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User Experience (UX) Design

What is user experience (UX) design?

User experience (UX) design is the process of creating user-friendly products that provide end-users with an easy-to-navigate and relevant digital experience. UX design is an iterative, and research-driven offering that seeks to improve how humans interact with and experience technology. 

UI vs UX? 
  • UI (user interface) refers to any digital element the end-user interacts with. This includes everything from sounds to dropdown lists to fillable forms, to buttons. 
  • UX (user experience) refers to how UI’s digital elements positively or negatively influence the user’s experience or interaction with the product. UX designers research, test, and refine product navigation and user journeys to improve accessibility, ease of use, or overall aesthetic.  
Benefits of UX design

Most issues related to product traction can be linked to poor user experience. Customers need more than a functioning product, they need a frictionless experience that feels almost effortless. You might have a high conversion rate on your website – lots of demos or free trials. But if prospects are disappointed with your product UX design, they either won’t buy or will drop off soon after purchase. With so many options on the market, customers have the pick of the litter. If your product’s going to get ahead (and stay ahead), there’s no room for poor UX.

The role of UX designers
Strategy and planning

Identify the core business drivers, the problem you’re trying to solve, and any potential challenges. 

Functional requirements

Outline product features – the must-haves (e.g. chat) and the nice-to-haves (e.g. chat emojis) and any additional technologies to include. 

User stories 

Provide clear information and user goals to guide design decisions so your users can always find what they need. 

User journey mapping

Create user journey maps (often using step-by-step flowcharts) to inform how users navigate your product. 

Wireframing and prototyping

Represent the digital experience with wireframes and prototypes. Wireframes are low-fi blueprints while prototypes are clickable expressions that simulate the user journey and interactions.

Testing  

Work with a select group of users to test at the prototype stage and make necessary tweaks to the user flow before building out features. Once live, UX designers employ usability and A/B testing based on learnings from heat mapping and analytics.

Related Terms

Brand Strategy

Brand strategy involves translating your technical offering into a clear value proposition and backing it up with a messaging framework and brand personality you can own.

Anchor Text

Otherwise known as link text, a link title, or a link label, anchor text can be described as clickable words or phrases within a hyperlink that connects two web pages.

Search Engine

Database tools that help users find content on the World Wide Web. Once a user enters a keyword or search query, search engines curate a list of the most relevant webpage URLs, images, or videos, known as the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).