User Experience and Educational Web Design.

UX or user experience design is an area of research that is increasingly prominent in website design. User experience is all about awareness of the target audience; their needs, motivations, and modes of operation. Understanding how people process information and designing structures with this in mind is a crucial aspect of developing engaging sites that will fulfill their objectives. This field has much in common with consumer psychology. Consumer psychology is defined by the APA as: "the branch of psychology that studies the behavior of individuals as consumers and the marketing and communication techniques used to influence consumer decisions." (https://dictionary.apa.org/consumer-psychology).

In the article “5 Visual-Design Principles of UX” the author clarifies important design elements that impact how users interact with information. The principles are scale, visual hierarchy, contrast, balance, and Gestalt. Paying attention to these visual aspects will ensure that content is engaging but not overwhelming. The brain orders visual perception according to these categories (and more) so a basic understanding will aid creative development. We want viewers and students curious, open, and working with the content on a website not agitated, confused, or bored.

“Short term memory and web usability” is another article which delves into how the brain processes information. This time the focus is on short term memory rather than visual perception. Knowing how long information can be retained and what methods are best used to optimize understanding can be critical factors in layout and usability. Chunking information, the 7 figure rule, and ensuring information that is coupled with other data is easily accessible rather than dispersed through different pages are all good starting rules.

User experience is all about people and how we interact with the various elements around us. The psychology involved in attention and motivation are also important aspects of UX. Research on this is vital to the creative process being as targeted to desired outcomes as possible. Having awareness of fundamental aspects of perception and memory guides design dynamics to being the most effective they can be.