRONG.

The USER is Never Wrong

The Interface

is WRONG.

Photo by Kristen Johansen

Grandma's Lesson #6

Always Wear

Clean Underwear

Documentation and Process

An insurance claim

A lawsuit

An acquirer/VC doing due dilligence

Somebody else looking under the hood.

Because you never know when there could be:

Grandma's Lesson #7

Stop Staring

at that Screen, and

Go Outside

And Play

Improve your UX Design

Museum

Zoo

Library

Bookstore

Movies

Take your team to the:

Grandma's Lesson #8

Moderation In all Things

Options & Choices

Audio & Video

Bells and Whistles

Words

Grandma's Lesson #9

Chicken Soup

Is

Good for the

Body and Soul

Thanks Grandma.

You can never go wrong

with food.

@CharlieLevenson