Two apps, the same menu
Two made-up school canteen apps show the same lunch menu. One has a clean list, big buttons and a clear Order button. The other has flashing banners, twelve menus and tiny text.
Both can order a lunch. Only one is pleasant to use. The difference is called user experience.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can explain how design choices change a user's experience of an app.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| User experience | how it feels to use an app from start to finish |
| Visual appeal | how pleasant an app looks to the user |
| Cognitive overload | too much to think about at once |
| Novice | a user who is new to an app |
| Interaction design | planning how the app reacts to what a user does |
| Consistency | the same thing looks and works the same way everywhere |
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Starter: what you already know
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Starter: what you already know
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
User experience is more than usability
User experience is how it feels to use an app from start to finish. It includes whether the app is easy to use, but also whether it looks good, feels quick and treats the user well.
Four design habits help. Keep it simple. Be consistent and use common parts, so users already know what to do. Plan the layout with a purpose. Use colour, texture and text styles with care.
Four habits in the canteen app
| Habit | What it looks like | What it avoids |
|---|---|---|
| Keep it simple | One main job on each screen | A screen full of options |
| Be consistent | A magnifying glass always means search | Users learning new symbols |
| Purposeful layout | The Order button sits where the thumb reaches | Hunting for the button |
| Careful style | Two colours, one font family, clear headings | A screen with five different fonts |
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3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.