The term User Experience (UX) was coined by Dr. Donald Norman in the 1990s, a cognitive science researcher who was also the first to describe the importance of user-centered design – the notion that design decisions should be based on the needs and wants of users. UX is made of all the interactions a user has with a product or service. It is the personal, internal experience users go through when using a product’s interface. UX primarily studies the behavior, feelings, perceptions, reactions, emotions, and other psychological constraints that may occur with a computer or computing-enabled device or application. UX design is often mixed up with UI design. Although the two work closely together, they are different. Although UX is a broad concept, it generally focuses on the visual appearance of a system and how it affects the end-user in terms of visual gratification and system usability, and efficiency in completing system-specific tasks and processes. Designing for exceptional user experiences is grounded in making the end-user happy. This means that, before the UX can be designed, companies must have a clear understanding of their users’ needs and priorities. In-depth user research allows UX designers to make decisions regarding the functionality and value of each aspect of UX.

UX designer works with branding, navigation, content, and product functions to ensure all of these elements are tied together to create an end result that’s joyful and fluid. UX designers are responsible for more than just the product experience and product lifecycle—they’re key players in the entire user lifecycle.

Let’s take as an example an e-commerce website. If a user finds the buying experience to be time-consuming, complex, and complicated, then the user experience will be a bad one. Say instead users purchasing experience is easy and hustle-free, then the UX will be considered a good one. This will probably push the user to choose and purchase the products on those websites where she experienced a good UX.