key people Don Norman Don Norman (1935-) is often called the founder of user experience because he helped shape human-focused design. He s a writer, teacher, and expert who influenced how people think about UX. Norman actually coined the term user experience , which he explained as covering everything a person feels and does when interacting with a company, its services, or its products. He also introduced emotional design , the idea that all designs send feelings or moods: Ethan Marcotte Ethan Marcotte is a designer, writer, and speaker best known for starting the idea of responsive web design. This approach changed how websites are built, making them adapt to different screen sizes and devices. He explained these ideas in his books Responsive Web Design and Responsive Design: Patterns and Principles. Before 2010, people used terms like elastic or fluid design, but Marcotte gave the concept its current name. His method is built on three main parts: 160 Layout even if designers don t plan it, users still see a personality in products or websites and react emotionally. In his book The Psychology of Everyday Things, Norman described seven key ideas for UX: visibility: people should clearly see what they can do; feedback: actions should get quick responses so users know what happened; constraints: limit actions to prevent mistakes and guide correct use; mapping: controls should match their effects in a logical way; consistency: use familiar patterns so interactions feel predictable; affordances: design elements should hint at how they re meant to be used; signifiers: clear signals should show users what to do and where. flexible grids: page layouts adjust to fit the screen instead of using fixed widths; flexible images: pictures resize so they don t overflow or look distorted; media queries: styles are applied according to things like screen size, resolution, or device orientation. Responsive design brings several advantages: a smoother and more consistent experience on all devices, better usability and user satisfaction, improved search engine visibility, and easier access for everyone, since content is clearer and works across platforms. Marcotte has worked with clients like The Boston Globe, New York Magazine, and the Sundance Film Festival. He s also spoken at major events such as Adobe MAX, SXSW Interactive, and Webstock.