"The Experience" is important to me when it comes to browsing. I admit that I am drawn in by sites that are aesthetically pleasing. But there is also another side to it that is just as important, functionality. Most folks want something that allows them to get their work/pleasure goals done. One of the product managers at Microsoft said that a site's audience has four resources: effort, focus, memory and time. In today's always-connected multi-tasking world, your customer has much less of these resources than ever before. So you have to create a functional, efficient experience for them as your competitor is only a click away.
How does someone design for experiences? What tools can you use to create experiences inexpensively, while minimizing development and maintenance costs?
As the owner of the Next Generation Browser Experience scenario for MIX, I am responsible for making sure that you get the answer to these questions. I think we have a lot of great sessions focused around experience for the designer, developer and business decision maker. You will have a chance to have discussions with folks in the industry (not just Microsoft) who have a great deal of knowledge about experience and what technologies and tools you can take advantage of to create great experiences.
If you are attending MIX and interested in experience, I recommend attending:
- Designing a Better User Experience with AJAX
- Introducing Microsoft Tools for Professional Designers: An Overview of Microsoft Expression
- Lessons from the Trenches: Engineering Great AJAX Experiences
- Making Your Site Look Great in IE7
- Developing a Better User Experience with "Atlas"
How do you define experience? Do you have great examples of "the experience"? If so, leave a comment and I will see you in Vegas.
Tag: MIX06