How Victor Yocco Uses Everyday Psychology in User Research, Testing, and Design

Victor Yocco, PhD (@VictorYocco) is a writer and researcher, working in the field of digital design. His background in psychology gives him unique insight into how people interact with websites and applications, which in turn helps his design team build intuitive, functional projects.

In this conversation, we discuss methods of user testing, stumbling blocks that design studies make regarding psychology, and a bit of his studio workflow and habits.

 

Use code pcyobusy to receive 39% off the cover price for Victor's book, Design For The Mind

Show Notes & Links

• Victor Yocco doesn't like titles, but describes himself as a researcher for user experience and digital design

  "Academic literature is often very inaccessibly written."

  —Victor Yocco

  Tweet This

• Fine Arts vs. Applied Arts
• Paola Antonelli on The Colbert Report, 2013

• MoMA

  "Incorporated psychology into design doesn't have to be this huge thing."

  —Victor Yocco

  Tweet This

   

• Design For The Mind by Victor Yocco on Manning Books
  

 

• Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug on Amazon
  

 

• Big-Ass Buttons

• "It's so easy a caveman can do it" campaign from Geico
  [av_video src='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8aj1AlYvxI' format='16-9' width='16' height='9']

• heuristics, or mental shortcuts, take the place of finding information yourself.

• Whiteboard sessions, focus groups, interviews — other research tactics

• Jeff Sauro, Measuring U

• Quantifying Usability

  "You'll find 85% of potential usability issues just off 5 users."

  —Jeff Sauro

  Tweet This

• Lay People, which Prescott affectionately calls .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}