User Experience
Back A Quick Guide
It’s easy to see the user experience (UX) of a digital product only in broad terms of good or bad. But, in truth, understanding and successfully executing user experience design is about a concrete methodology, distilling usability, usefulness, and desirability – and then building it up through the product’s architecture, interaction, framework, and interface.
Essential steps to creating great digital user experience
stage I
Thoughtful consideration and UX planning
Research.
understand who the end-user is, what their needs are, what the purpose of the application is, and how the user is supposed to engage with the system.
Visualize.
picture a visual design, or a graphic visualization of the desired look and feel. Incorporate elements of color, imagery and symbols that can connect with the audience and convey the intended message.
Map.
organize the information and structure the products and services (what is included and what features connect them) so they can be easily found and used. This will be the skeleton of the product.
Plan.
create the most pleasant and efficient experience possible, based on an understanding of the optimal path for users to reach their goals within the product.
stage II
Execution
Model.
begin by building models of the users, environments, and workflows, based on the research carried out in Stage I.
Sketch.
sketch out the interaction framework, or wireframes. The big-picture structure of screen layouts, product flows, behavior, and organization may be defined on paper or on a board. In parallel, refine the visual and industrial designs. Once established, the wireframes are translated from sketches to actual screens.
Prototype.
have users test out tasks on prototypes. Note any questions, sources of confusion, or issues, and incorporate them into design changes in the next iteration.
Interface.
combine the polished interaction and visual elements with the information architecture, styled with a look and language specific to your product and applied to design and development.
The UX development process is an intricate one. It includes technology alongside artistry, psychology, and logic, and each case is unique. And yet, anyone can understand the core elements of its evolution, and as such be informed and involved in its development.
