UX design is a very broad area. We all know and adore beautiful little heart symbols that become red when clicked or pressed. However, there is a whole system of labor and effort that UX designers put into their work behind the surface.
Although UX design is a dynamic and ever-changing discipline that encourages new ideas, every new designer should learn several fundamental UX design concepts. UX principles are basic pieces of advice for producing easy-to-use, joyful designs as we pick, produce, and arrange aspects and features in our work.
As a result, design principles are at the heart and spirit of UX design. As a result, you must grasp these criteria and consider aligning your design approach with them as a new designer.
So, what are the things that UX designers must consider while building a new user experience? What are the UX best practices? We compiled this list of UX design principles to highlight what true heroes UX designers are and how broad the field of UX is. Let's go through these user experience design concepts, so you're ready to get started on a rewarding career.
1. Place the user at the core of the design
This is the most often referenced UX design principle. When it comes to creating design choices in any product, it's all about learning to employ empathy rather than our ideas. Designers have high standards and always strive to give the best, yet this drive might lead them to judge based on their desires or preferences.
Good UX design is tailored to the user's needs, which means we have to let go of our preferences. The designer will not use the product. The user's perspective, pain areas, demands, preferences, and requirements are all very important.
UX best practices focus on getting to know the user, setting the tone for the rest of the process. User testing is another approach to assess how people react to the design and whether or not their behavior matches what the design team anticipated. The user gets the last say in the UX game.
2. Recognize your position in the design process
The design process might be intimidating for rookie UX designers starting as interns or in junior roles. Designing takes a lot of time and effort, so understanding your role in the process is crucial in multiple ways.
To begin, you'll need to employ various tools for each step. Second, understanding your design phase allows you to ask the correct user research questions. For example, it's pointless to test the color of a button if you're still deciding where it should be in the design.
3. Recognize the importance of information architecture (IA)
It might be difficult for newcomers to define information architecture. It's all about deciphering every screen and bit of data that the product will include. If everything was merely shoved into a huge list of subjects and features, most consumers wouldn't be able to utilize any product.
Information architecture's ultimate purpose is to assist people to comprehend what they're looking at and locate what they're searching for. Because it goes to the core base of the product, this is frequently done before any wireframing or prototyping.
It requires design teams to think about what's most essential, what users will need the most often, and what can be stored to locate it when they need it. This broad framework will work in tandem with the product's navigation design, which will guide consumers to the appropriate areas and enable them to explore the product logically.
The navigation and the user interface are designed to help users execute their jobs with the least cognitive effort possible. Some designers even claim that the primary objective is to be unaware that they're utilizing the product's navigation or structure to accomplish their goals.
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4. Consistency is key
Users want things to be comparable to other products they use daily. This makes it simple for them to get acquainted with the new product without incurring further fees. It may seem contradictory, but the more familiar your design is to others, the quicker consumers will learn how to utilize it, which will improve their experience.
Because designers don't have to reinvent the wheel every time they embark on a new project, consistency makes the design process simpler for them. The floating action button, for example, has grown popular among applications.
5. It's all about the context
You must consider the context of the user while designing. Are you creating for someone on the run or sitting at a desk? Location is a well-known contextual aspect. However, there are additional factors to consider, such as the amount of time the user has available, their mental state, the gadget they're using, the people that impact them, and so on.
These aspects contribute to a better understanding of the user's behavior. Once you've figured out what's going on, you can create a design that optimizes the user experience. For example, a user's emotional state might influence how patient or impatient they are while engaging with your product or service's user interface, so keep that in mind when designing.
6. Prioritize usability
This is a well-known user-interface design idea. There are several reasons why designers take great care of the usability of their work — it's practically a life or death situation. The usefulness of a product is a pillar, just as the IA is.
In the grand scheme of things, the finest thing you can do for your consumers is create a high usability level. This involves ensuring that users can comfortably do activities, that the product functions effectively, and that it accomplishes its goals. If the usability fails, much like the IA, it's probable that the product will as well. In broad strokes, usability guarantees that people can utilize the product.
7. Typography has a lot of power
Typography is just as crucial as the text you use in your design. Typography is the art of giving human words a long-lasting graphic shape.
Typographic decisions may have a big influence on how others understand the words you're using, either enhancing or suppressing the message. Furthermore, typography may enhance UX in a variety of ways.
For example, considering a typographic hierarchy may increase accessibility and make the design more user-friendly. You may learn from the design of the online publishing platform Medium. To make its material more readable, Medium employs unique font.
Final thoughts
UX design is a universe unto itself. How many diverse areas and issues do UX design teams touch and work with. It's a thrilling job that's quick, exciting, and meticulous. We compiled this brief list of UX design principles to give you a general understanding of the field, although we recognize that it only scrapes the surface.