UX vs. XD – what’s the difference?

January 19, 2009

I’ve been wrestling with the use of XD (Experience Design) within our organization instead of the term UX (User Experience Design, or UXD). For some reason the differences seem significant to me and I’m talking a bit of time here to dig into why that might be. The context of my inquiry and work is within the field of interactive, web design and development and rich internet applications.

UX // User Experience Design

a term used to describe the overarching experience a person has as a result of their interactions with a particular product or service, it’s delivery, and related artifacts, according to their design. As with its related term, User Interface Design, prefixing “User“ associates it primarily with digital media, especially interactive software. It most commonly refers to the result of a planned integration of software design, business, and psychology concerns. Wikipedia definition

The realm of UX, for me, sits within the primary context of a User-Centered Design practice with an emphasis on “user-centered” design and experiences of the user’s needs, desires, goals, and context. Through interviews and contextual observation, the UXD defines the direction and goals for the design and utilizes documentation and other tools to keep the development path and team aligned to those goals.

The importance of UX design is that foundation on the research and observation of the user needs and goals which then roll into the outcomes and documentation of user models/personas, user stories/scenarios, experience/site maps, interface models/wireframes, prototyping and iterative design. All of these elements grow out of that foundation in order to ensure the creation of a solution that meets the final business goals as well as the final user goals, creating an efficient and most importantly useful solution.

XD // Experience Design

a term used to describe design that is driven by consideration of the moments of engagement, or touchpoints, between people and brands, and the ideas, emotions, and memories that these moments create. Commercial experience design is also known as experiential marketing, customer experience design, and brand experience. Experience designers are often employed to identify existing touchpoints and create new ones, and then to score the arrangement of these touchpoints so that they produce the desired outcome. Wikipedia definition

The use of XD sits more solidly in the context of brand marketing and overall customer experience of the emotions and memories of a brand – formulated in the customer’s mind and experience of that brand and its multiple touchpoints. It is a significant consideration and very important in deepening the satisfaction and positive experience of a customer with a brand, service, or product.

There is an important value on “significance”, meaning, status, and emotion embedded within a product or service that meets the requirements of a customer, but also “goes beyond” to create added value to that experience, service, or product. The emphasis, however, seems to be more founded on branding and emotions, rather than the user-centered goals of UXD.

What’s the difference?

The “You” is missing

At first glance, the “user” is missing from the terminology of XD – there is no “U”… “you” are missing. The “experience” is there and the “design”, but the emphasis is implicit on the design, rather than the user-centered considerations and guiding practices. Certainly the practice of UX or XD can vary and anyone calling themselves an “XD” can practice user-centered design, but my goal here is to define the implicit value and meaning in both terms and how that might affect the use and context of each.

Brand Experience is important, but overall, the daily use by a person is more important

Certainly solid branding and an artful aesthetic are important in both contexts, but if the user is not considered in a process or solution, as is implicit in the the UX terminology, then the experience will fall short and devalue the overall XD.

The term XD alludes to less defined processes and outcomes

“Ideas, emotions, and memories” of XD are difficult to track, plan, and test. In UX, a “planned integration of design, business, and psychology concerns” utilizing user-centered techniques allows for more definition in target users, goals, tasks, and solutions.

Process or Outcome?

In my review of the two terms, I clearly see and feel a bias in my comments. Ultimately, I feel that UX connotates a process centered around the “user” experience, whereas XD potentially descibes an outcome of aesthetic design and branding choices.

Keeping the “user” within the context of the process feels ultimately key to me in the use of UX, User Experience Design.

Related posts from the past blogosphere

What is User Experience Design? // Montparnas, 2006

This article examines the term and field of user experience to plainly extrapolate its meaning and connect the dots with these other fields.

• Great walkthrough of various children disciplines to UXD
• The goal is to balance a great solution meeting the business goals and the user goals in perfect harmony

Brand Experience in User Experience Design // UXMatters, 2006

This article attempts to identify the appropriate role for brand values as one project objective within the broader framework of user-centered design.

• Review of customer’s perception of the brand (true brand identity) and the brand experience through multiple touchpoints
• Value in UX to explicitly work to define and state the desired, integrated brand experience throughout a solution

Tags: definition, design, ux