User Experience design is a multifaceted concept that includes many disciplines: interactive design, information architecture, visual design, usability, and human-computer interaction.
UX design is the process of creating products that are useful, easy, and enjoyable to use.
A UX designer is not only concerned with the appearance of a website or service but also how a customer will interact with it.
Key Characteristics:
● Applies to digital and analog products.
● Focuses on the customer's user experience - from the introduction of the product to the last interaction with it.
● Creates the structure of the future application, levels all possible difficulties arising for the users of the program.
● The result is a product that helps people solve their problems.
The UX-designer has to find out what tasks the customers have set for the resource and how they use the products offered. This creates a blueprint for the interface and visual solutions that relate specifically to the actions of the users.
It is necessary to study how visitors to the site or users of the application act. What links they open, how they are used to finding what they need, how quickly they find this or that information, and what behavior they expect from the software or web resource.
Shaping the image of a typical user
● How old is the user of the product?
● What kind of job does he have?
● How much free time does he have after work?
● How much does he/she earn and is willing to pay for your service/product?
● What other services does the customer use?
This approach allows you to create an image of the typical user the product is aimed at. For example, we have an app for people who work out and are trying to switch to a healthy diet from scratch. The ideal user is a young girl who spends a lot of time at work, but who takes care of herself and tries to get the most out of the fitness app.
Prototype application interface on paper
With this much information, it is possible to decide on the order of windows, the information which will greet the clients on the start screen, and the selection of recipes and exercises. Their order and other aspects will depend on the preferences of the 'ideal user'.
The design team has to create a framework for the logic. This includes several diagrams depicting possible variants of user behavior. Subsequently, these potential scenarios will form the basis for developing interface solutions, adding features, shaping the overall style, and other aspects of the service.
Prototyping and testing developed features
Once a development team has a framework, they move on to prototyping. It is important at this stage to create multiple versions of the logic. UX designers and testers test how well they work and whether they will fit the standard user tasks described in the product's target audience study.
During testing, you can invite a small group of potential users and invite them to test the prototype. The UX designer should take into account their experience, feedback, detected problems, and other details related to the interface.
UX design principles
The UX design industry is changing rapidly, but the underlying principles are still the same. Designers must understand what they need in terms of visual balance. Conciseness and clarity are important nuances; here the principle - the less, the better - applies. Aim for design to be intuitive and, more importantly, consider the interests and needs of users.
The scope of UX tends to boil down to new technologies, but at the heart of it, all are old as the world, principles that help designers solve all sorts of problems through a consistent and subject-oriented methodology.
The result of the UX
When the UX project is complete, the designer and team show the client and their team a list of what has been done. You should show the process of the work, a list of ideas that have been implemented.
This is an important part of the overall process. This way it is easier for UX designers to find what they are looking for, demonstrate their vision, and explain any recommendations for improvement.
1. User research
User needs, trends, and motivations are all found out through various user studies. It can be quantitative and qualitative data obtained during tests, e.g. with focus groups; a detailed description of the registration process, onboarding, and customer service requests. The aim is to get a detailed analysis of what is on the site and what can still be improved - all ideas are tested on real users. And you can easily add all information into a book mockup. To get a free book mockup have a peek at this website with user research, designers find and identify their users.
2. Competitor assessment
Assessing competitors' strengths and weaknesses is a way to extend your UX strategy. The best way to proceed is through analytical reports that highlight competing designs. Essentially, this is a detailed analysis of your competitors' interactive design, a list of weaknesses, miscalculations, and omissions, in short, what can become a competitive advantage.
3. Interactive design
A description of user interactions can be in the form of a prototype - this makes it easier to understand how users will perform key tasks, find information and, in general, use the product. The process of finding information, and how user-friendly the design is, is described. The prototype should be as simplified as possible and close to the final version.
4. Information architecture
IA is the process of taking information and turning it into a digestible form, which is particularly important for large websites. It is important to understand the context in which people will use the design. The result could be a site map with hints, or a user flow pattern that shows how visitors navigate the site.
The design requirements of apps and services change relatively frequently, though unevenly. Visual innovations appear in the industry more often than global adjustments in UX design that are accepted as standard.
Conclusion
You may be a graphic designer, blogger, developer, or whatever, but either way, UX design is something that can help you and your company grow. A happy user is a key to success, but without a thoughtful UX design, it will be impossible to achieve this.
Technology is increasingly pervasive in everyday life, and successful UX design removes any barriers between the user and their device (or apps). UX design is now more important than ever - join this movement and benefit your business.
