Instant gratification with an exceptional experience – that is what everybody desires. With fast technological changes happening in the 21st century, delivering on these expectations is not really difficult. The same stands true for mobile and web applications. The customers desire an app that loads quickly, is responsive, efficient in execution, and looks good. What it means is the customer is the King, and they want the best of UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience). This article aims to understand why the design process is important in both UI and UX. But, before that, let us take a minute to understand these two terms.
User Interface
In plain words, UI is the screens, various pages, multiple buttons, and all the associated visual paraphernalia that allow the user to communicate with a device. It has more to do with how the application looks and converses with the user.
User Experience
UX concentrates wholly and solely on providing the user with the best possible experience in going from “Point A” to “Point B” using the web or mobile application. Its overall aim is to deliver maximum customer satisfaction. UX creates a suitable user flow by focusing on wireframing an application and organizing each part and component suitably.
Does UX/UI Really Matter?
Today’s laptop, smartphone, smartwatch, and tablet using generation wants applications which are quick to load and effortless to execute. Design and programming are predominantly based on user expectations. If your website is faster than that of the competition, you will come out the winner. But, if not, you will have a difficult time making your presence known in your niche. It is up to the designers of your UI/UX to guide the people through your application or website in the most effective manner, so they reach the correct landing page. So, Yes! UX/UI does really matter.
Why Is The Design Process Important?
The reason behind the failure of most apps and web applications is that the developers pay more attention to one aspect of design and fail to give the other one the same consideration. For example, they create an app with stunning visuals but weak performance and vice-versa. It is necessary to maintain a balance between the UI/UX design and functionality. This issue gets addressed during the design phase and hence, makes designing a critical task.
If your UX/UI design process is accurate, it will help you:
- Win more customers
- Increase customer’s confidence in your brand
- Build your brand reputation
Importance Of UX/UI Design
Every business operates with success in mind. Success is achieved when sales increase. Nowadays, customer preferences have changed drastically. Their attention spans are low, and they want to shop from the comfort of their homes. So, you have to strike the right impression in minimum possible time and guide the customer to correct product within a few seconds. At such times the UI/UX design process plays an essential role. If you hit the bull’s eye efficiently every time with your app or website, you’ve managed to win half the battle already.
Key Components For Designing
The design process has to be on the mark right from the very beginning. This is because you cannot keep going back and forth to correct the mistakes. Doing so will not only increase the cost of application development but will also delay your launch schedule. In business, one thing crucial is to always deliver promptly on time. This is because delays will cost you not only money but also customers. In this regards, you need to pay full attention to the critical components of the design process.
- Information Architecture – IA is about using all possible permutations and combinations in order to provide a smooth and easy navigation menu which can be accessed through any browser. It fulfills business strategies by planning the application’s or the site’s information configuration.
Interaction Design – Here, the conceptual design is created which the users actually see and interact with. So it’s all about visual elements like color, font, images, icons, graphics, sounds, etc. - Usability – This deals with how user-friendly the site or app is. So it’s all about ease of navigation, figuring out whether the users are being directed correctly and handling any errors which may arise.
- Wireframing – It is usually a low-fidelity way to exhibit an app. It is an architectural blueprint which outlines the entire structure and the complete layout. Wireframing, in a real sense, is the most basic representation of the design visually. There are two types of wireframes which are mostly made.
- Low Fidelity Wireframes – These are like a quick sketch, which make the idea tangible. It gives a basic idea of how the user interface would look like. It helps the business and the software development teams shape the product in the early stages of association. Low fidelity wireframes do not take too much effort to make and save a lot of rework in the later stages.
- High Fidelity Wireframes – These can only be created with the help of digital tools. They take relatively more time to make. However, they effectively reveal how the final product will look like. If the business is not satisfied with the final look changes can be made here only to perfect it instead of at a later stage when the prototype has already been made and is ready to be tested.
- Mockup – A mockup looks like a finished product. However, it is not interactive, which means it is yet not clickable. It gives a clear graphic representation which lets the business know how the finished product will look like. You cannot test the UX here, but it shows what the UI will be like. Again, a mockup saves a lot of rework and money by painting a clear picture of the UI.
- Prototype – Prototype is as close to the finished product as you can get without it actually being so. It is like a mockup, which is clickable. So you can test the product by simulating processes to check the user interaction. Early prototyping is useful because it saves development costs and time. It also ensures that the efforts put in designing the user interface were not in vain. Also, if needed, it presents the last opportunity to make changes before launching the application into the market. Once launched, any changes will mean lots of rework and effort, which translates to more expenditure.
Concluding Thoughts
Investing in the design process is to the advantage of every business. If you look at it in terms of how much future headache and expenses it curbs you will realize it is not a waste of time. Going back and forth between the final stages of production and the initial design stage to correct the flaws or to implement a forgotten element can be a tiresome task. It ultimately raises the final project costs. If the design process is given importance as is it’s due; it will make for a financially viable and operationally successful product.
