What is User Interface?
Simply put, user interface (UI) is anything a user may interact with - to use a digital product or service. This includes everything from screens and touchscreens, keyboards, sounds, and even lights.
UI refers to the aesthetic design of all visual elements of a digital product’s user interface; namely the product’s presentation and interactivity.
User interface (or UI) design has grown substantially over the past few years, and has blossomed into one of the most creative, innovative and exciting fields in tech.
What is User eXperience?
UI design is often confused with UX design, also known as user experience design. While UI and UX designers work closely together, the two fields refer to separate aspects of the design process.
User experience evolved as a result of the improvements to UI. Once there was something for users to interact with, their experience, whether positive, negative, or neutral, changed how users felt about those interactions.
UX design is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability and accessibility of a product, webpage, or app. On the other hand, UI design is the design of the product’s interface—in other words, what the user actually sees when they interact with the product. From color schemes to typography, UI designers are responsible for the product’s look and feel. UI design involves anticipating the user’s preferences and creating an interface that both understands and fulfills them. UI design not only focuses on aesthetics, but also maximizes the responsiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of a website.
Why UX/UI is important?
The primary goal of any business is to increase its sales and increase the growth of the business. UX/UI Design plays an essential role in achieving this goal. The UX/UI Design of the application improves the user experience and customer satisfaction that ultimately helps increase the number of users of the specific application.
With users having lots of choices and alternatives for the products and/ or services you are offering them, the span of time you get to grab the attention of your users is quite less and you have to hit the bullseye in this short span of time.
The UI and UX Design help to win the consumers’ confidence and make them use your website or application, providing them what they are looking for. The number of consumers you are getting on your website/application can measure the success of the great UI and UX.
For a start-up or a small venture, the importance of UI and UX Design becomes even more crucial as the first impression lasts long, and using UI and UX designing can make or break the brand recognition.
How to improve your UX/UI?
After realizing the importance of UX/UI design in business, you might be wondering how to make the user experience of your website/app better. Here are a few tips from our UX/UI experts at OPES Groups:
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Knowing what your audience wants.
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Put yourself in users’ shoes and ask this question: "Would I be happy with the user experience if someone else created it?"
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Don’t flood your app/website with too many elements. Instead, keep it simple and precise.
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Offer only what users want, not what you desire.
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Make the Sign In process simple.
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Don’t let your customers get lost or confused.
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Make the design feel real to the user.
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Observe other people’s work and learn.
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Consider human psychology, color patterns, and behavior in your design.
Some key components
Information Architecture
Information Architecture, also known as the IA, is all about satisfying the business strategies by designing the application’s or the site’s information structure. The major role of the IA is to provide its users with easy navigation no matter which browser they are using. It’s about using the maximum permutations and combinations to provide the best and a top-level navigation menu.
Interaction Design
Interaction Design is about creating the conceptual design with which the users interact with the product and/or application. This interaction includes various elements such as aesthetics, color, font, icons, images, motion, sound, space, graphics, etc.,
Usability
Usability can be referred to as the user-friendliness as well. Along with figuring out if the users get the information they want by using the application or visiting the site for the first time and if the application/website is easy to navigate, the usability also comprehends the ways to handle the errors.
Wireframing
Wireframing is about creating a sample of the application to test the features, look and usability of the application before it is actually launched. It is a cheap way to test functionality and evaluate if the application serves the purpose.
Visual Design
Visual design of the application or the website is like defining the company’s brand. Finalizing the visual design can affect the users’ behavior and hence it is the most important component of the UI design. Visual Design is not only about selecting the best images, colors, icons, fonts, but also identifying the appearance of the application impacts the interaction of its users.