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Currently every conversation we have at HQ seems to revolve around User Experience (UX), and it appears we are not alone. Everyone is talking about UX and implementing it on and offline, as they emphasise the importance of the user and their needs.

To dispel any myths about UX and what it involves, here is a jargon buster that explains what it really means and the words that are commonly associated with it:

User Experience is when people interact with your product or service and the experience they gain from that interaction, commonly known as UX.  To recognise user experience you must have a deep understanding of the user’s needs, abilities and limitations.

User Interface or UI is the way in which the user and a computer interacts, as the interface is the set of commands that enable the user to communicate with a program.

Customer Experience or CX, differs from user experience as it is about the overall experience and the interactions someone has with a brand. It is also measured through whether the user is likely to use the brand again or recommend it to others. UX is one part of the customer experience.

Card Sorting is an exercise involving participants who organize topics into categories which will then help them to name the categories and create the information architecture.

Usability Testing can be used to assess a product or service by testing it on real users. For example a user is given a task to complete and their process is then analysed to see whether a product/service is being used successfully.

Information Architecture is how the information on a website is organised, which can be decided using card sorting.

Personas are often shaped when someone is researching their project’s user experience. They will create personas of their target users so that they have a greater understanding of their needs.

Sitemap is a planning tool for the design of a website and lists the contents of a site in order of importance. Based on our user research we always create a sitemap and use tools such as SlickPlan.

Wireframe is the visual representation of a website and is used in the structure and prioritisation process.

A/B Test is used if you would like to test two versions of the same web page. By using A/B testing you can change two variables and show the alternative web page to different users. The variable that has the better conversion rate shows that it is the most successful with users.

End User is the person who uses the product/service.

Usability is, quite simply, the ease of use of an object, such as a website, machine or tool.

Focus Groups can be carried out as part of market research to analyse the user’s needs. It is normally a group of 5-10 people and involves an informal discussion about a certain topic. A moderator will ask the group a variety of questions about this subject.

Prototype is the first version of a product which can be used in the process of usability testing to help in the development process.

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