Why User Experience Is Important?
User experience design (UX design) is a term that has taken the world by storm. The definition of UX design—which literally means "user experience"—is essential to product development for many companies, but the term itself can seem like just another one of those ubiquitous buzzwords that get thrown around at a startup meetup.
What Exactly Is User Experience?
User experience (UX) is any interaction a user has with a product. Effective UX design requires empathy and the ability to guide your users down their paths through complex screens and flows.
For example, how the product looks, how its elements influence the user, how it makes them feel, and how they interact with it. Put simply, UX design is a process that designers use to make the experience of using a particular product as easy, smooth, and enjoyable as possible for the user.
Why Is UX Important?
The buzzword UX is growing increasingly prevalent. Airbnb attributes good UX for taking them from being a near-failure to being valued at $10 million; LandRover has described UX as a must-have investment, and Elon Musk was famously quoted saying that “any product that needs a manual is broken.”
The term "user experience" has gained traction in the past few years, though it was coined in the early 1990s by Donald Norman, who worked for Apple as a cognitive scientist. Norman was deeply interested in how customers would use Apple products and prioritized empathy with users to ascertain that they could access what they needed with minimal fuss or bother. Many high-tech companies are at the forefront of pushing investments into user experience as they see placing users first as a necessity; reap the benefits.
To put it simply, UX is important because :
- User experience design is a strategic process that seeks to fulfill user needs and build a better customer satisfaction–conversion–retention journey.
- UX aims to provide positive experiences for the user that encourage them to return time and time again.
- User experience design focuses on the whole customer journey and establishes a two-way relationship between the maker and the user.
- UX reduces costs for the development of a product, as well as for bug fixing, marketing and so on.
- UX can improve return on investment (ROI).
The UX Design Process
Before beginning to design an effective user experience, it is advisable to identify the problem and determine how best to solve it.
These questions might serve as a starting point:
- Persona
Who has the Problem?
- Problem
What is the Problem?
- Strategy
How will we solve the Problem?
- Objective
What will the solution achieve?
- Features
What features are required to accomplish the objective?
- Solution
What will the product look like, and how will it function?
UI vs UX
Two terms are often confused with one another but have very different meanings. Here's how to tell the difference.
“UI is the saddle, the stirrups, and the reins. UX is the feeling you get being able to ride the horse.” —Dain Miller, Web Developer
Simply put, UI refers to the screens, buttons, toggles, icons, and other visual elements you interact with when using a website, app, or other electronic devices. UX refers to your interaction with a product, including how you feel about the interaction.
The main difference is this: UX design focuses on the overall look and feel of the experience, while UI design concentrates on how a product's interfaces look and function.
It’s Time To Think About Your Own Product's UX
“People ignore design that ignores people.” — Frank Chimero, Designer
So UX helps us bridge that gap between developers’ and users’ minds by considering every variety of user and their tastes.
By providing a great user experience for your users, you increase their likelihood of completing conversion tasks across your product and have a chance to impact lives positively.
You are making their lives easier by simplifying your interactions with your end users.
And if your product can help users complete their tasks or solve their problems as quickly as possible, this will leave a lasting impression on them, one that they will gladly talk about to friends and family.
How Prodcrew Can Help?
At Prodcrew, we develop innovative products that blend cutting-edge technology and human insight.
WHY CHOOSE US?
- We’re a team of seasoned UX professionals with design thinking expertise.
- Extensive industry knowledge across a variety of markets
- Experience in building and managing large-scale products