Although you will come across people using the words user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) interchangeably, these are as much different as chalk and cheese. Then, why do people tend to mix it? The reason is perhaps the thin line that differentiates the two that often becomes invisible to people who are not familiar with it. The user interface is the cause of user experience. UI defines how a website will look and feel and what the site is capable of doing is responsible for user experience.
The user interface is the foundation for creating website designs that meet the expectations of users by providing the best user experience. Web designers are also responsible for developing websites that search engines like. This is essential for making websites search engine optimization friendly, which is the purpose of creating it. In pursuit of providing better user experience, and to reach out to the masses that use mobile devices, web designers have taken up responsive web design.
Thinking about user experience before considering user interface would be like putting the cart before the horse. Paying attention to better interface creation leads to better user experience. In this article, we have discussed the ways of creating a high impacting user interface that facilitates in achieving the website goals. Let us begin with how to proceed in making a user interface that lives up to the expectations of users.
Use Design Elements that Users are Comfortable With:
Defining goals for creating user interface can make the task easy. For setting goals, the designer must keep in mind that it must be easy for users to use the interface. Trying to achieve things that turn out to be quite complicated to can disappoint users. The design elements must be optimal and easy to use so that users do not have to think much about it. On the other hand, the features must include design elements that are just appropriate and not extras. All design elements must work towards achieving the website goals, and there must not be any element that does not relate to the functionality of the site as it can distract users. Overall, keep things as simple as possible but with high functionality so that users find it easy to work with.
Make it Intuitive:
How well users can use the system depends on how nicely you create the user interface. Select design elements by keeping in mind the user requirements and avoid the lure of showing off your design skills. Make everything clear by putting the user interest first and then align the most appropriate design elements that help to achieve it. Users must feel comfortable to use the design that has inherent qualities. Unless the design is intuitive, users might be wary of waiting to take a cue for making the next move, and this can be detrimental for the website. The design elements must have a smooth workflow so that shifting from one part to another is so effortless that users hardly feel it.
Maintain Consistency in Design:
With an eye on user experience, maintain consistency in design because users tend to develop specific usage patterns that contribute to better user experience. The professionals at Vision Smash SEO Company will tell you how important it is to maintain consistency in design. The aim of the user interface is to allow users to create their comfort zone because once they settle well, it becomes easy for them to navigate the website, as they are aware of where they can find things and what to expect from it. More like the design is users will find it more reliable.
Refrain from Being Over Creative:
Never lose sight of the user when designing websites. Keep the desire for expressing excessive artistic and creative abilities within limits because after all, you must create websites that make users comfortable. Users would always like to work with things that they are familiar with and comfortable to handle. Allowing users to stay and operate within their comfort zone is the primary task of web designers. Do not include anything into the design elements that can give a jerk to users. Instead, make things as much easy going as possible for them by using familiar patterns.
Build Efficiency into the Design:
Plan the layout in a way that helps users to perform the main tasks with ease and efficacy. Every effort that they put in when performing tasks on the website must yield positive results. The design must support their actions with complete control on whatever they are doing. Be judicious in providing options to users so that they never feel overwhelmed by it.
Understand User Interface About User Experience:
Before you set out to design websites, you must know for whom you are doing it and what the person expects from it. In short, you must step into the shoes of the user to gain insight into the user experience. Since the user interface design aims at addressing issues that lead to better user experience, it makes perfect sense to have a good understanding of user experience. The more you gather information from the perspective of the user, better it will be for you to create the most effective and efficient user interface. Gathering information about the product, key brand, and user flow is part of the activities that facilitate understanding the needs and expectations of users.
Build a Visual Hierarchy in Design:
One may argue whether you at all need to consider visual hierarchy in design, but not having it can make the design function poorly and fall short of expectations of users. The purpose of building the hierarchy is to make some elements more prominent than others because those contribute the most in realizing the website objectives. Like CTA (call to action) buttons are usually bigger and has noticeable color because it opens the door to conversion, which is a major goal of websites.
Once you are clear in your understanding of what makes users happy, select the right tools that that help to create websites with outstanding attributes of UI and UX.
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