What is User Experience Design?
By Bridget Smith, ACE Teacher
About the Lectureship Series
The Lectureship Series provides a platform for formal lectures by professionals on a wide variety of subjects relevant to contemporary, local and international issues. The audience is typically ACE Pre-Departure Training (PDT) Program students, other ACE students and alumni, and study abroad alumni, among other interested parties.
Lectureship Series presentations benefit the audience by being in English with a format to share information, think critically, have open discussions and ask questions. This enables the audience to engage, learn, and develop personally and professionally.
About the Speaker
Elliot Yeung has over 17 years of experience designing digital services and engagement for major mobile operators and technology providers across 4 continents, including Nokia, Nokia Siemens Networks, Axiata Group and Vodafone. Today, he is Head of Customer Experience Design at DMi, Cambodia.
The Lecture on 5 December 2018
This lecture, as part of the Lectureship Series, focused on User Experience (UX) Design and why this kind of design is increasingly important in our complex, screen-dominated world. Elliot Yeung asked us to consider the real work opportunities it presents for Cambodia, and also its role in creating a healthy, long-term business. According to Yeung, 50% of the work currently done by software specialists is avoidable. He suggests that when more time and energy are spent on understanding user needs and experience, there are better outcomes in terms of customer loyalty and subsequent benefits for business. This is because good design creates a service that people love to use.
Yeung speaking to the audience members
Yeung claims that prioritising and scrutinising customer experience at the design stage reduces assumptions, risks and costs, and makes the product stand out in the sea of choices that are often available. This involves understanding the user, so that the designer understands the problems, needs and delights of the potential customer. Key factors influencing how the designer proceeds are related to making an application or website functional, reliable, usable and enjoyable.
A full house of attendees
It all comes down to what the customer truly needs, rather than a smart idea that is developed into a product without close scrutiny. Yeung finished his lecture with an analogy of a simple footpath that is well used, as opposed to one that is well built but not in a useful location. He says this is the key to successful design for the future.