User Experience Building Blocks

(click for larger image)
Here is a simple exercise.  Don't overthink this one.  Let's say you've completed the strategy phase, you've briefed the team, you've found that core insight and you have a concept that you are ready to execute against.  Before you site down and put that mouse to work—take a step back and think of the experience you are about to architect and design.  Think of it as a house.

What is the foundation you are going to build it upon?  It should be the core needs of the business, brand and the customer of course.  Now what will be the core "pillars" that will support the entire experience?  There are a number of ways you can break down the experience.  For the example above (a financial services site) I chose these:

Visual Design
Photography
Interaction (included both motion design and interaction design)
Copy

These are interchangeable, but served the purpose for this particular example.  The purpose was to think about the execution before we got knee deep into it.  The adjectives such as "simple", "organic" and "clean" are tangible terms that resonate with designers.

So the next time you're ready to execute.  When the brief has been briefed and the strategy has been strategized.  Think about the house you are about to build.  Your users might have to live in it for a while.

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Comments

[olivier blanchard]

Excellent post and super-clear graphic, as usual.

[DA]

Thanks Olivier!