User Experience Design (UX)

User Experience (UX) Design is a discipline rooted in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and applied within the broader field of Computer Science to enhance a person's overall satisfaction when using a product, system, or service. It goes beyond traditional usability to encompass the entire interaction and perception, including a user's emotions, beliefs, and behaviors before, during, and after use. The process involves in-depth user research, information architecture, prototyping, and usability testing to create digital products—such as websites and applications—that are not only efficient and easy to navigate but also enjoyable and meaningful to the end-user.

1. Foundations of User Experience Design
   1. Defining User Experience
      1. What is User Experience
      2. User Experience vs Customer Experience
      3. The Holistic Nature of UX
      4. Core Components of UX
         1. Usability
            1. Learnability
            2. Efficiency
            3. Memorability
            4. Error Prevention and Recovery
            5. User Satisfaction
         2. Usefulness
            1. Functional Value
            2. Meeting User Needs
         3. Desirability
            1. Emotional Design
            2. Visual Appeal
            3. Brand Connection
         4. Findability
            1. Navigation Clarity
            2. Information Scent
            3. Search Functionality
         5. Accessibility
            1. Perceivability
            2. Operability
            3. Understandability
            4. Robustness
         6. Credibility
            1. Trustworthiness
            2. Reliability
            3. Professional Appearance
         7. Value
            1. User Value Proposition
            2. Business Value Creation
      5. The Scope of UX
         1. Pre-Use Experience
            1. Discovery and Awareness
            2. First Impressions
            3. Onboarding Preparation
         2. During Use Experience
            1. Active Interaction
            2. Task Completion
            3. Problem Resolution
         3. Post-Use Experience
            1. Support and Help
            2. Feedback Collection
            3. Retention Strategies
   2. Historical Context and Evolution
      1. Origins in Human Factors and Ergonomics
         1. Industrial Design Foundations
         2. Cognitive Psychology Influence
         3. Early Workplace Studies
      2. The Rise of Human-Computer Interaction
         1. Early Computing Interfaces
         2. Command Line to Graphical Interfaces
         3. Usability Engineering Emergence
      3. Key Figures and Milestones
         1. Don Norman and User-Centered Design
         2. Jakob Nielsen and Usability Heuristics
         3. Alan Cooper and Goal-Directed Design
         4. Steve Krug and Web Usability
         5. Jesse James Garrett and UX Elements
         6. Major Publications and Conferences
   3. Differentiating UX from Related Fields
      1. User Interface Design
         1. Visual Design Focus
         2. Interaction Elements
         3. Layout and Typography
      2. Customer Experience
         1. Multi-Channel Touchpoints
         2. Service Interactions
         3. Brand Experience
      3. Service Design
         1. Service Blueprints
         2. End-to-End Journey Design
         3. Organizational Systems
      4. Interaction Design
         1. Behavior Design
         2. Microinteractions
         3. Motion and Animation
      5. Information Architecture
         1. Content Organization
         2. Navigation Structures
         3. Taxonomy Design
      6. Product Design
         1. Feature Development
         2. Product Strategy
         3. Market Considerations
   4. Core Principles and Heuristics
      1. User-Centered Design Principles
         1. Involving Users Throughout Process
         2. Iterative Design Approach
         3. Evidence-Based Decision Making
      2. Nielsen's Usability Heuristics
         1. Visibility of System Status
         2. Match Between System and Real World
         3. User Control and Freedom
         4. Consistency and Standards
         5. Error Prevention
         6. Recognition Rather Than Recall
         7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
         8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
         9. Help Users Recognize and Recover from Errors
         10. Help and Documentation
      3. Shneiderman's Golden Rules
         1. Strive for Consistency
         2. Enable Frequent Users to Use Shortcuts
         3. Offer Informative Feedback
         4. Design Dialogs to Yield Closure
         5. Offer Error Prevention and Simple Error Handling
         6. Permit Easy Reversal of Actions
         7. Support Internal Locus of Control
         8. Reduce Short-Term Memory Load
      4. Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception
         1. Proximity
         2. Similarity
         3. Continuity
         4. Closure
         5. Figure-Ground
         6. Common Fate
         7. Symmetry
   5. The Business Value of UX
      1. Return on Investment of UX
         1. Cost Reduction Benefits
         2. Revenue Increase Opportunities
         3. Development Efficiency Gains
      2. Impact on Key Performance Indicators
         1. Conversion Rate Optimization
         2. User Retention Metrics
         3. Customer Satisfaction Scores
         4. Support Cost Reduction
      3. Building Brand Loyalty and Trust
         1. Positive User Perceptions
         2. Reducing Customer Churn
         3. Word-of-Mouth Marketing
      4. Competitive Advantage Through UX
         1. Market Differentiation
         2. User Preference Creation
         3. Innovation Leadership