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When we hear the term 'user experience', we tend to  think in terms of screens,
websites, mobile apps or other smart technology.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
The Elements of User Experience
In the book *The Elements of User Experience:  User-Centered Design for the Web*,
Jesse James Garrett outlines five elements of user experience:
strategy, scope, structure, skeleton and surface.

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Before beginning any work, product teams conduct  user research to understand who their target users are
and what the users' needs are.
It's important for teams to be aware of the business's goals and objectives
because if the product does not return  a profit, the business will not be sustainable.
The strategy helps you identify *who you are designing for and why*.
The scope defines *what you will be designing*.
Designers work collaboratively with all stakeholders to identify

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what features and functionality will help address user needs.
While the *scope defines what a solution does*,
the *structure defines how the product or solution works*.
You create the blueprint of how the system works behind the scenes and how people, the users, interact with it.
You then create the *skeleton*, laying out the first interfaces of the solution and creating
the first tangible elements of user experience.

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And, finally, you flesh out the skeleton to create  the most visible element
– the *surface* that your users see and interact with.
Much like an iceberg, there is so much more to UX than meets the eye.
And, just as in the case of an iceberg, each element of UX above and below the surface affects the other.
Decisions taken at one plane can cascade up or  down the layers.
For example, if you introduce a new feature, a change in the scope, it will impact all the elements above.

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You might even find users interacting with your product in unexpected ways,
prompting you to rethink your strategy.
There will likely be unknown considerations that  emerge later, which might impact the experience.
For example, if the team encounters technical  challenges or budgetary constraints
during development, they might have to revisit some design  decisions.
User experience design is concerned with *all* the decisions leading up to the surface,

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from the most abstract to the most concrete,
from the known to the unknown, and continues  to evolve throughout the life of the product.