Design Sprint, UX &UI

The way we read articles has changed. Where previously our eyes were busily taking in all the information, photos and adverts on a page, there's been a shift to split-screen browsing with many readers simultaneously reading an article while watching video clips or television programmes.

It's not just news websites that face challenges when it comes to reader retention and page views. Users are much more demanding and much less patient than ever before, and that has a direct effect on the UI (user interface) and UX (user experience).

A good UI requires the user to do very little in order to get what they want, whether that's subscribing to a service or buying a product. A great UX, on the other hand, is one that retains readers for longer periods of time and encourages them to stay on a website and click around and read more content.

To achieve this, programmers, designers and content strategists work closely with one another through an iterative design process. With each iteration of the design they create, they test it on users in order to collect feedback and see where they need to improve their designs.

Some things are best left until last when designing for UI or UX. For example, there's no point worrying about scrolling or navigation until the designer knows what type of content they're dealing with. Will it be long-form or short-form? Will it mostly be image? Is there a lot of text, or is the tone informal and chatty?

Once they know what type of design they need for their app or web page, they can then move on to thinking about branding, marketing materials and colours. This part of the process is fun

Once that is decided, then it's important to think about how they will lay out this content on the page and make sure there is room for both content and advertisement. It's also important to consider the technology at play when designing for these interfaces

Alt Labs uses Design Sprint, where the pressures of deadlines and user testing are short-circuited, allowing us to learn faster than ever before. The Design Sprint process gives you the opportunity to test your hypotheses about their product or service, create a plan for future development, and validate that plan with real customers.

Alt Labs has worked on apps and websites where the UX and UI has been tested rigorously, but also on projects where the focus was more on the content than the interface.

No matter what area of development you're working in, it's important to remember that user testing is essential to improving your designs and making sure users can easily navigate through them. Without this iterative process behind them,