AUX Framework

for the practical, rational and emotional aspects of experience

Why did we create a new framework?

Because too often client conversations go something like...

“Where do we speak to our brand and bring it to life?”
“Here–in the hero component.”
“Oh good, it’s above the fold!”

"Don't worry, we'll get creative later in visual design."

"UX has nothing to do with creative and brand.”

“So the branding stuff goes in that grey box?”

“Let’s get those UX guys in here and make some wireframes.”

"Don't worry, we'll get creative later in visual design."

"UX has nothing to do with creative and brand.”

“So the branding stuff goes in that grey box?”

“Let’s get those UX guys in here and make some wireframes.”

"Don't worry, we'll get creative later in visual design."

"UX has nothing to do with creative and brand.”

“So the branding stuff goes in that grey box?”

“Let’s get those UX guys in here and make some wireframes.”

"Don't worry, we'll get creative later in visual design."

"UX has nothing to do with creative and brand.”

“So the branding stuff goes in that grey box?”

“Let’s get those UX guys in here and make some wireframes.”

Clients and brands are underserved by traditional UX

Only 42% of UX frameworks acknowledge people have emotions. Precisely 0% care what they are.

The top 12 most popular and foundational user experience frameworks are wonderful at addressing the gap between design and people from a functional level. Getting the gap narrow enough for people to be able to click that button or take an action. But we know that people aren’t simply rational robots, we’re fully formed humans whose thinking is impacted by what we feel. The AUX Framework considers the full range of what creative experiences do to us and makes it accessible for designers.

The state of the art of UX research supporting branding boils down to: “Make it usable.”

In an ideal world, brand stewards and user experience designers collaborate hand in hand to determine how to make experience designs elevate the brand.   But in the real world, this essential connection rarely exists.  Most of the time, designers are left to integrate brand assets in the appropriate places, in the appropriate ways and as long as the experience is usable and consistent, everybody is satisfied. Everybody except users. The AUX Framework makes available the things stewards and marketers care about: beliefs about the brand, emotions during the experience, and knowledge about products and services.

The AUX Framework changes the game for creative user experiences

Every experience can be broken down into five aspects that allow us to design and measure what matters most: audience impact. This new way of thinking about experience adds what creatives and clients care about while leaving none of the UX rigor and practicality behind.

Engaging


Engaging is about how people access experiences. It considers factors such as accessibility, context and what devices or tools bring them to the experience. Whether someone is listening to an audio tour while walking in a new city or sitting at home purchasing dish soap online, designs must first consider where people are, what tools they have at their disposal and any human factors involved.

Feeling


Feeling encompasses the emotional aspects of design. When we design games, we want to frustrate or delight. When we design marketing executions, it’s often about building trust and motivating.  When we create products, we nurture a sense of familiarity and control. Everything we do as people has an emotional component that can be tapped into to keep us satisfied and happily engaged.

Doing

Doing is all about behaviors and actions we want people to take.  It is anchored in behavioral principles that focus on motivations, abilities and how we prompt people to take action. Whether it’s filling out a form, choosing a product, or telling a friend, we can connect any behavior with design tactics to make them happen.

Knowing


Knowing is often the first (and only) tool many designers reach for when trying to influence users. Educating users with facts, telling them what actions lead to certain outcomes and showing them what is possible when putting new ideas into practice are all common ways we help users make sense of what we create.

Believing

Believing covers the opinions, value judgements and strongly held perceptions of the world around them. To be successful, some experiences need people to internalize information and value statements to the point where they persist post experience. What people believe about a brand, a product, or the surrounding ecosystem (including themselves) is shaped by each interaction.