Experience Design

This is essentially a series of double page spreads showing visual presentations of various 'experiences'. These can be anything from books, buildings, gadgets, airports, and gatherings such as the 'Burning Man' festival - but the majority are web sites.

The book is designed and written for those in the design professions - especially those creating online and interactive media - who are looking for inspiration. Every spread is filled with images that illustrate specific issues in experience design. But be warned: it is definitely not a how-to-do-it manual.


It's more like a visual and textual sample book, or a personal gallery of what Nathan Shedroff considers intriguing user experiences. The down side is that it's rather difficult to extract any central thesis from the notes to the graphics. Shedroff simply enthuses about selections which include traffic signs, AltaVista's translation service, travel, Blogs, Tarot cards, and a visualisation of the Stock Market.

The design values of the book also work against its purpose. The typography and layout is so confusing that it's difficult to distinguish the main argument from the examples. Some pages are produced in avant-garde typographical form. You know the sort of thing - three different fonts on the same page, in grey text on brown background. That is, virtually unreadable.

The best part of this production is the fact that it acts as a graphic design scrap book. Among the issues explored are navigation in information design, usability in interface design, and narrative structure in interaction design.

Shedroff raises important questions for anyone involved in design today. In many ways, this book is like a list of author's favourites - a list in which each item illuminates some kernel of contemporary design wisdom. If you can stomach the typography, it might work for you.