Introduction of User Experience Design
Introduction of User Experience Design
4 Keys to have a good user experience
Usable
Usability is all about making something easier to use. It means that the product, whether it’s an app or a physical object, should be designed in a way that’s intuitive and straightforward. A good example of improved usability is the transformation of the ketchup bottle: traditional glass bottles were replaced by easy-to-squeeze plastic ones, which allow for better control over the ketchup’s flow.
Equitable
Equitability in design means considering the diverse needs and abilities of all users. For example, an app may be easy to use for someone who can easily read text, but what about a user with visual impairment? They might require features like audio feedback or voice recognition. By considering these diverse user needs, we ensure that the product can be used and appreciated by a wide audience.
Enjoyable
The enjoyment factor is all about creating a positive emotional connection between the user and the product. For instance, when ordering takeout online, seeing pictures of dishes and reading reviews from other customers can enhance your ordering experience. These enjoyable elements lead to user satisfaction and positive emotions associated with the product.
Useful
A product needs to solve a problem or fulfill a need to be considered useful. For example, a map application that can accurately guide you home when you’re lost is useful. However, if the app fails to locate your current position, it loses its usefulness.
The importance of good UX to businesses is backed by research. For example, a 2018 study by McKinsey & Company found that companies focusing on usability and design outperformed their competitors across different industries. A product that provides a good user experience is likely to be used more frequently and recommended to others, leading to better business outcomes.
Overall, the essence of UX design lies in understanding the needs and expectations of the users and ensuring that the product is designed to meet these needs effectively, in a way that is easy, fair, enjoyable, and useful. This results in a win-win scenario, both for the user and the business.
3 Types of UX designers
Interaction Designers
These are the individuals responsible for designing how a product functions and behaves when a user interacts with it. They are the ones who bridge the gap between the needs of the users, the goals of the business, and what is feasible to build. If we think of a product as a story, interaction designers shape the plot of that story.
Visual Designers
Visual designers focus on how a product looks. They decide on the color schemes, typefaces, layouts, and create elements like logos, icons, and illustrations. Their goal is to make a product aesthetically (in an artistic way that is beautiful to look at) pleasing, and the visual language they create is like the scenery and costumes in our story.
Motion Designers
These designers think about the movement in a product. They design the transitions between different screens on an app or elements on a webpage. They aim to create smooth and intuitive transitions to guide users on their journey, much like the director of our story setting the pace and flow of scenes.
Difference between Motion Designers and Interaction Designers
Interaction designers work on the user’s journey through a product or service. They decide how users will interact with a product, defining the sequence of actions users take and how they navigate from one point to another. Their work generally revolves around structuring and organizing the product’s interface in a way that makes sense to the user.
On the other hand, motion designers are more concerned with the visual aspects of those interactions. They focus on how elements move and behave within the interface. This includes transitions, animations, and effects that guide users or provide visual feedback. For example, when you swipe on a mobile app and the page slides smoothly to the next, or when you press a button and it visually depresses, a motion designer was likely involved in creating those animations.
Difference between graphic designers and visual designers
You might have heard of another role called a graphic designer. They’re similar to visual designers, but the main difference is that graphic designers typically work on standalone pieces that convey a specific message or story, such as posters, logos, or packaging. UX designers, on the other hand, focus on how users interact with a product over time, creating a consistent and enjoyable experience from start to finish.
Common colleagues UX designers might work with
UX designers rarely work alone. They often collaborate with various roles to create a cohesive and user-friendly product.
UX Researchers
These individuals conduct studies, surveys, and interviews to understand how people use a product. They gather valuable insights that help the design team make informed decisions.
UX Writers
UX writers focus on the language used within a product. They write clear, concise, and user-friendly text for things like button labels, instructions, and error messages. They help make the user experience more intuitive.
Production Designers
These are the people who ensure that the initial designs are faithfully translated into the final product. They make sure all assets, like text, images, and design specifications, are ready for the engineering team.
UX Engineers
These are the people who turn the design into a functioning experience, like a website or an app. They take the visual and interaction design and code it into reality.
UX Program Managers
They oversee the whole UX design process, ensuring clear and timely communication among the team. They might set goals, write project plans, and keep the process moving smoothly from start to finish.
The product Development Life Cycle
The product development lifecycle is a series of stages that a product goes through, from the initial idea to the finished product that users interact with. Let’s break it down into five main stages: brainstorm, define, design, test, and launch.
Brainstorm:
The first stage is all about exploration and idea generation. You and your team identify a problem you want to solve, and you start thinking about all the possible solutions. Here, you try to understand who your users are and what they might need or want. You might conduct interviews, surveys, or use other methods to gather insights about your audience. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible.
Define:
After brainstorming, you begin to narrow down your ideas. You take all the insights you’ve gathered about your users and their needs, and you start to define exactly what your product will do to address those needs. This might involve outlining specific goals, deciding on key features, and determining how the product will impact the user. The idea here is to get a clear and specific vision of what you’re going to build.
Design:
This is where your ideas start to take a tangible form. You take the defined goals and features and start to create visual representations of the product, like sketches, storyboards, or wireframes. These tools help you visualize the layout and functionality of the product. In this stage, you might also create prototypes, which are mock-ups of the product that can be interacted with. This helps you and your team see how the product might function in real life.
Test:
Once you’ve got a design, it’s time to put it to the test. You gather feedback from potential users to see how well the design works and whether it meets their needs and expectations. The goal of this stage is to identify any areas of the design that could be improved. This often involves working closely with engineers to ensure the design is not only user-friendly but also technically feasible.
Launch:
The final stage is when the product is made available to the public. This could involve releasing an app in the App Store, launching a website, or even putting a physical product on store shelves. But even after the product is launched, your work isn’t quite finished. Based on user feedback and your own observations, you might identify opportunities to make the product even better. This could involve going back to the design or testing stages to refine the product and improve the user experience.