User Experience – it is no longer a matter of choice
The concept of User Experience was coined in 1993 by Don Norman, a cognitive psychologist and designer, but this field has existed around us long before. In fact, since attempts have been made to improve and streamline work processes between the employee and his tools.[1]
Back to the present time, to the world of digital interfaces and human-computer interaction, it is impossible not to disregard the needs of the user and his “experience” with the digital interface.
What is UX Design?
User Experience (UX) is the process used by the design and creative teams to create products that provide meaningful and relevant user experiences. This includes in fact, the design of the entire product acquisition and integration process, including aspects of branding, design, usability, and optimal performance. [2]
Good UX is designed to provide users of the product with a comfortable and enjoyable interaction with the interface or product. With qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, it is possible to accurately characterize the users and target audience, address how they will use the product, determine appropriate strategies to achieve customer goals and business goals, and accordingly plan how the system interface will look structurally and logically.
Why do you even need UX Design?
1. The UX work is the foundation for building the site/application/interface. The more stable, convenient and tailored the basis is, the easier and more accurate the decision-making process will be – in particular the visual design, content and information that will appear, understanding and familiarity with the target audience and tailoring it.
2. Products that provide a good user experience are designed not only according to the consumption or use of the product but also include thinking of the whole purchase process, ownership and the problem-solving procedure. Similarly, UX features are not just focused on creating usable products; But also concentrate on other aspects of the user experience, such as enjoyment, efficiency and fun.[3]
3. Professional UX will save you money, and that is guaranteed. Proper UX design for the user must include and weigh in the business goals. In consequence, the investment at advanced stages will be more effective and with a higher potential that the product will meet the needs of the users. Ultimately the product will succeed in retaining customers and improving your customer service.
4. Characterizing a user experience has a sharp and clear advantage: it will allow us to “activate” users, motivate them to a specific action or goal and we can direct them quickly and easily.
How the UX process is conducted?
1. Market research and competitors – who are the main players in the market, who are the audiences that the customer addresses and the like.
2. Defining the personas – an important step that helps to understand who the users and the target audience of the product are.
3. Requirements document – what are the most important features and requirements that the product should have, and it is worth dividing this document according to three levels – critical, important, and nice to have.
4. Wireframes – This is a document that presents the template, structure, behavior and architecture information of the product. There is no high visual design at this phase at all, simply to emphasize the characterization, behavior and hierarchies of elements.
5. Visual design and development – the colorful, creative phase and the integration of a visual aspect that combines brand values and branding language, and then the interface development. Here in fact the UX is integrated through the process, to solve problems that arise during construction. Often there is a need to return to the early stages. This is an interesting, exciting stage and requires multidisciplinary work of all teams.
6. Usability tests – in front of users and distribution of interviews with them in early versions. This phase is being skipped many times due to reasons of a budget, business needs and urgent schedules. Nevertheless, further research and development are sometimes crucial to comprehend, improve and refine the user experience with the product.
References
[2] https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-design
[3] https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/ux-design