20,000 foot view, but perhaps a little outdated?? | The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design...

The Elements of User Experience | The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web (VOICES) | Jesse James Garrett

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	• The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web (VOICES) Jesse James Garrett New Riders Press, 2002 - 208 pages average customer review:based on 38 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fundamental, yet comprehensive

Although very basic, this book is great for getting the fundamentals of experience design. Garret creates a model that describes the web design process through five distinct stages. Then he breaks down each stage to identify the differences and overlapping areas between the web as a software interface and the web as a hypertext system. The clarity of this model illuminates the subtle differences between various terms which often get used interchangeably in the field, like information design, interaction design and navigation.

It also serves as an excellent resource guide. This alone makes it worth the price of the book.

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20,000 foot view, but perhaps a little outdated??

Published in 2002, Jesse James Garrett's The Elements of User Experience is a useful introduction on how to keep the user experience in mind when designing web applications. As someone who has no formal training in information or interaction architecture, I was hoping this book would contain detailed descriptions of best (or better) practices in the field. What I discovered was a book focused entirely on the conceptual forest of site objectives, functional specifications, interactions and interfaces, not the how-to trees; this was not what I was looking for, but perhaps this type of conceptual groundwork was more groundbreaking when this book was originally published.

One of the most useful aspects of the book for me was the diagram on page 162, showing Garrett's idea of the five planes of development: strategy, scope, structure, skeleton, and surface. This diagram also illustrated the different roles of interaction designers, interface designers, information architects and so on, according to their place in the development workflow (something I never clearly understood before).

A couple of things, however, are starting to show their age (understandable in this field, where six years is a lifetime). For example, in the same illustration and throughout the book, Garrett distinguishes sites according to whether they're more like "software" or a "hypertext system". All but the most rudimentary small sites now employ some software-like attributes, and I'm not sure anyone who's just interested in building a simple "hypertext system" site would be best served by reading this particular book (something like Steve Krug's _Don't Make Me Think_ might be more appropriate). Some illustrations, like the one showing error handling that takes up the entirety of page 93, feel superfluous at best, curious in a book that argues against including content unless it helps drive user experience goals. Other illustrations and descriptions are too simplistic to be of use to anyone except those who have never or rarely surfed the web, such as the illustration comparing checkboxes to radio buttons and other form elements, or the one page discussion of color and typography.

In conclusion, this is a fine primer for anyone who has used the web, but hasn't thought about it very much and who intends to get into semi-serious web site production. Or, someone who's doing career research and is trying to figure out in what areas s/he has the most interest. As Garrett points out on page 87, "Interaction design and information architecture sound like esoteric, highly technical areas, but these disciplines aren't really about technology at all. They're about understanding people,the way they work and the way they think." (emphasis in original). For non-programmers, this book is a good way to begin the process of learning the elements at play in a successful user experiences on the web.

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The Elements of User Experience

It is for my Information Design class. I haven't used it yet, but it arrived on time and in good condition.

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Just ok... rather obvious conclusions....

Anyone is the field could see that this book is rather "blah"
There is better literature on the subject out there... but this might be good for a student, or anyone who wants to get their wet in the field.

Not great, but not all bad either -- its good reference tool.

Smart organizations recognize that Web design is more than just creating clean code and sharp graphics. A site that really works fulfills your strategic objectives while meeting the needs of your users. Even the best content and the most sophisticated technology won't help you balance those goals without a cohesive, consistent user experience to support it.

But creating the user experience can seem overwhelmingly complex. With so many issues involved-usability, brand identity, information architecture, interaction design-it can seem as if the only way to build a successful site is to spend a fortune on specialists who understand all the details.

The Elements of User Experience cuts through the complexity of user-centered design for the Web with clear explanations and vivid illustrations that focus on ideas rather than tools or techniques. Jesse James Garrett gives readers the big picture of Web user experience development, from strategy and requirements to information architecture and visual design. This accessible introduction helps any Web development team, large or small, to create a successful user experience.

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