Experience Design Factors

The Building Blocks of Designed Experiences

XDF is a practical framework that can help teams examine matters that lead to co-creating memorable experiences.

The Right Words: Changing The Framework’s Name

Words make a difference. The right words disappear—they assist communication. The not-so-right words can feel forced and get in the way. So, Experience Design Factors are here. Let's design for memorable experiences!

July 15, 2024

Dennis

Post

XDF is a practical framework that can help teams examine matters that lead to co-creating memorable experiences.

Factors
	× Context Label The physical spaces, ideas, and prevailing attitudes of a place and time affect experience design scenes. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× People: Self People Complex Level A person's internal and physical identity. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× People: Social People Complex Level Ways people relate to others and how they perceive themselves in those relationships. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Design Design Underlying Level Anything designed—a product, service, or system. Opens the factor guide in new tab.
× Characteristic Level Label Physically observable and measurable factors. Characteristics can be identified and described. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Physical Dimensions Context Characteristic Level The dimensions of physical spaces where experience design scenes take place. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Location Context Characteristic Level A place and time where an experience design scene takes place. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Body Size People Characteristic Level A person's physical size. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Age People Characteristic Level How long a person has lived. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Sex People Core Level A person's biological attributes, including chromosomes, hormone levels, and reproductive/sexual anatomy, which can be assigned at birth or modified through medical interventions. Opens the factor guide in new tab.		× Dimensions/Scope Design Characteristic Level The size of physical products and the complexity of services and systems. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Material Design Characteristic Level Physical materials that comprise a designed outcome. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Style Design Characteristic Level A design's distinctive appearance. Opens the factor guide in new tab.
× Dynamic Level Label Dynamic factors are variable—changing with conditions and situations. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Weather Context Dynamic Level Physical conditions in a setting. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Sensory Context Dynamic Level Stimuli that can be perceived with the senses. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Available Resources Context Underlying Level Materials available for use in a setting. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Non-User Actors Context Dynamic Level People and objects in a context that are not the intended experiencer. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Health Status People Dynamic Level A person's physical and mental condition. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Habits People Dynamic Level People's behavioral tendencies. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Movements People Dynamic Level The ways people physically move their bodies. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Relationships People Dynamic Level Ways people are connected to others. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Role People Dynamic Level The functions a person plays in different situations. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Gender Expression People Complex Level The outward display of an individual's gender identity through behaviors, clothing, hairstyles, voice, and other forms of presentation. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Condition Design Dynamic Level A design's current state of functionality and upkeep. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Operation Design Dynamic Level The sequence of steps required to use a product, service, or system. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Configuration Design Dynamic Level A design's current phase or arrangement. Opens the factor guide in new tab.
× Complex Level Label Complex factors are multifaceted and are often challenging to completely describe because they involve many interrelated concepts. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Demographics Context Complex Level The measurable qualities of people and people groups in a population. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Laws Context Complex Level Physical and social conventions that govern settings. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Time Context Complex Level The duration of time in which experience design scenes take place. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Knowledge People Underlying Level Facts, information, experiences, and insights a person has acquired. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Attention People Complex Level Concentration on the activity at hand. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Abilities People Complex Level Competence or skill to complete an activity. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Attitude People Complex Level A way of thinking or feeling about an activity, product, service, or system. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Race People Complex Level A person's race, based on physical characteristics and influenced by social and historical contexts. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Social Class People Complex Level A classification based on a person's socio-economic status, including factors such as income, education, and occupation. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Personality People Complex Level A person's distinctive character. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Sexual Orientation People Complex Level Emotional and/or romantic attraction to another person. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Subjective Norm People Complex Level What a person believes others will think of them when they perform a behavior. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Usefulness Design Complex Level The relevancy of a designed outcome to people who use it for a purpose. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Usability Design Complex Level The measure of how intuitively a design can be operated. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Accessibility Design Complex Level The measure of obstacles that prevent people from accessing a product, service, or system. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Sustainability Design Complex Level Design that meets current needs while considering future impact on people and the environment. Opens the factor guide in new tab.
× Underlying Level Label These factors underpin contexts, people, and design—below the surface. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Hierarchy Context Underlying Level Power or influence relationships between variables in a context. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Interconnections Context Underlying Level Exchanges and interdependencies between components in experience design scenes. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Language People Underlying Level The words, gestures, and symbols a person uses to communicate and express thoughts and emotions. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Values People Underlying Level Fundamental beliefs about what is desirable and ideal. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Autonomy People Underlying Level The capacity to make choices and have control over one's own life. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Competence People Underlying Level The feeling of being effective and skilled in one's activities and interactions. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Culture People Underlying Level Patterns of behavior that unify a people group. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Intention People Underlying Level A person's determination to complete an activity. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Relatedness People Underlying Level The feeling of being connected to others through meaningful relationships and interactions. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Affordances Design Underlying Level Any activities that can be completed using a design. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Desirability Design Underlying Level The aesthetic appeal and emotional resonance of a product, service, or system. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Ethics Design Underlying Level The level at which designs prioritize ethical sourcing, production practices, responsibility, and resilience. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Purpose Design Underlying Level The goal the product, service, or system is intended to achieve. Opens the factor guide in new tab.
× Core Level Label These are the foundational, often unspoken factors that reside at the deepest levels of contexts, people, and design. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Social Climate Context Core Level Perceived attitudes in a setting. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Social Norms Context Core Level Unwritten "rules" that define acceptable behavior. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Self-Concept People Core Level People's collected beliefs about themselves. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Worldview People Core Level How a person conceives the overall "tone" of the world. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Sensations People Core Level Physical sensations such as pain or coldness. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Mood People Core Level A person's underlying emotional state. Opens the factor guide in new tab.	× Meaning Design Core Level A design's functional, cultural, and emotional significance to those who use it. Opens the factor guide in new tab. × Memorability Design Core Level Design that resonates emotionally with users and leaves lasting impressions. Opens the factor guide in new tab.