UX design incorporates several concepts of psychology and the study of human behaviour in order to create a website that satisfies their needs. It sounds very complicated but ultimately UX design is about making a website that’s as user-friendly as possible. It will also measure the value of a website or application from a user’s perspective to ensure that the user can perform their desired actions.
As our description of our UX service states: “If the user has an experience which is less than pleasant, they will probably leave your website – never to return!”
A UX design will consider several aspects of a project. It will focus on the interface design, navigation design, architecture of information, technical constraints, the client, the potential users and ultimately the website or application objectives.
The principal aim of UX design is to assess and meet the needs of a user and to provide them with a pleasant and easy-to-use online experience.
Much like an architect will go through a process of research and planning before drawing up their blueprint, a UX designer will follow their own process by gathering and planning out every fine detail before creating their masterpiece.
A UX design considers the end-users needs first instead of focusing on the client’s requests. After all, the most important people to keep in mind when building a website is the people who will be visiting it. Putting users at the centre of your products or service design process is the core element of UX.
UX design, therefore, aims to evaluate the experience of a website or application, so that the user feels comfortable, confident, and able to find the information they seek immediately, while also having a desire to interact with the site.
Importantly, the user should be left with a strong positive impression after leaving the site or app. If the end-user has a very good memory of your website then they are more likely to share the link or tell people in their circles about it. People want to help people…nothing is more powerful than a recommendation.
To design something that works well and in a way that actually makes sense for your end-users, UX dictates that we should follow their thought processes and anticipate any needs they may have. The aim is to help them achieve these their end goals in the most effective way possible on the site or app.
To accomplish this, UX designers are required to step into the shoes of users to understand their needs and expectations. The next step is to then design digital experiences that facilitate these needs and improve the daily lives of users.
When any design decisions are being mapped out, the main focus must be centred around the user (the user is the one who ultimately uses the service). It is common in many IT projects for the design team to aim their focus more on the requests of the client and potential technical constraints than the actual needs of the user.
The important point to remember here is that a website or application that is not perceived to be user-focused will not be used. The user needs to feel that their needs have been assessed and thought about before the particular service was offered to them. Ultimately this may prove to be a key factor in determining whether they interact with you or one of your competitors instead.
Usability and indeed usefulness form the basis of making a user feel comfortable while offering them the ability to find the information they seek straight away. The user should also be afforded the opportunity to interact with the service through a feedback option.
The web usability of a service is defined by the following five factors:
To summarise, web usability is about focusing on the usability of a certain service which is aimed at a particular target market or demographic. A point to note however is that ease of use alone isn’t sufficient enough to guarantee the success of a service.
Here at Matrix Internet we are one of the few full-service agencies in Ireland to provide a dedicated in-house UX team. We offer a full consultation for your website with the overall aim to provide a world-class user experience service for our clients.
By Jeff Sheridan
By Irene Hislop
By Matrix Internet