User Experience (UX) and design go hand in hand. While UX design used to be clumped together with web or graphic design, it has developed into its own unique and equally important entity. We find ourselves at a place in the industry where businesses understand the necessity of UX in their designs, even dedicating entire teams to the process.
Businesses are realizing that they must embody a culture of innovation and user-centered design thinking within their company structure. This new wave of “design thinking” encourages businesses and companies to create a customer experience that recognizes and meets their user’s needs. Why are they doing this, and how can your business latch onto this new design trend?
The Path a User Takes
Putting users first allows for a much more successful design. It’s not about where the user ends up, but rather the experience they have while getting there. If a user has to click through multiple links to reach their destination, you’ll often lose the user’s attention. However, landing them on a page with an eye-catching graphic and a button with a clear call-to-action creates a much better experience for the user.
Most users browse the web via some sort of mobile device, but some businesses still have not optimized their website design for mobile viewing. Businesses have to be thinking mobile-first during the design process, and a website that does not function properly on a mobile device completely ruins the user experience. You want your user to have a clear path from Point A to Point B on both your desktop and mobile site, and without that, you can count on them leaving your page.
Giving Users Freedom
Users appreciate having the ability to choose what they do next. Some of the most successful UX designs are creating keeping various user preferences in mind in order to create an overall better experience for several different audiences. This might mean giving your users the option to click or swipe through your pages, or including a zoom feature so your text can be read on the smallest of screens. A positive user experience doesn’t happen accidentally; it is done through intentional design.
Think Before You Do
With UX comes the importance of putting extra thought into a design. Users return to sites that they have positive experiences with, and oftentimes the most well-received websites are the easiest to use. DesignYourWay.net designer and editor Bogdan Sandu said it best: “You could have the best looking online platform or app on the market, but if customers cannot quickly learn how to utilize it, they will leave it behind.”
A user could very easily navigate an interface that is simplified and easy to maneuver, but when extra thought is put into the process it takes the experience to the next level. Consider the factors that will make your website both intelligently designed and easy to navigate, such as a drop-down menu or an animated column.
UX Design for The Internet of Things
Equally as important is the UX design that goes into wearable technology or the “internet of things.” In this scenario, you aren’t aiming to draw the user in, but rather give them what they need in the easiest way possible. This means that they will be able to complete a task with just a quick glance (i.e Apple Watch or Samsung Gear). Considering the interface is the size of a small square or circle, allowing users to complete the same tasks they would in a screen-at-hand gives them an enhanced use of technology and therefore a better experience.
Ultimately, a positive UX design gives the users what they want and it streamlines to meet or surpass their needs. UX design is about adding to the quality of an interface while not taking away from its usability. Once you’ve perfected both, you’ll have a user following eager to see what you create next.
Creative Click Media is staffed with a team of professional web and graphic designers trained to design with UX in mind. Our beautiful, custom-built websites are fully responsive for easy usability from desktop to laptop and any device in between. Reach out to us today to get started.
