What is UX?

Think about the last time you used an app that just "worked."

You didn't have to think about where to click. You didn't get confused. You accomplished what you wanted quickly and easily.

That's good UX.

Now think about a website where you couldn't find the information you needed, buttons didn't look clickable, or the checkout process had 10 confusing steps.

That's bad UX.

Good UX examples:

• Google Search - One search box, instant results. Nothing extra.
• Vipps - Sending money is as easy as sending a text message.
• Spotify - Finding and playing music feels effortless.

Bad UX examples:

• Forms that don't explain why your password is "invalid"
• Websites where you can't find the contact information
• Apps that require 5 clicks to do something simple

UX vs. UI

These terms are often confused:

UX (User Experience) is about how the product works and feels. It's the overall experience, from first impression to task completion.

UI (User Interface) is about how the product looks. It's the visual design: colors, typography, icons, buttons.

A product can have beautiful UI but terrible UX (looks great but confusing to use). Or it can have basic UI but excellent UX (looks simple but works perfectly).

The best products have both.

The UX Design Process

1. Research - Understand who your users are and what they need
2. Define - Identify the problems to solve
3. Ideate - Brainstorm solutions
4. Prototype - Create mockups or clickable prototypes
5. Test - Watch real users try to use your design
6. Iterate - Improve based on what you learned

Key UX Principles

• Don't make users think - Obvious is better than clever
• Reduce friction - Every extra step loses users
• Consistency - Same patterns throughout
• Feedback - Users should always know what's happening
• Forgiveness - Make it easy to undo mistakes