UX (User Experience)
User Experience (UX) is the totality of how a person feels when interacting with a product, service, or system. It covers every touchpoint from first impression to ongoing use.
§ 1 Definition
User Experience (UX) is a person's complete set of perceptions, emotions, and responses that result from using or anticipating the use of a product, service, or system. Coined by Don Norman at Apple in the 1990s, the term describes every aspect of the interaction: how intuitive the product feels, how efficiently tasks get done, how the brand comes through, and whether the person leaves satisfied or frustrated. UX is not a single step in a process. It is the holistic outcome of every decision made about the product, from research and content strategy to visual design and performance.
§ 2 The Seven Factors of UX
Peter Morville's UX Honeycomb defines seven qualities of successful user experiences: Useful (the product serves a purpose), Usable (tasks are easy to complete), Desirable (aesthetics and brand appeal), Findable (content is easy to locate), Accessible (usable by people of all abilities), Credible (trustworthy design and content), and Valuable (delivers business and user value). Every great UX scores well across all seven.
§ 3 UX Design Is Not Just Visual Design
Many people mistake UI for UX. UX includes user research, information architecture, content strategy, interaction design, usability testing, and accessibility auditing. Visual design is one output, not the whole discipline. UX designers spend as much time interviewing users, mapping flows, running tests, and analyzing analytics as they do opening a design tool.
§ 4 The UX Process in Practice
Typical UX workflows follow a double diamond or lean UX cycle: Discover (user research, market analysis), Define (personas, problem statements, requirements), Develop (information architecture, wireframes, prototypes), and Deliver (testing, iteration, handoff). The process is never truly finished. UX requires ongoing measurement and iteration as user needs change.
§ 5 Common questions
- Q. Does UX only apply to digital products?
- A. No. UX applies to any product, service, or system a person interacts with. The physical layout of a hotel lobby, the check-in kiosk at an airport, the hold music on a support line all create a user experience. Digital UX is simply the most visible and fastest-moving application of the discipline.
- Q. What is the difference between CX and UX?
- A. Customer Experience (CX) is broader. It covers every interaction a person has with a brand across all channels and over time. UX focuses on the specific moment of using a particular product or service. UX is a part of CX, not a replacement for it.
- UX is the sum of all perceptions and emotions a person experiences with a product or service.
- Coined by Don Norman in the 1990s.
- UX includes research, IA, interaction design, content strategy, usability testing, and accessibility.
- UI is part of UX but not the whole thing.
- The UX honeycomb defines seven qualities of successful experiences: useful, usable, desirable, findable, accessible, credible, valuable.
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Get in touchUser Experience (UX) is the totality of how a person feels when interacting with a product, service, or system. It covers every touchpoint from first impression to ongoing use.
Category: Design (also: UX)
Author: Atomic Glue Editorial Team
## Definition
User Experience (UX) is a person's complete set of perceptions, emotions, and responses that result from using or anticipating the use of a product, service, or system. Coined by Don Norman at Apple in the 1990s, the term describes every aspect of the interaction: how intuitive the product feels, how efficiently tasks get done, how the brand comes through, and whether the person leaves satisfied or frustrated. UX is not a single step in a process. It is the holistic outcome of every decision made about the product, from research and content strategy to visual design and performance.
## The Seven Factors of UX
Peter Morville's UX Honeycomb defines seven qualities of successful user experiences: Useful (the product serves a purpose), Usable (tasks are easy to complete), Desirable (aesthetics and brand appeal), Findable (content is easy to locate), Accessible (usable by people of all abilities), Credible (trustworthy design and content), and Valuable (delivers business and user value). Every great UX scores well across all seven.
## UX Design Is Not Just Visual Design
Many people mistake UI for UX. UX includes user research, information architecture, content strategy, interaction design, usability testing, and accessibility auditing. Visual design is one output, not the whole discipline. UX designers spend as much time interviewing users, mapping flows, running tests, and analyzing analytics as they do opening a design tool.
## The UX Process in Practice
Typical UX workflows follow a double diamond or lean UX cycle: Discover (user research, market analysis), Define (personas, problem statements, requirements), Develop (information architecture, wireframes, prototypes), and Deliver (testing, iteration, handoff). The process is never truly finished. UX requires ongoing measurement and iteration as user needs change.
## Common questions
Q: Does UX only apply to digital products?
A: No. UX applies to any product, service, or system a person interacts with. The physical layout of a hotel lobby, the check-in kiosk at an airport, the hold music on a support line all create a user experience. Digital UX is simply the most visible and fastest-moving application of the discipline.
Q: What is the difference between CX and UX?
A: Customer Experience (CX) is broader. It covers every interaction a person has with a brand across all channels and over time. UX focuses on the specific moment of using a particular product or service. UX is a part of CX, not a replacement for it.
## Key takeaways
- UX is the sum of all perceptions and emotions a person experiences with a product or service.
- Coined by Don Norman in the 1990s.
- UX includes research, IA, interaction design, content strategy, usability testing, and accessibility.
- UI is part of UX but not the whole thing.
- The UX honeycomb defines seven qualities of successful experiences: useful, usable, desirable, findable, accessible, credible, valuable.
## Related entries
- [UI (User Interface)](atomicglue.co/glossary/ui-user-interface)
- [Information Architecture (IA)](atomicglue.co/glossary/information-architecture)
- [Usability Testing](atomicglue.co/glossary/usability-testing)
- [User Persona](atomicglue.co/glossary/user-persona)
Last updated July 2026. Permalink: atomicglue.co/glossary/ux-user-experience