Introduction
Amazing user experience can transform a curious visitor into a regular customer. That’s why every website creation process should start with the end user in mind. However, as designing UX can be quite a complex task, sometimes even the best intentions won’t bring desired results if you don’t follow certain principles. Those will help you stay on track during the whole process, and assist you in getting great feedback from users.
Our friends from Alpha Efficiency came up with the list of 7 UX principles every designer should implement in his work, and we decided to share it with you.
Important UX principles
1. Be innovative
One of the most important aspects of UX design is innovation. The ability to surprise and delight users is what sets great products apart from the rest. By coming up with new and better ways to solve users’ problems, you can create unforgettable experiences people will talk about. However, please note that people usually spend a lot of time on popular platforms. That’s why you should place basic control actions where users expect them to be. To get optimal results, combine innovation with other principles in this list.
2. Think in detail
Nothing should be left to chance in UX design. You must carefully analyze the potential effect of every element before placing it. Even the smallest flaw could ruin the comfort users should feel while exploring your website, so make sure there is none. Remember that tiny details make a significant impact.
3. Sometimes less is more in UX design
Minimalism is more than just a matter of aesthetics. Complicated design can scare people off, as they might not know what to do next. Not overcomplicating your website will improve the user's focus and allow him to concentrate on important elements.
A good rule of thumb is to design one primary action per screen.
4. Make navigation easy
Good navigation design connects the pieces of a site and leads its visitors to where they need to go, making sure they never get lost in the process. People will have a great experience using your website only if everything feels within reach for them. We advise you to ensure that:
- Each icon is leading to the desired destination
- Key navigation controls are always in the same place
- Pages are hierarchically mapped and users always know where they are
- In case you give users the option to choose between basic and advanced interface, a quick exit out of the advanced one is provided.
5. Conduct usability tests
Even when everything seems perfect to you, conduct tests with users on different devices. Design different versions of the same page and see which one receives the best feedback. The testing must continue even after the website is up and running, as good UX designers always look for ways to improve their design based on carefully researched data.
Additional principles for mobile UX design:
6. Optimal tap targets
Many people use only one hand for holding a phone. They scroll and click on elements with their thumbs. You must be aware of this when designing a user experience for mobile devices. Here are quick tips that might help you:
- Place the most important elements on the screen area an average person can easily reach
- Position buttons such as delete or skip on the area users can’t reach without changing their grip. It is unlikely that people will accidentally tap there.
7. Pay attention to text readability
Reading text on smartphones and tablets can be a frustrating experience because those devices have smaller screens. And reading outdoors can be even harder because of sunlight. To create the best possible user experience, you must pay attention to:
- Font size - it should be at least 11 points
- Font weights - use different weights for headings and paragraphs
- Line height - adjust the distance between the baseline of the text and the top of the first letter of the next line. Start with the line height of 1.5 times the font size and see what works best.
- Contrast - adjust the contrast between the text and background for optimal outdoor reading.
Conclusion
UX design is a highly creative, yet very complex process in which it is easy to get lost. That’s why we recommend implementing the principles above while working on your projects. Of course, they are just the tip of an iceberg - and to design websites users will talk about, you should always strive for originality. But never forget that a business is as successful as its customers are satisfied.