Like it or not, your website is the most important place for online users to interact with your brand. Moreover, over time, users have increasing expectations regarding its appearance and functionality. In a world of increasing competition, user experiences related to exploring websites and applications are becoming a key element of communication strategy. It is the level of satisfaction with contact with the brand that determines whether an ordinary virtual reality observer will turn into a satisfied and loyal customer. So what is customer experience design and what role does a well-thought-out interface play? We explain the secrets of UX and UI design.
What is UX?
UX is based on the experiences, feelings and emotions that the user experiences when interacting with our offer. User Experience is the key to attracting, retaining and keeping customers attached to our website or application. Exploring these tools should satisfy all, more or less conscious, needs and preferences. It is UX that determines the convenience, usability, intuitiveness and effectiveness of the solutions we propose.
User Experience means partnership. The feeling of direct influence on the offer is the most effective marketing aphrodisiac, as long as it is supported by authentic action and not an empty promise. UX design focuses on ensuring customer satisfaction and increasing customer loyalty to the proposed solution.
It brings specific business benefits in the form of a group of satisfied, loyal and faithful users who spontaneously recommend our product. This, in turn, translates into higher profits, faster return on investment and greater chances for development and broadly understood business success.
User Experience Designer perfectly understands user needs. He closely observes their behavior and knows what needs to be improved to make the customer's experience with the brand deeper and more satisfying. His daily work focuses on research, observation and analysis of consumer behavior and testing various types of innovations.
What is UI design?
UI is one of the foundations of User Experience. User Interface focuses on the visual layer of a given solution and its interactivity. People responsible for UX and UI work closely together. The result is a professional, functional, engaging, intuitive and attractive website or company application.
The user interface is the space where a person connects with the solution proposed to him. UI design focuses on creating the best possible first impression when a potential customer comes into contact with the brand and on effectively encouraging him to further interaction. Navigating a website designed with the User Interface in mind is pure pleasure.
User Interface Designer knows the impact of individual visual elements (colors, graphics, fonts) in building user experience. His sense of aesthetics and knowledge of user preferences are crucial in the design process and proper display of individual functionalities.
UX and UI – basic differences
User Experience and User Interface share a common goal - user satisfaction. Proper cooperation of people responsible for UX and UI leads to the best possible effect. It may manifest itself in the form of an aesthetic and fully functional website, application or a broadly understood final product. Activities carried out as part of User Experience make the user navigate our website more efficiently, faster and more confidently. While User Interface-oriented activities enhance the aesthetic value of this journey.
What are the key elements of a UX/UI Designer's attention?
The UX and UI Designer's attention is focused on a whole range of elements. For some, they may seem unimportant, but overall they translate into a complete sense of user satisfaction. The broadly understood pleasure of using a given solution is influenced by, among others:
- availability of a specific solution for all users,
- application or website loading speed,
- easy navigation between individual tabs,
- visual attractiveness and aesthetics of the final product,
- adapting the solution to various types of devices and different screen sizes.
Designers and creators of websites and applications must keep all of these elements in mind. Each deficiency has a negative impact on the remaining elements of the offered solution.
What is UX and UI design?
Each UX and UI design process is preceded by thorough research into users' needs, expectations and preferences. Most often, they are carried out based on the analysis of all available data and the results of surveys and direct interviews. It is also crucial to observe specific user behavior in contact with an existing product or a test version of the proposed solution.
During the research, it may turn out that user preferences are extremely different. In order not to get lost in the desire to "make everyone happy", it is worth first focusing on the fundamental elements of any effective solution. That is, simplicity, consistency and readability.
The implementation of a specific solution is always preceded by a testing and optimization phase. Something that looks great on paper may completely fall apart in everyday use. Life can be surprising, so testing should be based on various types of scenarios. All collected feedback may prove groundbreaking, so it is worth being exceptionally open and flexible at the testing and optimization stage.
What are the benefits of focusing on UX/UI design?
A satisfied customer is the most important currency of any business. His level of satisfaction translates directly into trust and loyalty. Positive experiences attract the attention of new customers, accelerating the machine of new opportunities.
A properly designed website or application also means lower costs of service and after-sales care. It also means less risk of "cart abandonment" when placing an order. UX and UI-oriented websites are also positioned much higher in search engines and compare better with their competitors.
The involvement of User Experience specialists has a huge impact on the final reception of the final solution. Interesting design, good interface, valuable information and appropriate content architecture. All of these elements determine whether a user will consider a given website or application worth their time and attention.
How does a User Experience agency help?
Designing websites based on UX translates into longer user interaction time with the website content and fewer rejections, and therefore higher search results. A well-designed website becomes a place where users like to spend their time. Moreover, he follows the shopping path indicated to him with interest.
UX and UI specialists point to point implement small elements that companies often do not pay attention to, such as:
- HTTPS protocol,
- SSL certificate,
- appropriate URL structure,
- matching page titles and descriptions,
- integrated business card in Google Maps,
- intuitive navigation,
- efficient search engine on the website,
- ability to filter and sort information,
- simple and intuitive contact forms,
- chatbot or live chat support,
- appropriate quality photos and graphics, which significantly affect the page loading speed.
User Experience-oriented agencies provide support, including designing the proper structure of the website and its visual layer, as well as filling it with perfectly optimized content and providing valuable external links. These activities not only have a positive impact on the website's ranking, but above all increase the level of satisfaction of users for whom personalization of the offer and the feeling of being heard are currently the highest value.