UX design, or user experience design, is the process of increasing a user’s level of satisfaction with a website, app or service by improving its functionality, ease of use and convenience. UX design is about creating products, “that provide meaningful and relevant experiences to users.” Within UX design, there are a few different categories of study to understand.
1. Interaction Design
A subset of UX design is interaction design, or IxD. It is defined as … yup, you guessed it… the interaction between a user and a product, like an app or website, with the goal of that interaction being a pleasant experience for the user.
2. Visual Design
In visual design, creators use illustrations, photography, typography, space, layouts, and colour to enhance user experience.To have successful visual design, artistic design principles including balance, space, and contrast are crucial. Colour, shape, size, and other elements also impact visual design.
3. User Research
User research is the last major element of UX design. User research is the way in which companies determine what their customers and users want and need. At its core, your website should solve a problem, and so this is an important step in determining what exactly your users require. Without it, your designs are simply guesses. It also takes into account the function of the website and how it behaves, compared to the target demographic. For example, a design action may need to be different for web-savvy teenagers compared to the over 60’s.
4. Information Architecture
Designers use information architecture to structure and label content so that users can find information easily. Information architecture is used on websites, smartphones, apps, and even in the physical places we go. Ease of use and findability are two important factors of information architecture, which is why it is so closely related to UX design. It’s design that helps people understand how to get from one place to the next on a website and easily find the information that they’re looking for.
And why is UX Design important for my website?
UX, or user experience, focuses on the end-user’s overall experience, including their perceptions, emotions, and responses to a company’s product, system, or service. UX is defined by criteria including: ease of use, accessibility, and convenience. The concept of UX is most often talked about in terms of tech, such as smartphones, computers, software, and websites. This is why UX is not only a fairly new field, but changes quickly due to technology advancements, new types of interactions, and user preferences.
It’s no secret that customers today want quick and simple ways to meet their needs and find the information, or solve a problem, fast. That’s why UX matters so much.
Whether or not you’re in tech, the company you own or work for most likely has a website right? Well, customers could write you off in a matter of seconds if they don’t find your website useful and easy to use. In fact, most website visitors determine whether or not they want to leave within a minute of opening a page (bounce rate).
