{"id":904,"date":"2021-03-11T22:41:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T17:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yatilabs.com\/blog\/?p=904"},"modified":"2021-05-06T06:30:55","modified_gmt":"2021-05-06T01:00:55","slug":"ui-ux-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yatilabs.com\/blog\/ui-ux-design\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is UI\/UX Design? A Comprehensive Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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No matter how innovative is your business model, your app or website needs to ensure that it offers an optimal customer experience. This customer experience relies on the UI\/UX design and the ease of interaction that follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid such a failure, you will have to up your UI\/UX design game to make your product\/service usable. The UI (user interface) takes care of the visual representation of features and the UX (user experience) ensures that the users are satisfied and can perform the intended action effortlessly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A well-designed user interface could raise your website\u2019s conversion rate by up to 200%, and a better UX design could yield conversion rates up to 400%. \u2014 UX Planet<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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UI\/UX design is the backbone of your digital product or service<\/strong> and the app design cost that you initially invest brings multiplied benefits. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this write-up, we will explore everything around UI\/UX design and how to nail customer experience on a holistic level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is UI (User Interface)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Offers visual delight<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The graphical front-end of the app or the website that is visible to the users is known as UI or user interface. In other words, UI is the layout and the visual design of the app or the website. The various UI elements include \u2014 buttons, navigation bars, categories, images, animations, videos, and textual content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given 15 minutes of time, 59 percent of people will read or browse through something beautifully designed rather than something plain and boring. \u2014 Adobe<\/a> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Even color choices, fonts, spacing, and sizing define the user interface. In simple words, if the UI elements are arranged and categorized nicely and the user likes what they are looking at, you have a good website or app UI design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a glimpse into good UI vs bad UI:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is UX (User Experience)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Judges a digital product or service based on usability<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

User experience is the overall experience of a user when they interact with the app or website. How do they feel about using the interface? Can they find\/discover features or they have to struggle to perform the intended action? Is the design intuitive or confusing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answers to these questions help in understanding how good or bad is the experience design. For your product to be a success, it is essential to consider user experience seriously because if the users find the experience confusing, you are likely to lose them to a competitor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an example of a bad UX design. The design below is neither intuitive nor logical \u2014 making it a bad user experience overall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Reddit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Difference Between UI and UX<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

User interface and user experience are often treated as a single entity as both of the concepts need to fall in place for ensuring an overall satisfactory customer experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The simple difference between UI and UX \u2014  UI ensures that the users have a delightful visual experience. Whereas, UX takes care of functionality and user satisfaction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The table below summarizes the difference between UI and UX in a simplified way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We can say:

UI (User Interface) + UX (User Experience) = CX (Customer Experience)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 UI\/UX Design Principles <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Various principles need to fall in place when designing the user interface. The most critical ones include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Place the control in users\u2019 hands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This principle implies that the user should be able to perform the action they intend to without any impediments across the touchpoints. The users should feel powerful and in control, i.e., what they want is what they are served. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, user 1 wants to register through a Gmail account, user 2 wants to register using their mobile number, and user 3 wants to skip the registration altogether. The UI\/UX should enable all the registration and onboarding options<\/a> so that all the users are satisfied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Interaction Should be Meaningful<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to this principle, you should focus on creating a user interface that only relies on meaningful elements. The UI should be free of unwanted elements that only beautify the design but neither are intent-driven nor add value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, your home page should only be having a hero image, primary tagline, CTA button, your USP in concise words, and some social proof. Adding anything more than that would only ruin the user experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Lower Down Cognitive Load<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cognitive load refers to the mental power that a user uses to understand a product and its functionalities. However, for creating a powerful UI, you need to make everything natural for the user. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, if the user clicks on the \u201cBuy Now\u201d option, it should redirect to the checkout page automatically. The labeling here plays a vital role too. That is if the label says anything like \u201cProcure Now\u201d instead of \u201cBuy Now\u201d \u2014 you\u2019ll be only adding to the cognitive load. Make the design look obvious and intuitive instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Create a consistent User Interface<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Keep your design consistent across platforms, i.e., the design should be similar on a mobile application<\/a> and the website. If you maintain a consistent UI, you promote intuitiveness, understandability, and usability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mobile app, the website, and the mobile web experience should be consistent. i.e., the theme should be the same throughout. Experimenting with the design in this aspect would only lead to losing your brand identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Comply with User Needs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A good user experience design takes care of the user\u2019s needs. To understand what your users want, you could conduct data analytics based on historical and current data to get a fair idea. Or, you could also A\/B test parts of your design to see how your audience engages with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Users appreciate reduction of effort when performing an action. If you place appropriate CTAs across the UI\/UX design \u2014 you\u2019ll be helping them transit from one part of the journey to another \u2014 thus, complying with their needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Maintain a Hierarchy <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hierarchy relates to information architecture, i.e., the organization of your content across the website or the app. With respect to this principle, the content should be well-organized, labeled, and clearly represented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Site Mapping helps in creating a meaningful information architecture. It helps in illustrate the hierarchy of the categories and content across the design and the parent-branch relationship between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Focus on Confirmations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whenever a user performs a critical action like filling a form or making payments, a confirmation should be taken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a user makes a wrong choice or changes their mind, the confirmation should be asked to ensure they are certain of the action that follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Accessibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accessibility is one of the most essential parts of the design. According to the accessibility rule, anyone with a disability should be able to access the website\/app without much effort. In simple words, your design should be inclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, optimizing your user experience design for voice search can help accelerate your efforts in enabling accessibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Focus on Findability and Discoverability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Findability means that the user can find and use features that they know already exist. Whereas, discoverability means that the user can locate and use features that they are unaware of. Your design should make both findability and discoverability easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a user already knows that they can send mails through gmail and can easily compose and send them \u2014 that is findability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, did you know that gmail has a snooze option that lets you choose emails you want to snooze and then they will only appear after the chosen time frame is over. You didn’t know about this feature earlier, but now you do \u2014 that is discoverability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Storytelling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The overall experience that the user has with your digital platform should be holistic and connected, i.e., it should tell a story. With effective storytelling, the different touch points should logically connect without falling apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, a user is making a payment \u2014 all the screens and the steps involved should follow a path that goes from choosing the payment method to payment acknowledgment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UI\/UX Design: Essential Elements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The design team has to strategically think through the UI\/UX before finalizing coming up with a prototype and the fully-fledged design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are certain fundamental elements of UI\/UX that every design team needs to consider when brainstorming through ideas. Some of these crucial elements include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Human-Centered Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A human-centered design is an approach that takes the human perspective into account when finalizing the UI\/UX design. In simple words, create a design that the human likes and can easily use too instead of adding anything that appeals to the designers but otherwise does not add value to the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People ignore design that ignores people. \u2014 Frank Chimero, Designer<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another term that resonates with the human-centered design is \u2014 ergonomics, i.e., designing your product to make it usable by humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. User Psychology<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

User psychology is all about stepping in the shoes of your target audience and understanding their likes, dislikes, and needs. Understanding your target audience around these parameters helps in designing better and effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a better understanding, create buyer persona templates that list down their location, basic information, challenges, needs, problems, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s an example of a buyer persona template to take inspiration from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Typography<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Typography is the way you play with your text in the dean \u2014 mainly its font, color, and style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are designing, the most important text that you want the user to focus on should be large in size. For example, in a blog \u2014 the headline\u2019s font is large but the font size of the content is comparatively smaller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, when choosing the font style it should be consistent throughout. Lastly, the colors that you use should complement the overall design and should evoke positive emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Color psychology plays a trivial role here. Here\u2019s an overview of different emotions related to different colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Design Thinking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Design thinking is a cognitive approach that focuses on problem-solving creatively and practically. By applying design thinking, you can solve complex design problems effectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Visual Hierarchy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Visual hierarchy means that the website or the app UI design is prioritized and organized based on importance. The most essential elements go at the top and likewise the importance decreases as the user scrolls down the page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is similar to the eye testing technique that doctors use. The alphabets that are the largest are placed at the top and as you read through the lines below, the font decreases.  
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Information Architecture (IA)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Information architecture revolves around structuring, labeling, and organizing content across the website\/app. A good information architecture promotes the findability of features and their usability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

IA majorly focuses on \u2014 clean UI\/UX, findability and discoverability, and the ease to perform the intended action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Dark Patterns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dark patterns are tricks and gimmicks that brands use to lure customers into something they did not intend to in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dark pattern is a type of user interface that appears to have been carefully crafted to trick users into doing things that are not in their interest and is usually at their expense. \u2014 Harry Brignull, Introduced Dark Patterns<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For example, a user can easily subscribe to your product or newsletters but when they wish to discontinue and unsubscribe, finding that option becomes a challenging task altogether. This type of dark pattern is called roach motel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Content Strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Design is not a siloed task. The design usually goes with content, which implies that a content strategy needs to be aligned before moving ahead with brainstorming around design and vice versa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, you are refurbishing your website design. In this case, you will choose a website or app UI design and then plan your content around it. On the other hand, if you are writing a white paper, a blog, or an article \u2014 you will draft your content and then decide for its design alongside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Skeuomorphism <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In design, skeuomorphism is the designing of UI elements similar to the real-life design of the object. In simple words, if the design of a UI element suggests its usage without much guessing, it follows skeuomorphism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a digital calculator is similar to the design of a real-life calculator. Why? Because users are familiar with the design and thus find it easy to use it without many challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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UI\/UX Design Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The UI\/UX design process includes the following stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Conduct User Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Understanding your users starts with knowing who your target audience is and what are their pain points. If a similar business model already exists in the market, you will have to analyze where it falls short of meeting customer expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The techniques that can be applied for effective user research include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n