UX Workshops Help Developers Create Better Apps

Published on December 8, 2014

Application developers often create programs that are easier to write, rather than those that are easy to use. The focus is often on meeting the specific business requirements of an application rather than the usability and functionality. This tendency can make applications difficult to use. User Experience workshops and UX Classes help developers understand the process necessary for creating applications that are easy to use by applying fundamental principles during the development process. These principles emphasize the needs of the user and focus on the core functionality of the app, along with established processes for identifying the core needs of the user.

UX Workshops Improve Efficiency

Efficiency in an application generally means doing something only once, in the easiest way possible. Applications designed without UX in mind often require users to re-enter information, or to perform multiple clicks, taps, or swipes to access the most important information. This process is both frustrating and inefficient for the user, and can be eliminated by emphasizing the user experience during the design and development process. Improved efficiency also comes in the form of a faster development process due to a decreased need to make revisions. When the user experience is considered up-front, it is less likely that developers need to make revisions due to a failure to meet the user’s needs or requirements.

Emphasis on UX Design Produces Clean Interfaces

Application developers often focus on the core requirements of an application without giving consideration to the design aesthetics. Foundational user experience workshops also emphasize core design principles. Learning how to create uncluttered screens, clear icons, and consistent interactions are all part of learning UX. With the increasing use of mobile and tablet devices, an easy-to-use user experience that gives consideration to touch users, not just mouse users, is especially important.

Understanding Multiple User Experience Needs

Many people will use the same application for different purposes, or in different environments. An important element of a user experience workshop is to help developers more fully understand when, where, and how an app is being accessed. User experience courses help developers enhance their applications by placing the needs of all users front-and-center before they start to code, and keeping the user in mind through the iterative process.

About the author

Jennifer Smith is a user experience designer, Photoshop expert, educator and author based in Boston. She is the author of more than 20 books on design tools and processes, including Adobe Creative Cloud for Dummies, Adobe Creative Cloud Digital Classroom, and Photoshop Digital Classroom. She has been awarded a Microsoft MVP three times for her work with user experience design in creating apps for touch, desktop, and mobile devices. Jennifer holds the CPUX-F credential from the UXQB.

Jennifer delivers UX training and UX consulting for large Fortune 100 companies, small start-ups, and independent software vendors. She has been hired by Adobe and Microsoft to deliver training workshops to their staff, and has traveled to Asia, Europe, India, the Middle East, and across the U.S. to deliver courses and assist on UX design projects. She has extensive knowledge of modern UX Design, and worked closely with the Microsoft Windows team to create educational material and deliver UX workshops to key partners globally on behalf of Microsoft. Jennifer works with a wide range of prototyping tools including XD, Sketch, Balsamiq, Fireworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Blend for Visual Studio. She also works extensively in the fields of presentation design and visual design.