Nick de Voil - User Experience Foundations

BCS Learning & Development Ltd 2020

The right of Nick de Voil to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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Published by BCS Learning and Development Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, 3 Newbridge Square , Swindon, SN1 1BY, UK.

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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-78017-3498

PDF ISBN: 978-1-78017-3504

ePUB ISBN: 978-1-78017-3511

Kindle ISBN: 978-1-78017-3528

British Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available at the British Library.

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this book are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Institute or BCS Learning and Development Ltd except where explicitly stated as such. Although every care has been taken by the author and BCS Learning and Development Ltd in the preparation of the publication, no warranty is given by the author or BCS Learning and Development Ltd as publisher as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained within it and neither the author nor BCS Learning and Development Ltd shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage whatsoever arising by virtue of such information or any instructions or advice contained within this publication or by any of the aforementioned.

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Publishers acknowledgements

Reviewers: David Travis, Peter Morgan, Leo Poll

Publisher: Ian Borthwick

Commissioning editor: Rebecca You

Production manager: Florence Leroy

Project manager: Sunrise Setting Ltd

Copy-editor: Gillian Bourn

Proofreader: Barbara Eastman

Indexer: Matthew Gale

Cover design: Alex Wright

Cover image: Thinkstock Digital Vision

Typeset by Lapiz Digital Services, Chennai, India

Nick de Voil has written a superb introduction to the key principles across the user experience landscape. An essential read for anyone who is looking to create user-centred products or services that solve real problems for humans, regardless of their job title.

Chris Burns , Product Manager, MoteHQ

This book gives all the steps needed to ensure products and services are useful, usable and actually used. Nick de Voil brings his considerable experience to identify whats both similar and different between user experience and other traditional practices. All this results in a must-read and approachable book.

Kate Tarling , Director of Digital, Design and Research, Services Work

User Experience Foundations offers a comprehensive and standard-setting syllabus to UX. Its clear and concise explanations of key concepts, step-by-step method guides and practical hands-on tips will help anyone wanting to master the craft of real-world user experience.

John Knight , Global Service Design Strategy Lead, Avanade

This book is a good reference for new UX practitioners or anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of user experience. UX is a continuously growing field. This book provides a breadth of information on the subject with practical tips. Youll get an excellent foundation of knowledge from it.

Chui Chui Tan , Director and Founder, Bey Global

User Experience Foundations is nicely written, easy to digest and covers the fundamentals of UX. Nick has covered all bases, from user testing techniques to where UX fits in with other disciplines. A must read for anybody considering a role in UX or simply looking to gain knowledge in this area.

Adrian Robinson , Lead Agile Business Analyst, CDL (Cheshire Datasystems Limited)

This excellent primer blends theory and practice from a number of sources to provide a practical and accessible overview. Crucial reading!

Adrian Reed , Principal Consultant, Blackmetric

Nick de Voil has unlocked the foundations of the user experience (UX) discipline to simply describe what UX professionals ought to do, why they do it and why it works. It challenges what UX is in the construct of user-centred design principles that act as guideposts to optimise user experience.

Milvio DiBartolomeo , ICT Portfolio, Programme and Project Professional

Nick de Voil has written an invaluable guide on how UX supports digital product development and how to design experiences which meet peoples needs. This book is a good reference for those starting their career in UX as well as product owners, business analysts and digital marketeers.

Nichola Musgrove , Senior User Experience Designer, Ordnance Survey

Nick de Voil is spot on with the details needed to understand the field of human centred design. He clearly explains how user research is integral to good design. This is a great starting point for anyone getting to grips with user experience work.

Franny Gant , Senior User Researcher, Care Quality Commission

If youre considering a User Experience role, there is a lot to learn - guiding principles, context of use, usability evaluation. This book gives a 360-degree view of this fascinating role and how it fits the big picture of a whole software development lifecycle!

Ahmed Tealeb , Senior Software Development Engineer in Test, Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar

I was so excited to read this book as we often struggle with stakeholders who dont always understand the importance of UX when designing new products and services. This book really hits the nail on the head and is brilliant for anyone wanting to get their head around user experience design and research and its importance.

Katie Derham , Innovation Manager, Allen and Overy LLP

It seems everyone talks about UX, yet it is often misunderstood. Fortunately, there is a recognised standard at the core of UX and Human Centred Design which Nick de Voil uses as a framework in this clear overview of the HCD process and UX activities. I highly recommended this book as a pragmatic, easy to read introduction to this important and fascinating field.