The Psychological Foundation of UX: A Practitioner Guide

Textbooks used in classes focusing on User Experience or Human-Computer Interaction often fall into two categories: High theory or Practice. More than any other subject does this discipline require that textbooks cover both. This book addresses the psychological principles that are needed to properly understand and conduct the activities related to user experience research and design. It's a theoretical approach with practical application to user experience design. It covers every process of the UX lifecycle-design, research, iteration, prototyping-and explains the why behind every step, providing a unifying theory of the UX process. Through this theory, readers learn to evaluate interface design in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and cost. Key Features This book presents the perfect blend of "why" and "how," an approach that's been honed for over 15 years in the author's classwork and private practice. Features alternative approaches to the UX lifecycle, and presents the pros and cons, helping students become better decision makers. Accompanied by a companion website with ancillary materials that include: interactive mock-ups, PPT slideshows, links to mock-up and sketching tools, sample data sets, and examples of homework assignments.