UX design is crucial to just about everything. It renders the latest technology accessible to the masses, makes our favourite apps and websites a pleasure to use, and determines which brands and products we return to over and over again. UX designers can make a huge difference to the world in which we live through designing great user experiences.
Design creates culture
Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.
- UX design influences the way we use technology, which in turn has a huge impact on our day-to-day lives
- In a business setting, design shapes the entire brand and even the company culture
Simplicity
Get rid of unnecessary elements.
- As soon as a user lands on a website or opens an app, they should be able to navigate from A to B without even thinking about it.
- Simplicity is everything when it comes to great UX.
Frame the Problem
Your ultimate mission is to solve a specific user problem, and this starts with defining a clear and actionable problem statement
- Until you empathize with your users, it will be very hard to come up with a solution
- Give this problem-framing stage the time it deserves
Storytelling
Every great design begins with an even better story
- Once you’ve created your user personas, give them context by writing their story; you’ll find you’re much better prepared to design their solution.
- Storytelling helps you to walk in their shoes and understand where they’re coming from
Design isn’t finished until somebody uses it
User research and usability testing are crucial
UX and UI are inextricably linked
UI is all about the touchpoints the user encounters to navigate from A to B
UX design is all about putting the user first
A huge part of the UX design process is getting to know your target audience
- What are their goals, challenges, and motivations?
- Don’t even think about opening Sketch until you’ve done your user research
What You Should Do Now
Get a hands-on introduction to UX design with our free, self-paced UX Design Short Course.
- Talk to a program advisor to discuss career change and find out how you could become a qualified UX designer in 5-10 months-complete with a job guarantee.
The next big thing is the one that makes the last big thing usable
A product is only ever as good as its UX
- You can have the most innovative technology, but if it isn’t user-friendly, it will struggle to reach mainstream adoption
- The latest wave of technologies like AR, VR, voice and bitcoin have the potential to disrupt the market, but the challenge lies in making them usable for the masses
Good design is great for the bottom line
Outperformers can exceed their competitors by as much as 228%
- 50% more loyal customers
- With statistics available, businesses can no longer ignore the value of design
- Good design should not be an afterthought
Design is the glue that holds everything together
Good UX relies on a combination of ingredients
- Design needs to be present from day one of a project
- Business advantage is a huge business advantage, so design-led thinking is a strategic level – not just viewed as mere decoration
Design is everywhere
Even if you’re not in the digital space, design is everywhere – from architecture to fashion, everything is designed for human use. Take inspiration from the design in your surroundings to become a better designer
UX design in a nutshell
Fred Beecher, Director of UX, The Nerdery
- “How do I explain what I do at a party? The short version is that I say I humanize technology.”
- People are at the heart of UX design, and without that human factor, technology remains largely inaccessible
Accidents often produce the best solutions
Only you can recognize the difference between an accident and your original intent
- Be flexible, and stay focused on the user and the business goals
- There’s nothing wrong with veering off track if you remain focused on your goals
If we want users to like our software, we should design it to behave like a likeable person
respectful, generous, and helpful
- Alan Cooper, Software Designer and Programmer
- Throughout the process, take a moment to step back and review your progress compared to the user goals.
UX design must strive to be as inclusive as possible
It’s essential to design not just for the average user, but for all users.
- This means considering users with visual impairments, as well as taking situational impairments – such as background noise – into account.
