How to focus on the user

In an interview with Jeff Veen, the user experience designer has a simple description of his method:

“I just want to make sure that I understand the kinds of things they’re trying to do, and that I can help them do that.”

From this, we can glean a two-question process for focusing on the user:

1. What is the user trying to do?
2. What can I do to help them do that?

Similar concepts in Simplicity Rules:

• The Experience is the Product
• The Rule of Least Surprise
• The Page Paradigm