User experience design has become an essential consideration in the development of websites and technical communications. No longer can we throw together a few headings and numbered lists in CSS and XHTML and hope the result will be worthwhile and meaningful to users. As the web expands and content becomes more accessible, it is necessary to take content and websites to the next level – to provide information that is not just useful or even usable, but enjoyable. If a person has to spend more than a few seconds trying to find what they need they are that much more likely to “Google it” and find a site or help system that provides the answer quicker.
No longer can we provide “self-serve” content, where the user must find their own answer within content. We must design systems that are guides, not just brainless stacks of information. And we must design these systems to accomplish user needs first and foremost – a site based wholly on the objectives of its owner rather than its viewers may only ever be viewable by that owner. Users expect more, and they must become the first consideration in developing content to ensure their loyalty.
To that end, user experience design begins with a full consideration of the various layers of a system, regardless of whether that system is a compiled help manual or a website. In The Elements of User Experience, Jesse James Garrett describes five planes of an experience that must be considered. Each plane is inter-related and works together, with concepts born in the strategy stage and developed mindfully through to the final visual product.
- The Surface Plane – the visible layer of the website, consisting of images and content
- The Skeleton Plane – the organization of various elements in the site including placement of “buttons, tabs, photos, and blocks of text”
- The Structure Plane – the structure of the pages in the site, as in a flowchart
- The Scope Plane – the requirements and capabilities of the site, developing its scope in achieving user needs
- The Strategy Plane – the objectives of the website for the users and the owners
Further, Garrett places each of the elements of user experience design intelligently within these planes, providing a common framework of understanding.
- Surface Plane – Visual Design
- Skeleton Plane – Information, Interface, and Navigation Design
- Structure Plane – Interaction Design and Information Architecture
- Scope Plane – Functional Specifications and Content Requirements
- Strategy Plane – User Needs and Site Objectives
Only through considering all elements of a design can we build a concept in objectives and specifications that can be carried through and visible to users. Although it is easy to get mired in the intricacies of graphics and layouts on one hand, and programming languages and technologies on the other, these details should be secondary to strategy to ensure effective user experiences.
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