The Layperson's Guide to Building a Better User Experience
TS-6470

The term "user experience" refers to how your users feel about using your software. It seems obvious that providing a great user experience can mean the difference between the success and failure of your project.

In some organizations, a separate team of specialists handles user experience design. Other organizations, which may not have the resources or might not see the value of having a separate team that focuses on designing a great user experience, leave it up to the developers.

So what do you do if your project needs an improved user experience but the organization doesn't have a big budget or a team of user experience professionals ready to work their magic? You do what you always do when confronted with an impossible task: talk with your coworkers, search the web, or hit the bookstore--all in the hopes that you can find the basic information you need so you can learn to do it yourself.

But wait. You're here at the JavaOne conference, and there's a better way available: attending this session. It covers the basics of user experience design, why user experience is important to you and your project, what you already know about it but didn't know you knew, and what you can do without a big budget or user experience gurus.

The critical question to ask yourself is how your users feel about using your software. Do they love the systems you build for them? Do they gush to their friends and coworkers about how lucky they are because they get to use your application? Do they marvel at how simple it is to get really complicated tasks done? Do they wake up in the morning thankful that they get to spend another eight or nine hours working with the program you delivered to them? The most likely answer is: probably not.

Will they feel that way if you write your next application by using all the things this session covers? Probably not. But they will notice that the new application is much easier to use and understand, and they will appreciate how easy the application makes it to accomplish their key tasks. Who knows? After using the new application for a bit, they might even take the pins out of the voodoo doll that looks like you.

This session is for all developers and architects interested in delighting their users. The only requirements are to have an open mind and an interest in improving upon what you already know.