What Is User Experience Design?

There are many definitions for user experience design. After all, it’s a field that thrives on defining things. Admittedly, sometimes we don’t do such a good job of “defining the damn thing” when it comes to the various parts of the whole, but we at least know what the whole is.

In this book we’ll be focusing on two definitions in particular: the broadest sense of the term UX design and the definition we will use in the context of this book.

The Broad Definition

User experience design is

The creation and synchronization of the elements that affect users’ experience with a particular company, with the intent of influencing their perceptions and behavior.

These elements include the things a user can touch (such as tangible products and packaging), hear (commercials and audio signatures), and even smell (the aroma of freshly baked bread in a sandwich shop).