UX design – 8 rules that every UX designer should know

There is no one who does not engage in website building, web design, or SEO and has not heard the phrase “user experience” dozens of times.

A good user experience is important today not only for those who visitors the site but also for Google and even for those who create applications.

But before we start talking about UX design / UX designer, one has to differentiate between UX and UI.

What is a UX / UI anyway and why is it important?

So what is UX? (UX design) When we talk about characterizing the UX design, we are talking about the overall experience created between the user and the product we are designing?

Therefore, we usually want to create in the user the right feeling and meet all his needs through proper design of the product starting from the most basic level.

By the way, this is not necessarily a website, and in fact, the product can be almost anything, from a computer mouse to your smart fridge.

The difference between UI and UX?

UI = User Interface

UX = User Experience

Compared to UX, UI specifically refers to the design of the user interface through which the user communicates with the product and therefore can be said to be part of the user experience and many times constitutes the way in which the actual user experience is implemented.

Thus, although the two areas are very close and there is some overlap between them, they are not really identical, and when it comes to highly complex products, it is quite possible that interface designers and user experience designers will work side by side.

Another important thing to note is that it sometimes uses the phrase “user experience characterization” or website characterization.

Although the word characterization has a less visual connotation than “user experience design”, the two terms are usually parallel to each other. In addition, there is a close connection between designing a user experience and improving conversion rates – we will understand more later.

Having clarified the differences between the two concepts, let’s delve deeper into the principles by which a successful user experience can be designed.

1. User Experience Characterization: Create a persona first

When we design a user experience, we need to know in advance who our average user is.

For example, is he a private individual, or perhaps a business owner? What exactly is he looking for and in what situation? What are his specific needs?

Not all personas have to be identical, but we must consider all possible personas.

2. Start big and from there go down to the small details

When talking about user experience, it is usually acceptable to start with a general flow chart of the actions expected from the user and how these actions connect to each other.

This chart can be very basic and include only arrows, conditions, actions, and results without reference to the interface itself.

In the second stage, we move on to the small details and screens or parts that the user actually sees, and this is where the role of the UI people actually comes in many times.

For example, if it is a website, they will sketch the different types of pages, the elements that are in them, and the navigation menu. If it is a smart TV, they will draw the various elements of the on-screen display (OSD).

Example of characterizing an application user experience:

3. User experience – always expect the unexpected

Even the best UX user experience designers are not without mistakes so they should be willing to get feedback from users through presentations, concept videos, beta versions, etc.

The best way to do this is through tests.

As part of these tests, which are called usability tests, users are usually allowed to perform a certain action and are asked to document their interaction in the process.

For example, you could ask them to think aloud or record themselves. There are also more advanced methods for performing the tests: from tracking the mouse cursor (with tools like Hotjar for example) to more advanced means for eye tracking.

4. Use language that the user understands

Many websites or applications use high language or imperative language (“enter your first name”), but such language is mainly suitable for bodies or institutions of a more formal nature, such as banks or social security.

On the other hand, there are those who do want to cuddle with their users and play it cool, and they become sticky and annoying. All of these little texts are called microcopy – I think I will expand on this on occasion in a separate article

The best solution to these problems is to use simple language. For example, ask questions directly or do not use question words at all, especially in forms.

5. Use white space wisely

White space is any space that is not used for the interface.

For the most part, it is indeed white, but in practice, it can be in any other color with high contrast to the rest of the elements.

In this article I wrote, you can learn about Choosing color combinations for a website – color psychology

Its purpose is to remove the visual clutter from the user’s eyes and thus help him concentrate only on what really matters.

At the same time, the use of white space should be done with caution: too much white space tends to inflate even simple interfaces and this can be critical when available space is limited as for example in mobile apps.

6. Do not expect users to know everything and do not force them to perform unnecessary actions

In the context of user interface design or UX / UI user experience, a common mistake is to think that the user knows everything.

For example, not all people know exactly what a CSV (the code on the back of a credit card) is or why exactly they should also confirm their phone number after choosing a username and password (this is done for dual security).

When you give an answer to the user ahead of time, you reduce his concerns and increase the chance he will complete the desired action.

Another question you need to ask yourself is whether really all your requirements are at all essential.

For example, one of the largest airlines in the world required its customers who wanted to purchase airline tickets through its website to register before they could book airline tickets.

After consulting with UX user experience people, it turned out that making the listing optional, increased sales by millions of dollars! In other words, users do not like being forced to do things contrary to simple logic.

7. Do not underestimate the importance of performance

Many designers mainly concentrate on their tasks without considering the technical side such as website speed or even adjustment to non-standard screen sizes.

These are two areas that are important not only for users and affect the dropout rates, but also for Google and search engines that have started to rank search results of sites also based on their technical performance.

Although it is not always possible to predict exactly where problems will be discovered, there must be an understanding between the programmers or engineers and the designers so that they can work with each other efficiently and quickly.

8. Remember that the UX process is never over

In today’s changing and intense world, the UX design characterization process is a cyclical process: there is not really a particular point where you can sit idly by, and you need to be attentive to user feedback and even go back to earlier stages in the process all the time.

Even completely physical products with a basic interface, such as streamers, receive occasional firmware updates that change the way they behave.

On the other hand, too large infrastructure changes that do not necessarily come from the users can greatly impair the user experience. If your accounting software (a real example) changes one day the whole interface of viewing receipts and invoices, even a few tens of seconds of confusion and uncertainty can make you wonder when it will happen again and whether to continue working with it.

If you want to make a fundamental change or facelift, give users the ability to revert to the previous version, but encourage them to gradually get used to the new version. It is best to do this in an email to give them a few days’ notice.

The connection between the UX UI user experience and Google SEO (SEO)?

There is of course a close connection between the UI UX user interface and organic Google promotion (SEO).

Google has enough DATA about us and they know how to analyze huge amounts of information in a short time, and translate that into improving their search engine – in order to present the best sites in their field, thus improving our search engine browsing experience.

If the user experience on a website is negative, Google will easily recognize it.