User experience: About design theory and design terminology

Web page Production WEBJX article introduction: about design theory and design terminology.

The work of these days involves a lot of meetings.

Also involves a lot of people, a lot of opinions, a lot of collisions, a lot of speculation.

No more about the project itself, nor is it suitable for sharing at the moment.

There are some digression, although it has nothing to do with specific projects, but it will affect the efficiency of our work and communication. As far as I'm looking, it's also an interesting topic.

Some of these words:

1. Functional navigation, global navigation, we are not too much of the word? Users really care about what is functional navigation, what is global navigation?
2. Is it too rigid for us to use these principles to guide our work?
3. Why do we analyze other websites to find these rules, really useful? Why don't we analyze our own problems first?

In fact, there are many, so the corresponding theory and terminology, I would like to talk about my personal views, if there is improper, please correct me.

About theory

An incorrect understanding of the theory:

1. Contempt of theory, not learning theory-this is a great waste of learning resources. Successive generations, the successor can stand on the shoulders of the predecessors to see the problem, more effective rate. Other people's research results, you can learn, and then find that not to challenge, but also better to start from the beginning of their own blindness. For example, marketing theory, decision psychology, and so on, have been settling down for many years, unless you can create your own set and preach the same sermon and let your collaborators follow your theory.
2. The theory is the weapon of omnipotence--the theory will undoubtedly be abused by some people and become the knowledge weapon. Therefore, it will cause some resentment, especially when the subject of the theory is ignorant of these theories, it seems only passive acceptance, there is no way to refute. In particular, some "principled" things, from So-and-so "ox", for those who do not know these things, can simply be called "Knowledge violence." So, slowly, more and more people are resisting and resisting "theory"--so there is a lot of (3rd)
3. Anti-theoretical value-the 2nd incorrect understanding leads to more and more people's resistance to the theory (and these people usually do not pay attention to the accumulation of theory), when others refer to theories, rules to explain their ideas, plans, or to guide themselves to do things, their first reaction is not the case "analysis of this fit, There is no value ", but the preconceived thought that" copy theory, regardless of the actual "," Academic gas "," lazy "and so on. However, we often unknowingly make a lot of mistakes, such as others say a good, and did not say B is not good, said the fat general not all taste, not to say that skinny have taste, move theory, not necessarily disregard the actual ... In short, each of our brains have their own specific information collection, processing, output the conclusion of a set of mechanisms. This is reasonable for us, but not necessarily true. Preconceived judgments can cause us to lose a lot of opportunities to see the real value of things. The cup is that there should be many of these theories, not because they have other opinions, but because they think that opposing theories and principles can seem more insightful and assertive.

A correct understanding of the theory

1. Most of the theory is valuable--the theory and other information is different from the theory that must be passed a period of time test, experienced a number of people's work, eventually precipitated. Although the theory may still be revised, it is still valuable for the time being. (The local theory is also a theory, and the descendants know the local theory is wrong, so the local theory still has value?) In fact, the value of the theory must be time-sensitive, and when the new theory has been validated to replace the long theory, the value will be transferred to the new theory, when it is not proved wrong, it is in all the same information, the most valuable. ）
2. Theory is not suitable for all scenes--truth is only established under certain conditions. Therefore, the theory can not be copied into practice. Any theory, combined with its current work reality, is processed and judged in the mind, does it apply? Whether there is room for improvement. And then used to guide the work.
3. The test of the theory can improve the efficiency of communication-theory has been a lot of terminology, such as in the marketing industry, talking about 4P, 4C, everyone knows what is talking. In the user experience design community, talk about role models, heuristic evaluations, focus groups, everyone knows what to say, and commonly used methods. Standing in common terminology to communicate, will undoubtedly improve a lot of efficiency. Otherwise, there is an easy argument, not a disagreement, in a multiple-character round table--maybe it's one thing, but nobody knows who.

About terminology:

I personally like the term--this is the language of global.

Using these terms, you can use Google's search engine to find all the resources in English.

Using these terms, you can go to the SlideShare to search for a lot of carefully crafted PPT.

Using these terms, you can go to the books.google.com to find the relevant books.

The more people call a thing called the same name, and these people are more professional, like sharing, then use this name, it is easy to find more and more professional learning materials.

So you'd better get used to the term--when you're used to it, you'll find the power of the term.

Scenario 1:

Search for information about navigation design, search with navigation, will find a lot of useless information.

Use navigation system to search, will search for a lot of vehicle navigation instrument.

With Web navigation and website navigation Search, the expected results are obtained.

As you study the navigation system further, you can search for two of the terms you learned in the search process:

For example, the navigation system is divided into a number of parts, what each part is the concept of what you need to pay attention to.

You can use your own naming method, of course, but unless you're working on your own. Otherwise, you can either adapt to the industry, including the terminology within your company, or use your own terminology to influence others, presumably, you weigh yourself.

For example, global navigation, you can use global navigation to retrieve.

The tail of the page navigation, you can use footer to search, also can use footer navigation, obviously, the latter will let you get the expected results.

What do you call the sign in sign at the top?

In some terminology systems, it is often put together with global navigation, so it is occasionally used in articles that introduce global navigation.

Using utility navigation will make you more target-locked.

Scenario 2:

If you need to have some pictures in the article, of course you don't care about purely decorative pictures, you want a picture that fits your content. Although you are very clever, but you still need some reference and references. So you think of Google. But what do you use to search? Illustrations? Image? With a map?

These words make you frustrated (if you want to get back to my frustrations, you can try).

Using Visual thinking (visual thinking) will give you more results than you want.

Scenario 3:

Another example, in fact, you usually in the elaboration of their own plans, you will also borrow some examples, for example, you would say: "We envision a customer like Jack, who, on the day of purchasing a large mechanical device, searches on Google and then accidentally comes to our website ..." You are already trying to do this, but you are used to it. Suddenly one day, you find, perhaps this is really a good way, then, can I speak better? Do you have some skills for ascension? According to your previous experience, you have now learned that the idea and ideas in your head, 80% of the possibilities, have been thought and written by people in some corner of the world, so you want to know what they think. But how do you find them?

You also think of using search engines. Now, again in the terminology phase, you're guessing how they're going to write this experience. For example: Design case? Scene description? In fact, you can find many similar articles with the term story telling.

I have to admire these energetic foreigners. Why don't you tell a story? Develop such a set of theories.

In our view, it is too difficult to say that the same kind of behavior can be unified into one word, not to mention the desire to develop a theory in the saliva of all people.

Scenario 4:

What do you call the following things?

Yes, we have too many terms: screening? Property filter? Refine and so on.

You can use these to search, of course, with Google (do not believe you use Baidu Search to see, Baidu you are dumbfounded), perhaps Google think we are love to learn to make progress.

But remembering this term (facets search) makes it easier for you to find the desired results directly.

PS: This article is also a profound illustration of why we need Google.

1. Google can search for foreign-language articles, not those translated by Sibuxiang. After all, the use of foreign ideas and exploration is very useful. This is the language of globalization.

2. Google's let us learn, Baidu search out the results are for us to entertain.

However, it is really too bad, Google since leaving China, the server is also more unstable, I am very heartache, you understand.