UX Design

UX Design or User Experience Design is completely oriented towards the requirements and needs of the users. The aim of UX design is to create a holistic positive user experience. In principle, it is irrelevant whether this is done on a Website or an APP. The goal is intuitive usability for the user and simplified orientation on the website. If you work on different products for the same provider, make sure to use a uniform design and recognisable symbols.

Those who have to explain lose

Actually, you shouldn't have to explain the idea behind the UX design of a website or app. Everything should be understandable to the user and easy to use. For example, you can work with the size and prominence of website elements to show the user exactly what is important and what is not. The user would like to be guided gently through the process, but at all times be able to assess where they are and what their options for action are. If a user has a bad experience with a website or app, this has a negative impact on the overall company or product image.

UX designers also need to work closely with UI Designers. Both professions specialise in making the user interface the best it can be for the user. Every step that the user can take is well thought out in advance and all possible paths of action for the user on the website are precisely designed.

From the idea to the perfect user experience

It is important to have the user and his or her needs in mind right from the start. Of course, smooth cooperation with project managers, developers and also the customer is crucial for a good result. The entire product development process can thus be divided into 5 steps.

At the beginning, you should do a competitor analysis. How has the competition solved the challenges? What seems good, what seems bad and what could be adapted? Of course, this step also includes research on the current status quo in terms of design or the latest trends.

Next, a concrete user model is created on the basis of various analyses. Ideally, several potential user groups are addressed instead of just one target group. Through various testings such as paper prototypes, wireframes or click dummies, the designs can be optimised.

Then the expected user journey is analysed. In other words, it is planned how the user comes to the page and what should be presented to him. What should he see first? What information is only secondary for him? How can this be implemented graphically? Here, it is especially important to work closely with the developers, as they can contribute what is technically feasible and what is not.

The next step is prototyping. Now the first mock-ups and prototypes can be designed and thus a concrete representation can already be made. Using various tools, the ideas can first be designed in low-fidelity, then in mid-fidelity and finally in high-fidelity prototypes. These become more and more sophisticated from model to model, so that one can approach the perfect solution step by step. After each step, a check is made to see whether you are still on the right track or whether you should revise the last model.

The last step is usability testing. Once the idea has become the finished website, it is imperative to obtain feedback from real users. For this purpose, various tools can be used that, for example, track how a user behaves on a website and how he or she moves across the user interface. In this way, it can be checked whether the users behave as planned. Depending on whether positive or negative feedback comes from the users, you can constantly develop your implementation further, adjust it again in case of doubt and thus make it even more user-friendly.

Professional groups in UX Design

UX design is an extremely exciting and wide-ranging profession. Specialisations in individual areas help to optimise the overall design

User Requirements Engineer

This is where connoisseurs of human nature are needed, because here you have to put yourself in the user's shoes - what situation might the user be in when opening the website/app? What should be immediately recognisable to the user? And what options for action should be offered to them?

Usability Engineer

As a usability engineer, you are integrated into the entire product development process. You carry out usability tests with various tools and can thus follow how the user moves through the website. The resulting results can be incorporated into the product development and optimise the user-friendliness.

Interaction Designer

Interaction designers focus primarily on the user's points of contact with the software. This means that you design exactly what the user expects from a certain function and how this can be implemented in the software.

Information Architect

As an information architect, you develop efficient and, above all, logical ways to structure information for users. It should be easy for all types of users to get the information that is relevant to them quickly and easily. To do this, you work with different menus, navigations and also authorisations (e.g. teachers and students who use the same database but can access different information).

Usability-Tester

The main task is to carry out tests and analyses with regard to the users of a website and then also to evaluate them. These tests are especially important during the development of a product, as they give you a constant check on whether you are still on the right track with your prototypes or whether they are missing the user target and should perhaps be revised again. The results of the tests and analyses are discussed with the colleagues and are thus decisive for the optimal development of the product.

Conclusion

A lot of effort is involved in the optimal user-friendly result of a website. However, it is clear that the ultimate user experience plays the decisive role from start to finish and is always the focus. For a really good result, the smooth cooperation of project managers, designers, developers and the client is essential. If you then take into account all the above-mentioned steps in the product development process, you will also find the perfect solution for the user.