In all forms of media, we must consider more than just ourselves. While we may produce our media we are just one of many consumers that will use our media. These consumers, whether it be two people or a whole society, must be considered for the creation of a successful product. User experience is more than the inner workings of something rather it is the way that a person comes in contact with your product:
- How do they view it?
- Do they like it?
- Will they use it again?
Creating a successful product in the media is about finding the sweet spot between aesthetics and functionality.
Fancy, Yet Functional
When considering your consumer it is easy to think only of the way it looks. Is your product aesthetically pleasing? However, we as producers must consider the functionality of what we put out there. The design can make complete sense while the actual functionality of the product may fail causing an overall fail of the product. Fancy scissors that don’t cut aren’t effective for what they are needed for. User experience design ensures that a button on a coffee machine is appealing to a consumer in size and texture while also functioning as the proper tool to starting the coffee maker.
Using the Web
much, but when that click makes the difference between get-
ting coffee and not getting coffee, it matters a great deal.” -Jesse James Garrett
User experience becomes an even greater factor in media than it does in an everyday product such as a coffee maker. A web site accounts for all aspects required in the user experience. An aesthetically pleasing website will draw a consumer in but a functional website is what will keep the consumer satisfied. Both are required for the best possible user experience. A web site must communicate it’s content to a consumer in both the most appealing and usable way possible for it to be successful. If not, a consumer can easily find a new web site that will better satisfy what they are looking for as the web is full of them. Whatever you create on the web must also be optimal for search. Search engine optimization is key in succeeding in the world wide web. Most simply put, a user experience is determined by the return of the consumer and the effectiveness of the product. Knowing who your users are and the kind of experience they are looking for is essential to the success of your product whether it be a coffee maker or an international media campaign on a web address.
My Sweet Escape 