UX/UI web design refers to all website-building processes. While sometimes used interchangeably, UX and UI are two distinct roles with distinct operations and tasks to complete.
People appreciate websites that work as intended and will abandon brands that fail to meet efficiency and ease-of-use standards. This article’ll examine the differences between UX/UI web design Adelaide principles and how they work together.
Usability
Usability is an integral element of user interface design. Usability refers to the ease with which users can interact with a product or service and is a fundamental aspect of both Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Interaction Design – two branches of UX. A website’s usability has direct effects on its visitors.
General principles dictate that an ideal website should be user-friendly. For instance, this might involve providing clear text, familiar icons and clickable buttons; websites must also be mobile responsive for a seamless experience across devices. UK retailer Marks and Spencer spent two years and $200 million creating a new website but saw sales decline 8.1% after launch; upon realising their error, they began conducting user testing to ascertain what had gone wrong.
Accessibility
Accessibility, often underrated in design terms, refers to the ability of all people, regardless of ability or disability, to use digital products without barriers preventing enjoyment. UX/UI designers know this is a core principle and strive to create accessible experiences without restrictions that would prevent user satisfaction with your products.
Include accessibility features easily with most UX tools that already incorporate this capability, like UXPin’s accessibility tester that checks for colour blindness and contrast issues for you. However, people of various abilities must test your designs; an accessible beach that only attracts some is no good place for anyone, similar to websites.
Visuals
User interface design (UI design) involves how the interface of a product looks and behaves, including buttons, widgets, text boxes, images sliders and other elements such as buttons. The goal of UI design is to make it easy for users to understand which buttons to click, tap or swipe to make their point, which items are most significant and how to recognise calls-to-action; principles like unity (establishing harmony among different page elements), Gestalt (using principles of how people perceive objects) and hierarchy (using size, placement and font size convey importance or dominance) all contribute towards this end goal.
Web designers are graphic artists who specialise in crafting attractive websites. They may specialise in the user interface (UI) design or something more general such as information architecture (IA, dealing with site mapping and navigation) or conversion rate optimisation (CRO, optimising layout to encourage specific behaviours such as sales or signups). While all these fields overlap somewhat, this post only addresses one area at a time.
Content strategy
Content strategy is a vital element of UX. It involves making conscious choices that connect a business’s content efforts with user goals and needs, creating editorial visions, structuring content plans, and developing models that enable delivery wherever and whenever users need it.
Content strategists conduct extensive research to fully comprehend their audience’s needs and expectations, create user personas and understand their journeys, which allows them to develop content tailored specifically to each user and provide an enjoyable user experience.
Content strategies allow designers and content creators to work hand in hand to craft an optimal user experience and ensure messaging consistency across marketing channels and touchpoints. An effective content strategy is integral for a successful digital product as consumers may become overwhelmed without one, leaving to find something more useful online – the web is packed with content; designers must ensure they provide users with relevant pieces at the right time.
Testing and prototyping
UX/UI web design Adelaide primary responsibility is testing prototypes and collecting feedback. It should occur at various points throughout the design process and help web developers make informed decisions regarding what changes or additions need to be made. It should ideally take place with real people who represent your target audience.
Testing formats will depend on the test’s goal and the prototype’s fidelity level, with options including online or offline testing with or without facilitator involvement. Offline testing offers better verbal feedback; participants can think aloud using prototypes.