Design Beyond Devices: Creating Multimodal, Cross-Device Experiences

“Design Beyond Devices” is an ahead-of-its-time guidebook to the myriad of ways a designer must now begin to think about interfaces that will be functional, durable, inclusive, intuitive, and (hopefully) not annoying to the user. While UX/CX design has always been more complex than most acknowledge, the future of multimodal design increases that complexity by an order of magnitude. Most of us are trying to get by on intuition and best practices to operate in a multimodal way, but the last generation of best practices simply do not apply, or can lead to bad decisions. Cheryl Platz’s holistic view of the space offers a compelling way forward, and I only wish I’d had this to read years ago. Having briefly had the experience to work with Cheryl in the past, I’m amazed at how much of her intuition and personality is distilled into this book.If anything, this work reinforces the overwhelming number of considerations a designer must take into account. Without the author’s wit and real-life examples, this would seem overly daunting, but instead this seems doable. Content not to stop simply with more-common visual and audio UXs, the chapters on VR, AR, and on the ethics of technological projects seem especially impassioned and wrap the book up on a positive note. The focus throughout on inclusion also is refreshing and well substantiated.After reading the book, I feel that I can go back to it as a reference as needed, given the solid organization of the material. However, I did find myself thinking about how groups of designers, from the sole designer up to a large team, should selectively choose which of this book’s design approaches to give the most clarity. I can almost imagine a followup set of end-to-end case studies that show how the methodologies in this book where chosen, where they were applied, which challenges/solutions they elucidated, and what was the feedback once released. I also am now wondering how I will communicate to others the vital and increasingly-complex role that design plays in the multimodal product creation process, to ensure projects receive the commensurate amount of design attention they require.

I came to this book as a layperson who doesn’t work in software, devices, or UI/UX development, but found the information in this book exceedingly accessible. Cheryl brings a humorous and approachable voice to the subject matter and provides enough structure early on for readers to quickly get up to speed with the common concepts and ideas explored.This book has given me a deeper perspective on the relationship I have with my devices and an internal language to understand why I find certain aspects and interactions frustrating and what I might pay more attention to in the future when considering purchasing new devices or programs. The concepts explored also have long-reaching implications, such that I can see applying some of ideas to my daily work or even making my own home improvements. Reading this book orients you to be more aware of your environment and how you and others interact with it - and teaches you how to think to execute meaningful improvements.I enjoyed the human-centered focus of the book immensely. Cheryl discusses inclusivity and designing with an eye to a wide range of accessibility thresholds in a way that doesn't simply argue for this because it is the altruistic thing to do - but that it is beneficial from a business perspective. In addition, she explores ethical areas the everyday customer may be concerned about, lifting up the rock and showing us inside the industry (at least from her perspective) and allowing us to see how the design and creation of these devices are done. It presents a wholly positive view of technology - reminding us of its ability to empower people and make life easier - but never hides or shies away from potential negative uses or implications.If anyone wants a deeper understanding of how they interact with their world - especially with the technology in it - this book is a great read.

If you design products for people you need to read this book. Platz’s unique background and passion for geekery combine to create a must read manual for designers of today and the future. I say manual but Design Beyond Devices is far more than a how to guide - it is a philosophical argument for a revolution in how we design our world.Humans are at the center of Platz’s approach to product design. We creators of things worry so much about how our creations will be received by customers while Platz eloquently (and delightfully) centers our focus on the human our product is foist upon. A self identified member of the disability community and an improvisational theatre artist her lens is profoundly unique. I found myself considering my work from an entirely new angle and fortunately for me Platz provides all the tools I need to drive my team towards a more accessible, device agnostic future.10/10 will read again.

I wish I had read this book earlier. I'm not an expert in the field whatsoever, but Platz is a storyteller and can explain things with a depth that even the uninitiated can follow. Incredibly impressed, even though I've followed her career for years!

I bought this brand new and it came with a large crease on the back. I don't mind used books, but I would expect to be charged less when it's promised to be "brand new".