{"id":18492,"date":"2021-06-01T17:33:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-01T21:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=18492"},"modified":"2021-06-01T17:33:25","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T21:33:25","slug":"human-experience-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-experience-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Experience Design: An Introduction to the New Wave"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p>Sometimes, simply changing a single word in a name can bring about a profound shift in the way designers build and support various products and services. One such shift is a transition from user experience design (UXD) to <em>human<\/em> experience design (HXD).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 73.86%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none\" id=\"experience-60b6a5e14011c\" data-aspectratio=\"1.35382956\"><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/ceros-marketing\/test-pull-quote-2-2-2-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-3-2-1-1-1-2-2-2-3-1-1-2-1-2-1-1-2-2-1-2-1-1?heightOverride=927\" style=\"position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%\" frameborder=\"0\" class=\"ceros-experience\" title=\"HXD PQ1\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/scroll-proxy.min.js\" data-ceros-origin-domains=\"view.ceros.com\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>The rumblings started a few years ago\u2014statistician and Yale professor Edward Tufte famously noted that only two industries describe their customers as users: \u201cillegal drugs and software.\u201d Ultimately, it took a pandemic for the push to see users as more than data points\u2014to see them as <em>humans<\/em>\u2014to take center stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an introduction to human experience design and why it\u2019s so important for creatives to consider.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The Human Experience Design Origin Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in the \u201980s, legendary author and researcher Don Norman coined the phrase \u201cuser experience.\u201d UX, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/definition-user-experience\/\">according to Norman<\/a>, \u201cencompasses all aspects of the end-user\u2019s interaction with the company, its services, and its products.\u201d About 25 years later, that term comprises an entire professional discipline, with a wide range of careers available within it. Designers and researchers flocked to this new discipline because it spoke to so many of them. Creatives knew how to communicate with people visually; now, there were ways to measure how things were working and make them even better.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The digital world\u2014though its surface was barely scratched when Norman coined UX\u2014is the world within which modern UX designers do the most work. As access to social media expanded since the 2010s, designers have had more power to test and improve at micro-levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the present, businesses have not only realized the power of design\u2014they\u2019ve also found ways to monetize it and show the return on investment. And that emphasis on monetization has often resulted in decision-making and design that manipulates users with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/addicting-ux-app-design\/\">addictive UX<\/a> strategies, considering them users of a product above all, rather than as humans.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style='position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 62.5%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none' id=\"experience-5ee1313c103da\" data-aspectRatio=\"1.6\"><iframe allowfullscreen src='\/\/view.ceros.com\/editorial-content\/landing-page-1-2-1-1-2-1-1' style='position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%' frameborder='0' class='ceros-experience' title='Inspire Curious Sign-up Embed' scrolling='no'><\/iframe><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/scroll-proxy.min.js\" data-ceros-origin-domains=\"view.ceros.com\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2>Enter Human Experience Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Human experience design is the next evolution of UX, and its focus on consideration will make it the next wave of design in general. Now that we know a lot more about this field of study, designers can be more thoughtful and more inclusive, expanding the responsibility to consider the entire human experience. It\u2019s time to move beyond the users to the makers, the environment, and the resources needed to create a positive experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>HXD Expands Cost\/Benefit Analyses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With every project designers and marketers set out to complete, it\u2019s important to analyze the cost and benefits of the project. Usually, this is a pretty simple process that primarily considers money. Can you afford to build a new website? Should you do a print brochure or only distribute it digitally? Which project management software will you purchase? The solution to your analysis lies in the answers to those questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Human experience designers have financial considerations, of course, but there are many more factors, as well. They\u2019ll be faced with decisions regarding:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Time and attention&nbsp;<\/li><li>Bandwidth, WiFi access, and speed<\/li><li>Environmental impact<\/li><li>Production and manufacturing ability&nbsp;<\/li><li>Ongoing support needs<\/li><li>Accessibility<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3>HXD is More Inclusive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/anchoralpine.com\/\">Anchor &amp; Alpine<\/a>, the design agency at which I\u2019m a partner, recently completed a project for an organization called Optimizing Autism. The org came to us with the goal of connecting companies and neurodivergent people looking to work together. Because the end result would be a more accessible digital experience, everyone on the project from our team had to be better informed about working with (and for) this group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 73.86%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none\" id=\"experience-60b6a6c68eaa6\" data-aspectratio=\"1.35382956\"><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/ceros-marketing\/test-pull-quote-2-2-2-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-3-2-1-1-1-2-2-2-3-1-1-2-1-2-1-1-2-2-1-2-1-2?heightOverride=927\" style=\"position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%\" frameborder=\"0\" class=\"ceros-experience\" title=\"HXD PQ2\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/scroll-proxy.min.js\" data-ceros-origin-domains=\"view.ceros.com\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>The changes we made to accommodate those with autism were very subtle\u2014sometimes, it was as simple as editing button text from \u201cView All\u201d to \u201cView All Training Materials Here.\u201d But these changes made the project accessible to a marginalized group, and that was a priority. We found that with just a little extra knowledge and care, we could offer an inclusive experience for people with autism\u2014a community that is estimated to include one in 54 children.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful HXD takes a bit more work and planning\u2014from writing descriptive alt text, to crafting appropriate microcopy, to ensuring your project works with screen readers\u2014but it\u2019s worth it. The work results in a better experience for more people, and it allows your company to reach additional demographics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Making the Shift to Human Experience Design<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To make any meaningful change, you have to think big, plan medium, and act small. That principle applies to putting human experience design at the forefront of your work. First, think about shifting from UX to HXD for yourself\u2014that\u2019s big. Next, commit to being more inclusive and considering all the factors that impact the experience of the product\/service you work on\u2014that\u2019s a medium-term plan. Finally, start with granular things. Include alt tags on web images, make UI language more descriptive and clear, and become (at least somewhat) familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)\u2014these are small changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are tools and services that can help your design become more inclusive. We\u2019ve seen companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/accessibe.com\">Accessibe<\/a> that offer add-on accessibility for the web. There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sketch.com\/extensions\/assistants\/sketch-accessibility-assistant\/\">Sketch plugins<\/a> that will help you with things like color contrast. Google Search Console will let you know if your sites don\u2019t meet visitors\u2019 needs because your type is too small or too light in the Mobile Usability Reports.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shifting to an HXD mindset starts with a consideration for the parts of the human experience that your designs are going to impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI believe that thinking about the consequences of your work, the issue of ethics, is essential,\u201d said graphic design legend Milton Glaser. \u201cSince [designers are] specifically involved in the transmission of cultural ideas, ideas about value, then we have to examine the meaning of what we\u2019re proposing.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now is the time for creatives to lean into this mindset. This year and the global pandemic have given many of us additional clarity about what we take for granted and what it\u2019s like to miss out. We\u2019ve also seen the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement stand out. Another call to do better, to include and support our shared humanity. Companies and designers ignore these voices at their peril. Design is no longer \u201cnice to have,\u201d and soon, even human experience design will be a given in every organization.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve been a long-time champion of the power of design. I\u2019ve been a UX practitioner for years\u2014from user interfaces and web apps to tone of voice and AI assistants to physical\/environmental experience design. UX was a fantastic way to make headway into building better products. The evolution of HXD is something I\u2019m excited about and actively working towards in my agency and with our clients. I hope to see more designers embrace this path so we can all do better together.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style='position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 62.16%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none' id=\"experience-5f2c7bc26c2c1\" data-aspectRatio=\"1.60869565\" data-mobile-aspectRatio=\"0.97560976\"><iframe allowfullscreen src='\/\/view.ceros.com\/ceros-marketing\/get-industry-report?heightOverride=460' style='position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%' frameborder='0' class='ceros-experience' title='Industry Report' scrolling='no'><\/iframe><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/scroll-proxy.min.js\" data-ceros-origin-domains=\"view.ceros.com\"><\/script>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"myclass\">A subtle name change, from user experience to human experience, can bring about a profound shift in the way designers create. <\/div>\n<p><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":18501,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.3 - 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