Friday 27 November 2015

Beginner's Guide To User Stories

The User Experience universe revolves around the user. Everything that is created is based on the understanding of these users. But how can you, as a UX designer, get important insights about users and their behaviors?

The answer is by using research techniques. One of these techniques is called User Story which has become an integral part of UX process.

In this article you will learn:

• What User Story is?
• What makes a good User Story?
• Benefits of User Story.

So hold tight that cup of tea because as a UX professional you certainly don’t want to miss out on this one.

What is User Story?

To put it in simple words, a User Story is a brief description of what the end user wants to accomplish by using a product/service. It sums up the requirement or goal of the end user and the reason behind it.
User Story Guide

There can be a User Story for every level and even sub-level of every product function or feature.

The User Story is created by a UX Designer or User Researcher.

One very important thing that one must never forget about User Story is that it is always from the perspective of the end user. It is never created based on the perspective of the UX professionals.

User Story Example:

Let us look at an example to get a better understanding of User Story.

Consider a person, say Rohan, who wants to buy an Android smartphone with the latest features. But as Rohan is a working professional, he cannot find time to explore various options during the day time. Evening is the only time when he can do so.

On top of that, commuting to office from home and vice-versa means Rohan gets exhausted. He has no plans to again go out, visit multiple shops to buy a smartphone. Instead, he chooses to buy the smartphone through an e-commerce website. This not only saves him time but also offers him an opportunity to avail discounts on the site.

The entire journey of Rohan which has been explained above is called User Story.

Features of good User Story:

Developing a User Story is not that difficult. But the fact is that creating the right User Story in the first go is also not that easy. Hence, we can have references in place based on which you can develop your product/service’s User Story.

So how does one create a good enough User Story?

Although there are no set rules for creating a User Story, the INVEST acronym, created by Bill Wake is a good reference of what a good User Story should look like. We look at what each element of this acronym stands for.

I (Independent):

Product functions and features will always be interdependent, however, when writing a user story one must always try to create an independent story that is self sufficient for a particular feature or sub feature.

N (Negotiable):

The best thing about a User Story is that it can be easily changed as required and help product iterations.

V (Valuable):

The A User Story must offer value to all product stakeholders such as designers, engineers, product managers & owners, marketing personnel etc.

E (Estimable):

A User Story essentially allows designers estimate the scope and importance of a feature for a user.

S (Size):

The User Story should not be too big so as to become impossible to plan and implement in small chunks.

T (Testable):

A User Story must be testable as it will help the UX team know whether they have got the User Story correct or not.

User Story Template:

Every user story is different and hence creating a one for all template is not a possibility. Still, you can get an idea of how a User Story looks like. Look at the image below to know how it appears.

Guide to User Story Example
User Story Template
Tips for writing an effective User Story:

1. Start with users.

2. Utilize Persona to get deep insight into users’ journey.

3. Keep them simple and to the point.

4. Collaborate with other team members to write the stories.

5. Keep them refining as the process moves ahead.

6. Split the stories into individual themes.

7. Visualize the stories.

Benefits of User Story:

1. It helps in identifying the main problem or issue faced by the end user and how the product/service being offered should solve it.

2. It helps in creating products/services which are user focused.

3. It helps in avoiding hitting dead ends as far as design and overall UX process is concerned.

4. It is crisp, concise and easy to understand.

5. It can be readily used in project planning.

User Story is, undeniably, an integral part of UX process. It greatly helps in keeping your UX project organized, focused and consistent.



Wednesday 25 November 2015

UX Design Predictions for 2016

User Experience industry is a dynamic place which constantly keeps on evolving. This year has seen UX awareness spread among and across different sectors. Besides, people have become smarter, technology has evolved.  So where will all this lead the UX to in 2016?

UX Future 2016

Here are our predictions for UX industry for 2016.

1. Rise in Micro interactions:

A micro interaction informs a user about his status at a particular point within a product.
As the attention span of the users is shrinking, it is imperative that UX designers focus on designing engaging and informative experiences.

Micro interactions are a great way of achieving this goal.

Micro Interaction UX Design 2016
Micro Interaction Keeps User Engaged
To understand the importance of micro interaction we look at a simple example of uploading a file. The first micro interaction is to ask the user to choose a file to upload.

Once the file chosen, the user can click on the “Upload” button and once the uploading begins, the user is shown the upload progress bar. This ensures the user is always updated with regards to the uploading process.

2. Minimalist Designs:

Minimalist design is a design that does not have unnecessary elements and its goal is to make content a focal point.

One major confusion that has been found generally is that minimal is often considered as same as simplicity; it is not and both are quite different.
Minimalist Design UX Design 2016
Minimalist Design: UX Design Trend for 2016
Minimalist is usually concerned with having least number of elements.  In fact, products with minimalist designs carry a lot of hidden complexities.
The days of heavy design with lots of text are gone and this is where the minimalist design comes into play.

Users have become smart and want to spend their time wisely.

The rise of content consumption is another reason why going minimalist is the right course to take. This type of design also minimizes distractions at user’s end and keeps the spotlight on content that will be consumed by the end user.

3. Rise of Prototyping Tools:

The design industry is continuously evolving and seeing huge transformation. Besides, clients have become more demanding and expect to see well crafted prototypes.

Prototyping tools offer a very affordable way to create prototypes without spending a bomb. In fact, since 72% of designers are designing for the web and mobile. Prototyping tools are a great way to design and test interactions across different platforms.

The UX industry has realized how helpful and efficient these tools are.

Hence, it isn’t surprising to see that the industry is seeing an influx of prototyping tools like never before. In the near future we can expect to see tools that can merge wireframing and prototypes together.

Two major reasons that will fuel the growth of prototyping tools are:
• Rise of mobile apps
• Increasing design awareness

4. Personalized Communication:

Undoubtedly, this is an age of personalization and since UX is all about User, it gains even more importance. As mentioned earlier, the content consumption is on the rise more than ever before.

Companies to need to capitalize on this and use this trend to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Personalized communication UX Design 2016
Personalized Communication: Key UX factor in 2016
Today’s user expects to have a personalized experienced rather than just a generic one. Companies need to deliver the content that relevant to the user’s need and is of course personalized.
If companies want to make their products stand out then personalization is the key.

5. Increasing UX Awareness:

Now a days, users have become demanding and want more in return for using a product. With so many options to choose from, users don’t want to waste their time on trying too many products.

They have become choosy and whatever product they choose, they expect to have a memorable and a positive experience. Although users might not even realize that what they are expecting from a product is good UX, they are, in fact, they are doing just the same.

This awareness about using products that deliver value for their time and money has spread among a large section of users. In other words, users have become a lot more aware about UX.

There will be other trends and advances that will occur but the UX predictions for 2016 mentioned above will likely have a major role to play in shaping the industry for the future. Irrespective of the trend, UX professionals must always be open to upgrading their skill set and knowledge &incorporates them in their works.