{"id":6265,"date":"2019-04-22T07:00:04","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T12:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/?p=6265"},"modified":"2019-05-18T23:10:07","modified_gmt":"2019-05-19T04:10:07","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-usability-ux-cx-and-product","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juneux.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/whats-the-difference-between-usability-ux-cx-and-product\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Difference Between Usability, UX, CX, and Product?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the world of experience design and research, the lines are easily blurred between usability and user experience as well as user experience and customer experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then where does product fit? And brand?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve seen others describe these relationships in concentric circles or Venn diagrams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I see them as a hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At-a-Glance Definitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Brand Experience<\/strong><\/td>Personality of an organization or product line.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Customer Experience<\/strong><\/td>Connective tissue between all customer touchpoints & user experiences.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Product<\/strong><\/td>Solution to customer problem.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Channel<\/strong><\/td>Communication channel (e.g., social, email, phone).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
User Experience<\/strong><\/td>Any customer interaction with a product or channel.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Usability<\/strong><\/td>Ease of use for an interaction.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n\n

Customer Experience vs. User Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

User experience<\/strong> is one moment or one interaction within the larger customer experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wayfinding in a museum<\/a> is UX. Solving the user experience of wayfinding through a multi-level museum is no small task. Some of it is on screen (mobile app), some on a printed map, but UX mostly happens in the real-world: signage placement, signage labeling, wayfinding cues (e.g., arrows, lights, paths). The entire museum experience\u2014parking, purchasing tickets, exhibits, caf\u00e9, website, gift shop, tour guides\u2014is the customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer Experience vs. Brand Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brand experience<\/strong> is the flavor of the customer experience\u2014the personality, tone, look, smells, and sounds. Customer experience<\/strong> is the connective tissue between products and channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macy\u2019s and Target have similar customer experiences. They both organize clothes by departments on metal racks, divided by large walkways. You can order online, pick up in store. They have dressing rooms, e-commerce websites, wedding registries, good customer service, easy returns, and mannequins demonstrating the latest fashions. The brand experiences: not the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Product Experience vs. User Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

User experience is part of a product, yes. UX is integral to a product, yes. But UX isn\u2019t the product. Just like a button on a website isn\u2019t UX and \u201cfast response time\u201d isn\u2019t UX. These are elements of a user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A product is a solution. A hammer solves the problem of efficiently pounding nails into wooden boards. A different product, a rock, solves the exact same problem. The user experiences of these products? Not the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which product someone would actually buy or how much they might pay\u2026 depends on the UX. The <\/strong>value<\/strong><\/em> of the product is UX.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usability vs. User Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I introduce myself as a UX researcher, people are often surprised to learn that usability testing is a very small part of what I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usability and UX are not synonyms. Rather, think of usability<\/strong> as a component of the user experience<\/strong>. UX includes usability, but it also includes other dimensions of an interaction such as relevancy, clarity, speed, security, delight, and trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course, content also is user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cContent is user experience.\u201d – Me, about a million times<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

See also: UX Word of the Day Index<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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