The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web

Smart organizations recognize that Web design is more than just creating clean code and sharp graphics. A site that really works fulfills your strategic objectives while meeting the needs of your users. Even the best content and the most sophisticated technology won't help you balance those goals without a cohesive, consistent user experience to support it.

But creating the user experience can seem overwhelmingly complex. With so many issues involved-usability, brand identity, information architecture, interaction design-it can seem as if the only way to build a successful site is to spend a fortune on specialists who understand all the details.

The Elements of User Experience cuts through the complexity of user-centered design for the Web with clear explanations and vivid illustrations that focus on ideas rather than tools or techniques. Jesse James Garrett gives readers the big picture of Web user experience development, from strategy and requirements to information architecture and visual design. This accessible introduction helps any Web development team, large or small, to create a successful user experience.

Table of Contents

Introduction.
1. User Experience and Why It Matters.
2. Meet the Elements.
3. The Strategy Plane: Site Objectives and User Needs.
4. The Scope Plane: Functional Specifications and Content Requirements.
5. The Structure Plane: Interaction Design and Information Architecture.
6. The Skeleton Plane: Interface Design, Navigation Design, and Information Design.
7. The Surface Plane: Visual Design.
8. The Elements Applied.
Index.