UXD, UI, UED, IA, IxD = ?
In the past 12 years or so, the web has transformed the way we interact and communicate with our surrounding world. In recent weeks it has claimed a large portion of Australia's newspapers, creating a number of new industries for us to understand and interact with.
One of the more confusing recent industry changes has been in the design industry. Recently it has seen new terminology thrown around like UXD, UI, UED, IA, IxD. So what do these terminologies mean? Below is a quick summary of each to help you out when your ready to start tackling your next web design / development project.
User Experience Design (UXD, UX or UED): is a broad term used to explain all aspects of a person’s experience with the system. This includes the interface, graphics, industrial design and physical interaction.
User Interface Design (UI): Interface design is involved in a wide range of projects from computer systems, to cars, to commercial planes. All of these projects involve much of the same basic human interactions yet also require some unique skills and knowledge. As a result designers tend to specialise in certain types of projects and have skills centred around their expertise; whether that be software design, user research, web design or industrial design.
Information Architecture (IA): is the art and science of organising and labelling websites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability. It is an emerging discipline and community of practice focused on bringing together principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.
Interaction Design (IxD): is about shaping digital things for people’s use, alternately defined as "the practice of designing interactive digital products, environments, systems, and services”.
