UX design is a multifaceted notion encompassing a variety of fields such as interface, architecture, elements, ergonomics, and human-computer interaction. Customers may be delighted and converted by an excellent user experience.

In contrast, poor UX might result in lost income and a lower likelihood of returning visitors. A conventional website must be dependable, useful, and accessible. However, a great UX website has to be pleasurable to use and worth sharing. This article will tackle the basic principles of UX and how to properly employ it.

Understanding UX

User experience design aims to boost customer satisfaction and engagement through efficiency, convenience, and enjoyment. UX is described as the experiences a customer has when interacting digitally. The first type of UX is functional wherein it includes aspects that are related to utilizing the product. The second is creative UX where the impression and aesthetic value of the tool are considered.

A good user experience consists of six characteristics namely: Findability, Accessibility, Desirability, Usability, Credibility, and Usefulness.

User Experience Benefits

There are some actual, measurable advantages to incorporating user experience design into digital marketing tactics. A good user experience is a wonderful method to distinguish oneself in the market and get a competitive edge. Your clients do not have to go elsewhere if your online touchpoints are simple, enjoyable, intuitive, and amazing to use.

All marketers understand that the ideal client is a satisfied customer. People who enjoy the experience you provide will become devoted customers and sometimes will proclaim your praises all around.

Using UX principles allows you to get digital products up and running faster, with more capability at a cheaper price. This is because you may remove features that you don’t require and concentrate on the primary consumer experience. This improved development approach results in websites which are cheaper. Additionally, it’s simpler to manage, enhance, and maintain throughout numerous platforms.

Primary Principles in User Experience

User-centered Design

User-centered design is an adaptive design approach wherein developers concentrate on customers and their demands throughout the process. This incorporates consumers in the process, using a range of research and methodologies to develop useful products for them. 

This design puts users at the center. Therefore, satisfying the requirements and desires of the users becomes a priority. In short, every design decision is assessed in terms of whether it adds benefits to consumers.

Usability

Usability is all about creating the digital things we develop simple and easy to use. Sticking to standards, which are common ways of presenting items on the web, is one of the most crucial parts of usability.

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Common conventions include:

  • Links in blue font and underlined
  • Top & left nav bar
  • Logo on the upper left corner
  • Search bar at the center top

Make sure that all website components are identifiable, easy to discover, and consistent across the website.

Simplicity

The simpler solution is usually the preferable, more user-friendly alternative in UX projects. Although your good or service may be complicated, your customer-facing websites do not have to be. In addition, keep in mind that most clients want simply the most basic information from you.

Here we define simplicity in different aspects:

  • Empty space – Referred to as negative space or white space, an empty space provides simplicity. The more successfully space is put between different components, the more simpler and understandable it is.
  • Few options – When presented with fewer options, people tend to make faster and more confident decisions, making them happy about their decision.
  • Plain language – When it comes to designing a fantastic user experience, clear, concise, and well-structured language is the greatest option.

Credibility

Credibility refers to how reliable and authentic something appears. It is a major factor for online visitors when determining whether or not to utilize your website. Now, here are some of the aspects that visitors use to judge a website’s credibility:

  • Looks – For example, is the website professionally made?
  • Distinct phone numbers and addresses
  • About us section including the story and pictures
  • Real testimonials
  • Awards and associations
  • Third-party references or endorsements
  • Updated content
  • No graphical and grammatical errors

User Experience in Mobile

Designers had aimed for PC users as the mainstream, however, mobile users have unexpectedly surpassed them as the online majority. In mobile UX, attention spans are brief. Consumers expect outcomes quickly, with little exertion and no hassle. Developers design solutions to satisfy the specific needs and constraints of mobile users. To maximize on-the-go interactive experiences, designers prioritize accessibility, visibility, and productivity. 

In UX or any other online venture, mobile should not be considered afterward. Priority will be in order: strat, design, and lastly, the execution. Because the fundamentals of effective mobile UX work just as well on websites, designing in this manner offers several advantages. Mobile-first also forces you to prioritize which information is most important.

Mobile Devices

One of the most difficult issues for mobile UX is the vast number of diverse device types and models available. In fact, one report estimated the number of mobile device models at 6300, with over 20 different operating systems.

Mobile Users

In terms of how they utilize their smartphones, mobile users differ from desktop users. These users also differ in their behavior compared to desktop users. These are some of the distinctions between mobile users:

  • Goal-oriented – They use their device to answer a query, check information, etc. They have a purpose when using their phone.
  • Time conscious – Likewise, users look for time-sensitive information and sometimes use phones to kill time.
  • Search dominant – Users navigate via search
  • Locally focused – Most of the searches made were for local information. 

Guide for User Experience Design

The UX design process occurs prior to, during, and after the website is constructed. Inextricably, it is linked to different aspects of marketing.

Conduct research 

It entails completing an extensive study into the company, its customers, and the underlying technology. This allows UX practitioners to understand exactly what they need to accomplish to meet the company’s and audience’s demands.

Basic structure

The goal is to make interaction and comprehension simpler by organizing information into rational, concise, and recognizable structures. To put it simply, the overall info structure of a site is critical to its usability. Organize classes and sections should in a logical order from wide to narrow. As a result, a well-designed structure will lead the user to the site’s objectives.

Usually, websites exhibit a hierarchical structure, which implies that broad, significant pages appear at the top. Usually, this is followed by narrower, more detailed, and less essential ones farther down.

Analyze content

If you’re working on an existing website, it’ll be jam-packed with information. Similarly, you should conduct a content audit to examine and evaluate the present content. However, if the website is new, you need to create and establish a content strategy. As a result, this outlines what are the required content and how it will be used. 

Sitemap

In addition to that, you’ll want to create a graphical representation of how the pages of a website will be set out and structured.

  • Define home page
  • Place main navigation items
  • Arrange pages below navigational items
  • Add pages with other content
  • Lastly, define other navigation tools

Navigation

The navigation should simply lead visitors through all of the pages of the site; it is more than just menus. Furthermore, it answers the following questions:

  • Where am I?
  • What comes after?
  • How do I get home?

Layout and Elements

For this, determine the header, content area, sidebar, and footer of your webpage. Additionally, include all important information in your layout. Next, assemble other elements such as Calls to actions, forms, and search functions. 

Define visual design

Certainly, people are becoming less tolerant of websites that do not seem attractive as they spend more time on the internet. While the graphic designer will provide much of the visual skills, it’s beneficial to understand the following visual design concepts:

  • Color – Has a psychological effect on people. Users interpret colors in specific ways.
  • Imagery – Similarly, choices of images have a huge effect on the interaction of users. 

Test

Lastly, user testing is giving one or more people access to a website/prototype and seeing how they interact with it. In short, the goal is to identify flaws and obtain insights that you can use to improve the final product.

© Image credits to Fiona Art 

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