Most common UX questions answered (No jargon)

Prathyusha Shastry
3 min readJun 4, 2022

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Let’s cut to the chase.

What is UX (User experience) design?
UX design or design in general is problem-solving. Design is not about how it looks or how it feels … it is about how it works.
It encompasses all the end-user interactions with an organisation’s product or service. UX designers are storytellers, communicators and mainly problem solvers.

How do you explain UX to your friends and family?

An illustration by me!

I’d say that we’re an artist who thinks about technology from a design perspective to solve real-world challenges.
Check out what describing UX to Family and Friends is like…UX elevator pitch

What’s the most effective way to get started?
Explore the field and take a closer look to determine if UX design is for you. Once you are sure, it’s smooth sailing from there.
PLAN. PRACTICE. PORTFOLIO.

Is UX design only for digital interfaces?
No, UX is everywhere. It is beyond screens.
Example- A coffee mug is designed in such a way that it is easy to hold and drink from it (Usability)

How do UX designers work? What is the UX process like?
The way a designer works differs from problem to problem. Simply put, it involves Scope and research (qualitative and quantitative), Ideation, IA, Wireframing, design and testing (of course, it gets deeper)

What makes UX design different from graphic design?
A major difference between graphic design and UX design is the scope. Graphic designers are primarily concerned with visual aspects and communication. UX Designers focus on the entire interaction between a user and a product from a broader perspective.

What is the difference between UX, UX, Interaction and Product design?
In a nutshell, Product design is a broader term under which UX, UI, visual and interaction design fall. Each role is intended to cater to the target audience’s needs.
Or simply…
Product design: Design (end-to-end) + Business goals
UX design: Problem-solving by combining design thinking with technology to create functional, accessible, usable and aesthetic experiences.
UI design: Functionality + aesthetics.
If UX is the journey then UI is the destination.

How important is research? Where do you begin?
Research is as significant as U in the word UX. Research always starts from understanding the problem.

“ A problem well set is a problem half solved ”
Charles Kettering

How do you know if a product has an effective UX?
By evaluating it with heuristic principles, UX laws and asking questions like…
* What is the product's functionality, and how does the user know about it… Clear affordances are vital to usability.
* Whether we are able to use it conveniently (
usability)
* Is it
accessible to everyone?
* What is the aesthetic value of the product while meeting the customer’s needs? Or are users a victim of the
aesthetic usability effect?

What is product usability? And why should I know about it?

From an article by Reena Nigam from www.infobeans.com/usability-testing/

It refers to how convenient a product is to use. It has 5 main components:
Learnability, memorability, effectiveness, error prevention and satisfaction of use

That’s what I’ve got. Here’s to all the UX enthusiasts out there. I’d love to hear the other questions/ apprehensions/suggestions you have.
Always open to feedback :).
Feel free to check out my design work or my other articles on design, life and design life.

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Prathyusha Shastry

Communication and Interaction designer | Masters in design from National Institute of Design | Website prathyusha.in