Meet David Lee King. David's a librarian. David's interested in transforming the library experience. He's also interested in Experience Design—specifically, Digital Experience Design. I skimmed through a draft of his upcoming book titled:
Designing the Digital Experience:
How to use Experience Design Tools & Techniques to Build Web Sites Customers Love
Here's how David Describes it:
"I have seen great information on parts and pieces of experience design - for example, Pine and Gilmore's book "Experience Economy" does a great job of exploring experience generally - but really doesn't touch on digital experiences. Other books are great at helping us improve the user experience on web apps... but miss the broader picture of experience. I'm hoping to show how these three areas - structure, community, and customers - are really part of the whole digital experience."
And a brief outline: (I especially like the community portion)
You'll learn the concepts behind designing for the digital experience and you'll explore current best practices in three areas:
Structure – Creating better experiences by improving a Web site's ease-of-use. Great customer experiences happen when customers can focus on their own goals, rather than on how to navigate your site.
Community – Memorable experiences are created via online participation and community. Learn how to start conversations with blogs and wikis, as well as how to use podcasting and videocasting to create a personal touch. Ideas to jump-start conversations are provided.
Customers – Finally, you will learn how to stage experiences online, with practical tips on turning negative experiences into memorable ones.
From what I could tell of the initial skim—the book holds some promise. I personally like the fact that someone "outside" the direct field of "Digital Experience Design" is taking a crack at connecting the dots. The book will be out in November and will feature at least one of my visuals. I was also asked to write a few "blurbs" on Digital Experience Design which I did last night. Enjoy the random thoughts:
"It’s been said that experience is the product, yet few books go deep into the subject of digital experience design. That’s because since Gilmore and Pine’s seminal book titled “The Experience Economy” practitioners and academics alike have debated what the notion of experience actually is. It’s time to move beyond debate toward action.
Experience Design in all its forms is a driving force of modern day economics. Basically the average consumer, user or individual has become spoiled and as a result demands superior experiences and if they don’t get one—they go elsewhere.
Digital has changed everything. While we still marvel at Apple for it’s lustful product design—we spend countless hours engaging in all types of digital activities from the Web to mobile and beyond. As a result the lines between interface, design and engineering all blur into a single question: “did I have a good experience or not”?
It’s pointless to debate the differences between Experience Design and Digital Experience Design—what’s far more productive is to understand the difference experience makes in the everyday lives of human beings.
Digital Experience Design is not a fad, nor a buzz phrase, nor yesterday or tomorrow’s topic—it’s a reality that all businesses and brands have to contend with. People will judge your products, services or brand itself by the experiences they have with it. Just happens that much of this will occur across multiple digital touch points.
Every time we engage with a company service or brand in a digitally enabled way—we’ve experienced the art and science of Digital Experience Design. There are literally thousands of practitioners working in this field whether they know it or not. The hallmarks of any successful digital experience is simple. Happy customers, people and users.
It’s time for us to get serious about Digital Experience Design. Part marketing, part product and all experience—it’s what will provide a competitive advantage in a digital world inhabited by empowered individuals."
