12 Principles of Great UX Design
12 Principles of Great UX Design
What is UX?
Before we dive into the ins and outs of what makes a great UX design, let’s uncover exactly what UX means.
It begins with all design elements, from function and usability right through to branding.
In order for any product to be successful, it must have a great UX design. In fact, a UX design that’s done well can triple conversion rates!
Here’s exactly what you need to consider:
1. Understand your users
Want to create a great user experience? Then you first need to understand your users. And you can only achieve this by conducting in-depth user research.
First things first, take the time to answer the following questions:
· Who are your users?
· What do they need from your goods or services?
· What problems are they trying to solve by visiting your website?
Conduct surveys, interviews and usability tests. By doing this, you’ll be able to learn all about your users’ behaviours and preferences.
User personas are one the best ways to truly understand your target audience’s needs and goals. From there, the website can be designed in parallel with what the users expect.
2. Simplicity is key
What is simplicity in UX design? In simple terms, it means creating a clean and straightforward user interface.
The most important factor is having an interface that’s easy for the user to navigate through and has an easy to use, pleasurable design. Anyone interacting with your site or app should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and with ease.
They shouldn’t experience any complications, and should never feel confused by your site’s interface.
To create a simple user interface, ensure you have the following in place:
· Minimal distractions
· Clear and concise language
· Logical flow of actions
The goal is to:
· Make the user's journey as effortless as possible
· Reduce information overload
· Create a pleasant overall experience
3. Consistency counts
A consistent web design involves ensuring you use the same fonts, colours, buttons, icons, menus and layout across your interface.
Consistency is essential in web design because users feel at ease while browsing your site, which makes them want to browse for longer. They don’t feel confused or bewildered. Instead, they enjoy the browsing experience. They find it relatable, trustworthy and credible.
The internet is home to billions of websites. With so many sites out there, it’s vital that yours has something special about it. Once users click out of it, it will stay in their minds. So, make sure you keep simplicity and consistency top of mind when designing your site.
4. Prioritise accessibility
Another factor that makes a great UX design is a site that’s inclusive and accessible to all, including people with disabilities.
This means:
· Providing text alternatives for non-text content
· Ensuring sufficient colour contrast
· Enabling keyboard navigation
When you design an accessible site, this not only expands your user base, but also increases the overall usability for everyone.
5. Focus on performance
Does your site perform well? If not, you run the risk of quickly losing users.
Did you know that 90% of people are less likely to return to a site if they’ve had a bad user experience?
Performance plays a key role in the overall user experience.
Some examples of poor performance include:
· Slow loading times
· Interactions that lag between one another
· A site that crashes
All of the above can quickly frustrate users, which soon leads to abandonment.
To optimise the performance of your website or app, be sure to:
· Reduce the size of assets like images and videos
· Ensure the backend infrastructure can handle the expected load
· Perform efficient coding
A site that performs well keeps users engaged and satisfied. This is much more likely to make them keep browsing for longer and above all else, purchase your goods or services.
6. Emotional design
Emotional design aims to create an emotional connection with users. It involves using elements like colours, images and animations to evoke a positive emotional state and create a memorable experience.
Consider the tone and personality of your product. Is it playful? Professional? Friendly? Serious? Regardless of what it is, make sure that it is reflected in your site design so that it resonates with your audience.
7. Feedback and responsiveness
Providing feedback to users is crucial in UX design. They need to know that their actions have been acknowledged and what the outcome is. This can be achieved through visual cues, such as changing button colours when clicked, loading indicators or confirmation messages.
In addition, the interface should be responsive, meaning it should adapt seamlessly to different devices and screen sizes, providing a consistent experience across all platforms.
8. Usability testing
User testing is a critical part of the overall UX design process. It involves observing real users as they interact with the site to identify any pain points and areas for improvement.
This type of feedback is invaluable as it allows you to refine the design and ensure that it meets user needs.
When you perform regular usability testing throughout the design and development phases, this enables you to catch usability issues early on, which results in a more polished final product.
9. Iterate and improve
UX design is not a one-off task. It’s an ongoing process. As user needs and preferences evolve, so too should your product. Gathering user feedback, analysing usage data and staying up-to-date with the latest design trends are all essential.
They allow you to make incremental changes based on feedback and user testing, which ensures your site remains constantly relevant and user-friendly.
10. Content is king
This is something we talk about a lot within our articles, and that’s because constant has long played a pivotal role in UX design.
Your website needs to be brimming with clear, relevant and engaging content. This includes everything from the text on buttons and menus to the main body of information on each page.
Also, make sure that your content is well-organised. Run readability tests to ensure it’s easy to read, and make sure that everything you write is valuable to the user.
Good content is incredibly powerful. It can guide users throughout the entire user interface, helping them to accomplish their goals effectively.
11. Visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy involves the arrangement of various elements on a web page (also known as information architecture). They’re arranged in a specific order to imply importance.
By doing this, it enables users to scan and understand the interface quickly.
Effectively using size, colour, contrast and spacing can draw attention to the most critical elements first.
For example, headlines should be more prominent than body text. Also, primary actions should stand out from secondary actions.
12. User Control and freedom
Users should feel in control of the interface and have the freedom to navigate it as they wish. This means providing options for undoing actions, easy ways to navigate back to previous screens, and avoiding actions that might cause unintended consequences. Giving users control enhances their confidence and satisfaction with the product.
Does your interface feature a great UX design?
Great UX design is about creating a seamless and enjoyable experience for users. By implementing all of the above design elements, you can ensure your site not only meets but exceeds user expectations.
Remember, the ultimate goal of UX design is to make the user's interaction with your website as positive and fulfilling as possible. While nobody is expecting you to reinvent the wheel when it comes to UX, the above factors are absolutely critical in ensuring your website or app stand out in a highly competitive arena.
Need help creating an empowering UX design?
Look no further than EWM.
Our team of designers knows how important UX is for improved usability and accessibility. We remain on hand to ensure your website delivers long-lasting, impactful results.
Contact us to discuss your specific UX requirements.